Critical Analysis of Shakespeare’s Richard III - Essay

 

 

 

 

 

1 June 2005 Final

 

 

Critical Analysis of Shakespeare’s Richard III

 

           Shakespeare’s Richard III is about a murderous deformed king who killed anyone obstacles to the throne with evil power, yet was killed the end by Richmond who integrate Lancaster and York to end the war. Thus, it might be rated a historical play portrayed of the late Fifteenth Century, ended a long period of civil war in England. However, it contains many ideas and issues which can be applied in our times. Shakespeare wants to show to us political power using both evil symbol and skillful language, and metaphysical approaches judging not only villainy but also apathy by supernatural divine power.  

For the political issues, Shakespeare portraits Richard, a symbol of evil, who has techniques of using powerful language. As a symbol of evil, Richard states it in the opening scene, “I am determined to prove a villain” (I.i.30), which he proves himself killing his kinsmen to usurp the throne and even kills his own man. Moreover, Shakespeare emphasizes his evilness several times to represent abstract concepts of dangerous violence on other characters scripts, calling him—hedgehog (I.ii.103), dog (I.iii.216), rooting hog (I.iii.228), boar (III.ii.11, 28), and bloody dog (V.v.2). Using a symbol of evil, Shakespeare sets up a proper reason for Richmond defeating Richard to end the war and found Tudor dynasty which governs England in Shakespeare’s time period. This method is still alive in today’s political world. For example, Bush administration calls Saddam Hussein an evil dictator that it makes the Iraq War justifiable.

 

In the techniques of using powerful language, Richard has extraordinary skills of manipulating words that he uses logical fallacies to confuse people and ultimately controls them. When he woos Anne, he uses the method of post hoc fallacy that states, “This hand, which for thy love did kill thy love, / Shall for thy love kill a far truer love; / To both their deaths shalt thou be accessory” (I.ii.189-91). Richard appeals to her pity and confuses her to accept his proposal of marriage. Moreover, Shakespeare strongly exposes the power of language in Act III vii, when Richard’s being crowned. Richard pretends hesitating to accept the crown, yet Buckingham created the scene manipulating the words to make Mayor to entreat Richard to be a king. Shakespeare emphasizes the techniques of language to achieve political power.

 

Using techniques of skillful language is still adapted in our times. For examples, Japanese history textbook refers Nanjing Massacre to “incident,” and women forced to prostitute in military brothels as “comfort women,” de-emphasizes the subject of the slaughters and atrocities. These subtle language usages also indicate Bacon’s “The Idols of the Marketplace” which stated, “words react on the understanding; and this it is that has rendered philosophy and the sciences sophistical and inactive” (427). Japanese revised history textbook editions are relevant to Shakespeare’s usage of skillful language that it manipulates the words for their vantage in order to diminish wartime atrocities against a number of victims of neighboring countries. Thus, Shakespeare appeals the political issues of using both evil symbol and skillful language in Richard III which can still applied in our time.

 

For the metaphysical approaches, Shakespeare portraits supernatural divine power through Margaret’s prophetic curses judging not only villainy but also apathy throughout the play. Margaret curses to Richard in early scene, “Which God revenge!” (I.iii.137), and “As it is won with blood, lost be it so” (I.iii.272). Richard seems to have invincible power, yet he is judged by the greatest divine power at the end of the play. Richard’s atrocious slaughters cause him to be slaughtered by Richmond who represents God’s hand fighting against God’s enemy. Also, Margaret curses people who show their apathy when York family killed her son. Grey is the one of them who proves her curse to death stating, “Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads” (III.iii.15). Margaret’s curses prove existence of metaphysical power.

 

Exposing the metaphysics, Shakespeare reveals the power of absolute existence through Margaret’s foreshadowing words, and he proves its moral consequences throughout the play. His metaphysical power also still exists in our times. For example, Chinese students were recently protesting against Japan’s proposal of a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council because Japan distorted its history textbook to whitewash wartime atrocities against China. Moreover, Japan faces internal bias in between right-wing publisher, Fusosha endorsed by Japan’s Education Ministry, and the Japanese Teachers Union. Japan’s government illustrates Bacon’s “The Idols of the Theater” which states, “plainly impressed and received into the mind from the play-books of philosophical systems and the perverted rules of demonstration” (429). Japan’s government tries to delude its own people about wartime atrocities, yet it lost both friendly foreign relations and credibility of its education system. Shakespeare shows metaphysical power implying God will judge people from their moralities through Richard III.

           Thus, Shakespeare penetrates today’s issues in various ways that Richard III can be applied in political power both using evil symbol and skillful language, and also in metaphysical approaches judging not only villainy but also apathy by supernatural divine power in our times.