Seduction in Richard III

Seduction in Richard III

Seduction is definitely a dominant theme in Richard III. I

noticed another instance of it to go along with the ones discussed

in class the other night. Richard's wooing of Lady Anne is more

than obvious than the example I've found; but, Act 1 scene 4

definitely contains another instance of seduction.

This is Clarence's murder scene and the murderers have to convince

one another to actually carry through with the act. Murderer One is

the first to exhibit a hint of hesitation. When Brakenbury and the

keeper leave the cell Murderer Two asks if he should stab Clarence

while he sleeps and Murderer One says, "No, he'll say 'twas done

cowardly when / he wakes" (I.iv, 101-102). After replying that

Clarence would not awake until Judgment Day, Murderer Two soon

expresses regret for being there. "The urging of that word

'judgment' hath / bred a kind of remorse

in me" (I.iv, 107-108).

From here on out neither murderer is very resolute in his actions

and I got the feeling the only reason the job got done at all is

because the duo was backed into a corner once the Duke awoke and

even then Murderer two did not participate in the killing. They did

exactly what Gloucester urged them not to do and allowed the Duke

to awake and engage them in conversation thus prolonging the killing.

In the end it only Murderer One that goes through with the killing

as Clarence is able to touch the heart of the second murderer so much so that he