Untitled

Richard's Opening Soliloquy

Richard's Opening Soliloquy

Richard expresses his unhappiness, deformities, and his plot to kill Edward to become king.

Plot Against Clarence

Richard imprisons Clarence for treason against Edward, using the letter "G" ironically as it stands for George and Gloucester, discussing the importance of removing Clarence.

Women in Edward's Life

Richard and Clarence discuss Queen Elizabeth and Lady Eleanor, highlighting their significance in Edward's life and Richard's plan to invalidate Edward's marriage.

Lady Eleanor and Edward have a contract marriage agreement, which would seem Elizabeth and Edward’s children unfit for the throne

Richard's Plan for Edward

Richard wants Edward to live longer to convince him to have Clarence killed, preventing Edward's son from immediately becoming king.

Richard's Brutality

Shakespeare suggests Richard's brutality through the bleeding wounds of Henry VI, contrasting Richard's actions with the innocence of Henry VI.

Richard's Boast

Richard boasts about overcoming love, honor, and morality as obstacles to his rise to power in his conversation with Lady Anne.

Richard admits to killing Anne’s relatives in order to get closer to her, he claims Anne’s beauty caused him to murder the others

Elizabeth's Concerns

Elizabeth worries about her family's safety, Richard's malice, and the political turmoil.

Edward's Desire

Edward wishes for Richard to become Lord Protector until his son is of age, emphasizing the need for stability.

Maragaret’s Warning to Buckingham

Margaret warns that buckingham will pay the price for his actions and it will lead to his downfall and death, doesn’t outright curse him

Richard's Disguise

Richard plans to disguise his villainy through mental manipulation and shifting blame onto others.

Murder of Clarence

The second murderer fears killing Clarence due to moral concerns, convinced by the first murderer's promise of rewards from Richard.

Hastings' Fate

Clarence believes Hastings will save him, only to realize Hastings despises him before his death.

Richard's Plan for Edward V

Richard and Buckingham plan to summon Edward V to London under the pretense of his coronation, aiming to imprison him and assert authority.

Edward V is staying with his uncles, Earl Rivers at the time

Common People's Concerns

The common people worry about instability under King Edward and Richard's rule, reflecting the kingdom's state.

Rivers and Grey's Imprisonment

Richard imprisons Rivers and Grey, Elizabeth's sons, to eliminate potential threats to his power.

Richard's Tyranny

Richard breaks civil laws of murder, lies, treason, abuse of power, and wrongful imprisonment, showcasing his disregard for laws.

Original Towers of London Correlate to Edward

• william the conqueror built the origins buildings

• edwards interest is ironic because william was known to be oppressive and militarian while Edward sought to assert english dominance and sovereignty

• edward would have been aware of the oppression and tyranny

Richard's Manipulation

Richard manipulates the Lord Mayor and citizens by staging a plot against Hastings to gain public support

he uses bishops and tries to make himself seem pious

Why isn't Hastings worried about Stanley's dream?

Hastings trusts Richard and thinks of the dream as mere superstition

For what does Richard send Lord of Ely to fetch?

strawberries from his garden

Why does Elizabeth send Dorset away?

• to get away from richard 

• elizabeth has already experienced the death of a lot of other family members due to richard

• she sends him to France to go prepare to fight with Richmond against Richard because she thinks those are their best chances to overthrowing him

Buckingham’s Death

Richard has Buckingham executed, before dying Buckingham feels remorse for helping Richard and wants forgiveness from God.

Who does Richard accuse of witchcraft? How does this involve Hastings? What does Richard claim has been done to him?

• richard accuses Jane Shore of witchcraft, she is edwards’s mistress

• he claims elizabeth and hastings also did it to him

• he claims they cause him a broken arm and back

What one word in Hastings response appears to cause his downfall?

“plot”

As he does, Hastings remembers Margaret's curse, and makes his own prophecy. What is it?

he prophesies that he is going to die and does this to show his own resignation

1. What problem does Richard want Buckingham take care of? how does Buckingham respond?

• richard wants buckingham to murder the princes in the tower

• buckingham hesitates to agree and needs time to think about it, he is overall reluctant 

What rumor does Richard tell Catesby to spread about Anne? Why? Who does he plan to marry next?

-he decides to spread that Anne is sick so he can kill Lady Anne to marry elizabeth (richard’s niece)

Richard's Downfall

Richard's victims predict his death in battle, fulfilling Margaret and The Duchess of York's curses and showing his downfall.

Richmond's Victory

Richmond is visited by ghosts who validate his cause, contrasting Richard's arrogance and showing Richmond as God's chosen victor.

Richmond gets to marry Elizabeth

He also gets the crown of England from Stanley

Richard's Humanity

The famous scene in Act 5, Scene iv shows Richard's human emotions conflicting with his inhumane actions, adding depth to his character.

Richmond's Unification

Richmond unites the white rose and red rose, symbolizing the reconciliation of the Lancaster and York houses under Tudor rule.

Queen Elizabeth

Wife of King Edward IV, mother of the young princes and young Elizabeth, intelligent and strong-willed, viewed as an enemy by Richard due to her opposition to his rise to power.

Dorset, Rivers, and Gray

Kinsmen and allies of Queen Elizabeth, members of the Woodeville and Gray families, Rivers is Elizabeth's brother, Gray and Dorset are her sons from her first marriage.

Anne

Young widow of Prince Edward, forced to marry Richard by him for political reasons and sadistic pleasure, hates Richard for her husband's death.

Duchess of York

Widowed mother of Richard, Clarence, and King Edward IV, protective of Elizabeth and her children, curses Richard for his actions.

Margaret

Widow of King Henry VI, mother of Prince Edward, embittered and hates Richard and those involved in the destruction of the Lancasters.

The Princes

Young sons of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth, murdered by Richard's agents in the Tower of London, rightful heir to the throne is Prince Edward.

Young Elizabeth

Daughter of Queen Elizabeth, used as a pawn in political power struggles, promised in marriage to Richmond to unite the houses of York and Lancaster.

Ratcliffe, Catesby

Richard's nobility flunkies.

Tyrrell

Murderer hired by Richard to kill the young princes in the Tower of London.

Richmond

Member of the Lancaster royal family, challenges Richard for the throne, symbolizes goodness and justice, founder of the Tudor dynasty.

Hastings

Lord loyal to King Edward IV's family, killed for trusting Richard.

Stanley

Stepfather of Richmond, secretly supports him against Richard.

Lord Mayor of London

Gullible pawn used by Richard and Buckingham in their scheme to make Richard king.

Vaughan

Friend of Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, and Gray, executed by Richard along with Rivers and Gray.