Directing William Shakespeare's Richard III
Dear Mr Akter,
I am writing to congratulate you upon being chosen to play the part of
Richard in our forthcoming production of Richard III. This letter is a
guide for you for how I would like the part of Richard to be acted.
This shall be primarily based upon two key scenes in the play, which
are Act 1 Scene I (opening scene) and Act 5 Scene VII (eve of battle
scene). This guide covers 3 main aspects of playing the part of
Richard. These are: Your interaction with other characters, your
interpretation and delivery of speech within the play and your
physical representation of Richard.
The reason why these two scenes have been concentrated on is because
they occur at key moments within the play and at opposite ends as
well. Not only do they appear at opposite ends of the play but they
also occur when Richards’s confidence is at opposite ends of the
emotional spectrum. This enables us to see Richard from multiple
perspectives and it shows us his multi-faceted mental and emotional
states.
As I am sure you are aware, Richard is portrayed as an Evil and
conscience free king as well as being physically deformed. Although
elements of this are based upon the truth, it is appreciated that
Shakespeare made many of these descriptions up. Due to limited other
historical reference this is how Richard is portrayed nowadays.
Shakespeare’s reasons for, perhaps, making up these facts are to
please the Queen at his time, who was Queen Elizabeth I. This would
please her because it was her grandfather, Henry Tudor (later Henry
VII (Richmond in the play)), who became King after Richard III was
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...t from the audience partly
due to his irregularities and for his determination. Humorous
instances will enable this to be possible and this will provide
entertainment outside of the script.
To conclude, it is imperative that Richards’s confidence and
outrageousness of the earlier Acts is shown to the same excess as his
neurotic behaviour and paranoia of the last scenes. His character
interaction must change as well and this is due to a change in the
tonal delivery of your lines. Simply, I appreciate how hard
Shakespearian plays are to understand from and audience perspective
and it is your job to make it simpler for them as well as keeping it
entertaining.
Thank You for Your Time
Artistic Director
Bibliography: Richard III – William Shakespeare
Notes on Richard III – Rebecca Warren
There is no doubt that Lawrence Olivier's version does a better job of sticking with the letter of the play, bringing us all the richness of the Elizabethan dialogue and costume, allowing us to experience the events as they happened.
Richard III's Usurpation and His Downfall Richards rule was always unstable due to his unlawful usurpation to the throne and his part as far as the public was concerned in the death of the two princes. As a result right from the start he didn't have the trust or support from his country. As soon as he became King people were already plotting against him. After he was crowned he travelled the country trying to raise support by refusing the generous gifts offered to him by various cities. However unknown to him a rebellion was been planned in the South.
Composers throughout various zeitgeists are linked by different representations of universal human concerns, and their texts simultaneously embody certain values and agendas individual to themselves. An exploration of Shakespeare’s King Richard III (1592) and Al Pacino’s Looking for Richard (1996) allows for a greater understanding of the composer’s respective contexts, along with their intended agendas, through the lens of their own societal values and concerns. The manipulation of Richard III’s persona, whether by authorial adaptation of historical sources related to his character, or through the differing views of Richards motives, are universal concepts, that when studied in relation to the differing time periods, accentuates the context and our understanding of recurrent aspects of the human experience.
give in to Richard that quickly, or at all. Also we know that the only
Act 1 scene 3 and Act 3 scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
At the exit of the Groom, one more remark gives place for us to sympathize with Richard. In contrast to Richard, who has referred to the Groom as a noble friend throughout their brief interaction, when the Keeper enters the room, Forker points out in a footnote that he “addresses the Groom as an inferior,” calling him “fellow,” rather than peer (471). His remark only contrasts all the more sharply with Richard’s kind reception of his peer the groom, a man he quite recently ruled over with a less than a kind hand. This scene sparks what becomes the paradigm shift that ends the play. No counterargument tries to re-convince the audience of the tyranny of King Richard II; that is said and done with the deposition of the tyrant. Were that the laudable
direct Act 2 scenes 1 and 2 (the ones before and after the murder of
Imagine you are going to direct this scene for a class performance. Explain how you want the parts of Juliet and Lady Capulet or Lord Capulet to bring out the tension of the scene, including comments to show how you want the audience to respond to the argument. This play Romeo and Juliet is set in the Elizabethan times, when Shakespeare was writing and producing plays. This particular play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, is set in Verona, Italy. It is here; we meet the wealthy families of Capulet and Montague families.
Richard had weakened since he had become king and was no longer ruthless as he had no reason to be ruthless. He had got what he wanted and was pleased with himself. He thought he was invincible, and he was too confident, which cost him his life. If he had been more careful, he would have been aware of the danger that lied before him. But, he did use some similar techniques in both the scenes.
To explore connections between texts is to heighten understanding of humanity’s progressing values and the underlying relevant themes that continue to engage societies regardless of context. William Shakespeare’s King Richard III (1592) (RIII) and Al Pacino’s docudrama Looking for Richard (1996) (LFR) demonstrate how opinion is created through comparative study, both explore the struggle for power within differing contexts to determine the duplicity of humanity. Ultimately, despite the divergent eras of composition and textual form, these connections expose the relevant social commentaries of their composers, highlighting innately human values, which remain constant.
Written during a time of peace immediately following the conclusion of the War of the Roses between the Yorks and the Lancasters, William Shakespeare’s play Richard III showcases a multi-faceted master of linguistic eloquence, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a character who simultaneously manages to be droll, revolting, deadly, yet fascinating. Richard's villainy works in a keen, detestable manner, manifesting itself in his specific use or, rather, abuse of rhetoric. He spends a substantial amount of time directly interacting and therefore breaking the fourth wall and orating to the audience in order to forge a relationship with them, to make members not only his confidants of murderous intentions, but also his accomplices and powerless, unwilling cohorts to his wrongdoings. Through the reader’s exploration of stylistic and rhetorical stratagem in the opening and final soliloquies delivered by Richard, readers are able to identify numerous devices which provide for a dramatic effect that make evident the psychological deterioration and progression of Richard as a character and villain.
From the outset of the play, it is obvious that Richard subscribes to the majority of the Machiavellian principles. Certainly, he is not ashamed or afraid to plot heinous murder, and he does so with an ever-present false front. "I do mistake my person all this while,"1 he muses, plotting Anne's death minutes after having won her hand. He will not even entertain the ideas in public, demanding they "Dive...down to [his] soul."2 He knows that he must be cunning and soulless to succeed in his tasks. Richard also knows it is essential to guard against the hatred of the populace, as Machiavelli warned.
There are many tragic events that lead to Richard’s downfall and consequently lost of his crown. The most important one was that he basically didn’t ...
The main scene I have picked to discuss is Act five Scene one. At the
From the beginning of the play, Richard II is apathetic at best in his royal role. By exiling Bolingbroke and...