William Shakespeare: 'Richard III‪'‬

Provides a basis for informed discussion of Richard

III, one of Shakespeare’s most beautifully-crafted

plays, and the issues it raises – which are as

ominously relevant to politics and people now as

they were when it was new. After a brief

examination of ‘Jacobethan’ attitudes to history and

politics, the first chapter summarises some key

concepts: the sort of world people thought they were

living in, the issues of freewill and predestination,

and the supposed (and in fact problematic) linkage

at all levels between the world of man and the

macrocosm. A short discussion of theories and

types of drama and their topical application then follows Shakespeare’s use of his sources, and what

they suggested to him, leads us in to a full

discussion of the figure of Richard: the dramatic

types on which he is built, and how Shakespeare

has subtly developed them are explored. We then

examine in detail the progress of the play, before

discussing some of its themes and issues, such as

justice, vengeance, revenge and time. The last

chapter suggests some ways of looking at the

linguistic and semantic texture of this elegant play.