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Frontispage of the First Quarto Richard The Third.
Frontispage of the First Quarto Richard The Third.

Richard III is a drama in five acts by William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare ( baptised The play is an unflattering depiction of the short reign of Richard III of England,[1], and is believed to have been written in approximately 1591. Richard III ( 2 October 1452 &ndash 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death The play is sometimes classified as a tragedy (as in the earliest quarto); but it more correctly belongs to the histories, as classified in the First Folio. Shakespeare wrote Tragedies from the beginning of his career One of his earliest plays was the Roman tragedy Titus Andronicus, which he followed a few Traditionally the plays of William Shakespeare have been grouped into three categories tragedies, comedies, and histories. Mr William Shakespeares Comedies Histories & Tragedies is the first published collection of William Shakespeare 's plays It picks up the story from Henry VI, Part III and concludes the historical series that stretches back to Richard II. Henry the Sixth Part 3, is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written in approximately 1590 and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595 After Hamlet it is Shakespeare's second longest play and is the longest of the First Folio, whose version of Hamlet is shorter than the Quarto version. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Mr William Shakespeares Comedies Histories & Tragedies is the first published collection of William Shakespeare 's plays The length is generally seen as a drawback, for which reason it is rarely performed unabridged. It is often shortened by cutting peripheral characters.

Another reason for editing is that Shakespeare assumed that his audiences would be familiar with the Henry VI plays, and frequently made indirect references to events in them, such as Richard's murder of Henry VI or the defeat of Henry's queen Margaret. Nowadays the previous plays are less well-known, so the character of Margaret is often cut and extra lines are sometimes invented or added from the trilogy to explain the characters' relationships.

Contents

Sources

Shakespeare's primary source for Richard III, like most of his histories, was Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles; the publication date of the second edition, 1587, being the terminus post quem for the play. Raphael Holinshed (died c 1580 was an English Chronicler whose work commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by Terminus post quem and the related terminus ante quem are terms used to give an approximate date for a text Shakespeare likely consulted Edward Hall's The Union of the Two Illustrious Families of Lancaster and York, and according to scholars, was familiar with Samuel Daniel's poem on the civil wars. Edward Hall (also Halle; c 1498 &ndash 1547 English chronicler and Lawyer, was born about the end of the 15th century being a son of John Hall Samuel Daniel (1562 &ndash October 14, 1619) was an English poet and historian. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York

Date and text

Richard III is believed to be one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, preceded only by the three parts of Henry VI and perhaps his earliest comedies. It is believed to have been written circa 1591. Although Richard III was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company on October 20, 1597 by the bookseller Andrew Wise, who published the first quarto (Q1) later that year (with printing done by Valentine Simmes), Marlowe's Edward II, which cannot have been written much later than 1592 (Marlowe died in 1593) is thought to have been influenced by it. The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (better known as the Stationers' Company) is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London Andrew Wise ( fl 1589 &ndash 1603) or Wyse or Wythes, was a London publisher of the Elizabethan era who issued first Valentine Simmes ( fl 1585 &ndash 1622 was an Elizabethan era and Jacobean era printer he did business in London "on Adling Hill near Bainard's Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. A second quarto (Q2) followed in 1597–printed by Thomas Creede for Andrew Wise–containing an attribution to Shakespeare on its title page and may have been a memorial reconstruction. The theory of the memorial reconstruction refers to the hypotheses concerning the transcription of 17th century plays from memory by actors who had played parts in them and the subsequent [2] Q3 appeared in 1602, Q4 in 1605, Q5 in 1612, and Q6 in 1622; the frequency attesting to its popularity. The First Folio version followed in 1623. Mr William Shakespeares Comedies Histories & Tragedies is the first published collection of William Shakespeare 's plays

Performance

The earliest certain performance occurred on Saturday, November 17, 1633, when Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria watched it on the Queen's birthday. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Henrietta Maria ( 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Princess of France and Queen Consort of England, Scotland Yet plainly it had been performed many times before that. The Diary of Philip Henslowe records a popular play he calls Buckingham, performed in Dec. 1593 and Jan. 1594; this might have been Shakespeare's play.

Colley Cibber produced the most successful of the Restoration adaptations of Shakepeare with his version of Richard III, at Drury Lane starting in 1700. Colley Cibber (ˈkɒli ˈsɪbɚ (11 June 1671 &ndash 12 November 1757 was a British actor-manager playwright and Poet Laureate. The English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored History For almost 200 of the play’s 400 year history Shakespeare’s Richard III found its audience in the adaptation of the Colley Cibber a noted The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. Cibber himself played the role till 1739, and his version was on stage for the next century and a half. Year 1739 ( MDCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a (It contained the immortal line "Off with his head; so much for Buckingham" — possibly the most famous Shakespearean line that Shakespeare didn't write. ) The original Shakespearean version returned in a production at Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1845. Sadler's Wells Theatre is the name of six theatres that have been built since 1683 at a site on Rosebery Avenue Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [3]

Characters

Facsimile of the first page of Richard the Third from the First Folio, published in 1623
Facsimile of the first page of Richard the Third from the First Folio, published in 1623

(Links are to articles on the historical personages, who may not precisely correspond to Shakespeare's portrayal of them. Mr William Shakespeares Comedies Histories & Tragedies is the first published collection of William Shakespeare 's plays )

Synopsis

The play begins with Richard describing the accession to the throne of his brother, King Edward IV of England, eldest son of the late Richard, Duke of York. Edward IV ( 28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York ( 21 September 1411 &ndash 30 December 1460) was a member of the English royal family who served in senior

Now is the winter of our discontent
made glorious summer by this son (or sun) of York (may refer to the symbol of Richard of York)

The speech reveals Richard's jealousy and ambition, as his brother, King Edward the Fourth rules the country successfully. Richard is an ugly hunchback, describing himself as "rudely stamp'd" and "deformed, unfinish'd", who cannot "strut before a wanton ambling nymph. In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form " He responds to the anguish of his condition with an outcast's credo: "I am determined to prove a villain / And hate the idle pleasures of these days. The credo ( Latin for "I Believe" ˈkɾeːd̪oː is a statement of Religious belief, such as the Nicene Creed (or less often another creed " Richard plots to have his brother Clarence, who stands before him in the line of succession, conducted to the Tower of London over a prophecy that "G of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be" - which the king interprets as referring to George of Clarence (although the audience later realise that it was actually a reference to Richard of Gloucester). Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London

Richard next ingratiates himself with "the Lady Anne" -- Anne Neville, widow of the Lancastrian Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Anne Neville (11 June 1456 &ndash 16 March 1485 was Queen consort of King Richard III of England 1483-1485 Edward of Westminster, also known as Edward of Lancaster ( 13 October 1453 &ndash 4 May 1471) was the only Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom Richard confides to the audience:

"I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. Richard Neville Jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and Suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury ( 22 November
What, though I kill'd her husband and his father?"

Despite her prejudice against him, Anne is won over by his pleas and agrees to marry him. This episode illustrates Richard's supreme skill in the art of insincere flattery.

The atmosphere at court is poisonous: the established nobles are at odds with the upwardly-mobile relatives of Queen Elizabeth, a hostility fueled by Richard's machinations. Queen Margaret, Henry VI's widow, returns in defiance of her banishment and warns the squabbling nobles about Richard. Margaret of Anjou ( Marguerite d'Anjou, 23 March 1430 &ndash 25 August 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England The nobles, all Yorkists, reflexively unite against this last Lancastrian, and the warning falls on deaf ears.

Richard orders two murderers to kill his brother Clarence in the tower. Clarence, meanwhile, relates a dream to his keeper. The dream includes extremely visual language describing Clarence falling from an imaginary ship as a result of Gloucester, who had fallen from the hatches, striking him. Under the water Clarence sees the skeletons of thousands of men "that fishes gnawed upon. " He also sees "wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, inestimable stones, unvalued jewels. " All of these are "scatterd in the bottom of the sea. " Clarence adds that some of the jewels were in the skulls of the dead. Clarence then imagines dying and being tormented by the ghosts of his father-in-law (Warwick, Anne's father) and brother-in-law (Edward, Anne's former husband) in a hellish afterlife.

After Clarence falls asleep, Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, enters and observes that between the titles of princes and the low names of commoners there is nothing different but the "outward fame," meaning that they both have "inward toil" whether rich or poor. When the murderers arrive, he reads their warrant (which is falsely portrayed as being from the king), and exits with the Keeper, who disobeys Clarence's request to stand by him, and leaves the two murderers the keys.

Clarence wakes and pleads with the murderers, saying that men have no right to obey other men's requests for murder, because all men are under the rule of God not to commit murder. The murderers imply Clarence is a hypocrite because he "unripdst the bowels of (his) sovereign's son (Edward) whom (he was) sworn to cherish and defend. " Tactically trying to win them over, he tells them to go to his brother Gloucester who will reward them better for his life than "Edward will for tidings of (his) death. " One murderer insists Gloucester himself sent them to perform the bloody act, but Clarence does not believe this. He recalls the unity of Richard Duke of York blessing his three sons with his victorious arm, bidding his brother Gloucester to "think on this and he will weep. " Sardonically, a murderer says Gloucester weeps millstones.

Next, one of the murderers explains that his brother Gloucester hates him, and sent them to the Tower to perform the foul act. Eventually, the murderer with a conscience does not participate in the act, but the other killer stabs Clarence and drowns him in "the Malmsey butt within". Malvasia (also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine Grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region and the island of Madeira The butt (from the Medieval French and Italian botte) or pipe is an old English unit of Wine casks holding two Hogsheads The first act closes with the perpetrator needing to find a hole to bury Clarence.

Edward IV, weakened by a reign dominated by physical excess, soon dies, leaving as Protector his brother Richard, who sets about removing the final obstacles to his accession. He meets his nephew, the young Edward V, who is en route to London for his coronation accompanied by relatives of Edward's widow. Edward V ( 4 November 1470 &ndash 1483? was the King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later These Richard arrests and (eventually) beheads, and the young prince and his brother are coaxed into an extended stay at the Tower of London. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London

Assisted by his cousin Buckingham (Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham), Richard mounts a campaign to present himself as a preferable candidate to the throne, appearing as a modest, devout man with no pretensions to greatness. Henry Stafford 2nd Duke of Buckingham ( 4 September 1455 &ndash 2 November 1483) played a major role in Richard III of England 's Lord Hastings, who objects to Richard's ascension, is arrested and executed on a trumped-up charge. William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (c 1431 &ndash 13 June 1483) became one of the great powers of the English realm during the reign of Edward Together, Richard and Buckingham, spread the rumor that Edward's two sons are illegitimate, and therefore have no rightful claim to the throne. The other lords are cajoled into accepting Richard as king, in spite of the continued survival of his nephews (the Princes in the Tower). The Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England ( November 4 1470 &ndash 1483? and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York (

Have mercy, Jesu! Soft! I did but dream. O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! -- Shakespeare's Richard III Act V, Sc. 3. English actor David Garrick in 1745 as Richard III just before the battle of Bosworth Field, his sleep having been haunted by the ghosts of those has murdered, wakes to the realization that he is alone in the world and death is imminent. Painting by English painter, William Hogarth.
Have mercy, Jesu! Soft! I did but dream. O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! -- Shakespeare's Richard III Act V, Sc. 3. English actor David Garrick in 1745 as Richard III just before the battle of Bosworth Field, his sleep having been haunted by the ghosts of those has murdered, wakes to the realization that he is alone in the world and death is imminent. The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( 22 August, 1485) was Lancastrian Henry Tudor's defeat of Yorkist Richard Painting by English painter, William Hogarth. William Hogarth (10 November 1697 &ndash 26 October 1764 was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic

His new status leaves Richard sufficiently confident to dispose of his nephews. Richard asks Buckingham to secure the death of the princes, but Buckingham hesitates. Richard then recruits James Tyrell for this act, which Tyrell causes to be executed. In the meantime, Richard turns against Buckingham for the latter's refusal to kill the princes, and denies Buckingham the prior-promised land grant. At this, Buckingham turns against Richard and defects to the side of the Earl of Richmond, who is currently in exile. Richard tries his old dissembling to get into princess Elizabeth's "nest of spicery", but her mother is not taken in by his eloquence.

In due course, the increasingly paranoid Richard loses what popularity he had. he soon faces rebellions led first by Buckingham and subsequently by the invading Earl of Richmond (Henry VII of England). Buckingham is captured and executed. Both sides arrive for a final battle at Bosworth Field. The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( 22 August, 1485) was Lancastrian Henry Tudor's defeat of Yorkist Richard Prior to the battle, Richard is visited by the ghosts of those whose deaths he has caused, all of whom tell him to Despair and die!. He awakes screaming for 'Jesu' (Jesus) to help him, slowly realizing that he is all alone in the world and that even he hates himself. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Richard's language and undertones of self-remorse seem to indicate that, in the final hour, he is repentant for his evil deeds; however, it is too late.

At the battle of Bosworth Field, Lord Stanley (who is also Richmond's step-father) and his followers desert Richard's side, whereupon Richard calls for the execution of George Stanley, Lord Stanley's son. This does not happen, as the battle is in full swing, and Richard is left at a disadvantage. Richard is soon unhorsed on the field at the climax of the battle, and utters the often-quoted line, A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! Richmond kills Richard in the final duel. Subsequently, Richmond succeeds to the throne as Henry VII, and marries Elizabeth from the House of York, effectively ending the War of the Roses.

In dramatic terms, perhaps the most important (and, arguably, the most entertaining) feature of the play is the sudden alteration in Richard's character. For the first 'half' of the play, we see him as something of an anti-hero, causing mayhem and enjoying himself hugely in the process:

I do mistake my person all this while;
Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,
Myself to be a marvellous proper man.
I'll be at charges for a looking-glass;

Almost immediately after he is crowned, however, his personality and actions take a darker turn. He turns against loyal Buckingham ("I am not in the giving vein"), he falls prey to self-doubt ("I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin;"); now he sees shadows where none exist and visions of his doom to come ("Despair & die").

Themes and motifs

Comedic elements

The play resolutely avoids demonstrations of physical violence; only Clarence and Richard III die on-stage, while the rest (the two princes, Hastings, Grey, Vaughan, Rivers, Anne, Buckingham, and King Edward) all meet their ends off-stage. Despite the villainous nature of the title character and the grim storyline, Shakespeare infuses the action with comic material, as he does with most of his tragedies. Much of the humour rises from the dichotomy between what we know Richard's character to be and how Richard tries to appear. The prime example is perhaps the portion of Act III, Scene 1, where Richard is forced to "play nice" with the young and mocking Duke of York. Other examples appear in Richard's attempts at acting, first in the matter of justifying Hastings' death and later in his coy response to being offered the crown.

Richard himself also provides some dry remarks in evaluating the situation, as when he plans to marry the Queen Elizabeth's daughter: "Murder her brothers, then marry her; Uncertain way of gain. . . . " Other examples of humor in this play include Clarence's ham-fisted and half-hearted murderers, and the Duke of Buckingham's report on his attempt to persuade the Londoners to accept Richard (". . . I bid them that did love their country's good cry, God save Richard, England's royal king!" Richard: "And did they so?" Buckingham: "No, so God help me, they spake not a word. . . . ") Puns, a Shakespearean staple, are especially well-represented in the scene where Richard tries to persuade Queen Elizabeth to woo her daughter on his behalf.

Free Will and Fatalism

One of the central themes of Richard III is the idea of fate, especially as it is seen through the tension between free will and fatalism in the actions and speech of the villain-hero, Richard, as well as the reactions to him by other characters. There is no doubt that Shakespeare drew heavily from Sir Thomas More’s account of Richard III as a criminal and tyrant as inspiration for his own rendering. This influence, especially as it relates to the role of divine punishment in Richard’s rule of England, reaches its height in the voice of Margaret. As Janis Lull, a noted Shakespeare scholar from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, suggests, “Margaret gives voice to the belief, encouraged by the growing Calvinism of the Elizabethan era, that individual historical events are determined by God, who often punishes evil with (apparent) evil”. [4]

Thus, it seems possible that Shakespeare, in conforming to the growing “Tudor Myth” of the day, as well as taking into account new theologies of divine action and human will becoming popular in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, sought to paint Richard as the final curse of God on England in punishment for the deposition of Richard II in 1399. [4] The late Irving Ribner, former chair of the English department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, argued that “…the evil path of Richard is a cleansing operation which roots evil out of society and restores the world at last to the God-ordained goodness embodied in the new rule of Henry VII”. [5]

Victor Kiernan, a Marxist scholar and historian, writes that this interpretation is a perfect fit with the English social perspective of Shakespeare’s day: “An extension is in progress of a privileged class’s assurance of preferential treatment in the next world as in this, to a favoured nation’s conviction of having God on its side, of Englishmen being…the new Chosen People”. [6] As Elizabethan England was slowly colonizing the world, the populace embraced the view of its own Divine Right and Appointment to do so, much as Richard does in Shakespeare’s play.

However, historical fatalism is merely one side of the argument of fate against free will. It is also possible that Shakespeare intended to portray Richard as “…a personification of the Machiavellian view of history as power politics”. [4] In this view, Richard is acting entirely out of his own free will in brutally taking hold of the English throne. Kiernan also presents this side of the coin, noting that “He [Richard] boasts to us of his finesse in dissembling and deception with bits of Scripture to cloak his ‘naked villainy’ (I. iii. 334-8)…Machiavelli, as Shakespeare may want us to realize, is not a safe guide to practical politics…”[6]

Kiernan suggests that Richard is merely acting as if God is determining his every step in a sort of Machiavellian manipulation of religion as an attempt to circumvent the moral conscience of those around him. Therefore, historical determinism is merely an illusion perpetrated by Richard’s assertion of his own free will. The Machiavellian reading of the play finds its most convincing evidence in Richard’s interactions with the audience, as when he mentions that he is “determinèd to prove a villain” (I. i. 30). However, though it seems Richard views himself as completely in control, Lull suggests that Shakespeare is using Richard to state “the tragic conception of the play in a joke. His primary meaning is that he controls his own destiny. His pun also has a second, contradictory meaning – that his villainy is predestined – and the strong providentialism of the play ultimately endorses this meaning”. [4]

Like many of William Shakespeare’s plays, language plays a large part in Richard III. Literary critic, Paul Haeffner writes that Shakespeare had a great understanding of language and the potential of every word he used. [7] One word that Shakespeare gave potential to was "joy. " This was employed in ACT I, SCENE III, where it was used to show “deliberate emotional effect”. [7] Another word that Haeffner points out is "kind". He makes the suggestion that the word "kind" is used with two different definitions.

The first definition is used to express a “gentle and loving” being, which Clarence uses to describe his brother Richard to the murderers that were sent to kill him. This first definition is, of course, not true in the case of Richard. He hides under that definition of kind to achieve his desire to be king. The second definition concerns “the person’s true nature . . . Richard will indeed use Hastings kindly – that is, just as he is in the habit of using people – brutally”. [7] In several cases, Richard does use people as a habit. His first victim was Clarence and then it was Lady Anne. If Richard had married Elizabeth, he would also make sure that he uses her properly as he would kindly do.

Haeffner also writes about how speech is written. He compares the speeches of Richmond and Richard to their soldiers. He describes Richmond’s speech as “dignified” and formal, while Richard’s speech is explained as “slangy and impetuous”. [7] Richard’s casualness in speech is also noted by another writer. However, Lull does not make the comparison between Richmond and Richard as Haeffner did, but between Richard and the women of Richard III. However, it is important to note that the women share the formal language that Richmond uses. She makes the argument that the difference in speech “reinforces the thematic division between the women’s identification with the social group and Richard’s individualism”. [8] Haeffner agrees that Richard is “an individualist, hating dignity and formality”. [7]

Janis Lull also takes special notice of the mourning women. She suggests that they are associated with “figures of repetition as anaphora – beginning each clause in a sequence with the same word – and epistrophe – repeating the same word at the end of each clause”. [8] One example of the epistrophe can be found in Margaret’s speech in ACT I, SCENE III. Haeffner refers to these as few of many “devices and tricks of style” that occur in the play, showcasing Shakespeare’s ability to bring out the potential of every word. [7]

Notable stage performances of Richard III

Adaptations and Cultural References

Film versions

The most famous player of the part in recent times was Laurence Olivier in his 1955 film version. Ciarán Hinds (born 9 February 1953; Anglicised pronunciation in ˈkɪərɔːn ˈhaɪndz is an IFTA award-winning Irish Actor Fahrid Murray Al-Ahmad Abraham ( Arabic: ﻱﻴﺵ ﺞﺜﺙ ﻙﻘﭪ ﭐﭖﺏ (born October 24 1939) is an Academy Award -winning American John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest Junius Brutus Booth (May 1 1796&ndashNovember 30 1852 was an English Actor. Abraham Lincoln assassination John Wilkes Booth (May 10 1838 – April 26 1865 was an American stage actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is an Emmy Award -winning Academy Award -nominated Northern Irish Actor Richard Burbage ( January 7, 1568 &ndash March 13 1619) was an Actor and theatre owner Peter Dinklage (born June 11, 1969) is an American actor His breakout role is generally deemed to be the 2003 film The Station Agent David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford &ndash 20 January 1779) was an English Actor, Playwright, Sir Ian Holm CBE (born 12 September, 1931) is an English award-winning Actor known for his stage work and for many film roles Edmund Kean (March 17 1789 &ndash May 15 1833 was an English Actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is a British Actor, he attended Moseley Grammar School and the University of Liverpool Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939 is an English stage and screen actor the Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Ian William Richardson CBE ( 7 April 1934 &ndash 9 February 2007) was a Scottish Actor best known for playing Sir Antony Sher KBE (born 14 June 1949) is a British actor writer theatre director and painter Thomas Barry Sullivan ( 5 July 1821 &ndash 3 May 1891) was an acclaimed stage actor of the late nineteenth century who played many classical Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE ( April 20, 1902 – February 17, 1968) was an English Actor -manager knighted in 1957 Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Richard III is a 1955 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's historical play Richard III His inimitable rendition has been parodied by many comedians including Peter Cook and Peter Sellers. Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 &ndash 9 January 1995 was an English Satirist, Writer and Comedian. Richard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers ( 8 September 1925 &ndash 24 July 1980) was a British Sellers, who had aspirations to do the role straight, appeared in a 1965 TV special on The Beatles' music by reciting "A Hard Day's Night" in the style of Olivier's Richard III. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " A Hard Day's Night " is a song by British rock band The Beatles. The first series of the BBC television comedy Blackadder in part parodies the Olivier film, visually (as in the crown motif), Peter Cook's performance as a Richard who is a jolly, loving monarch but nevertheless oddly reminiscent of Olivier's rendition, and by mangling Shakespearean text ("Now is the summer of our sweet content made o'ercast winter by these Tudor clouds. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments In art a motif is a repeated idea pattern image or theme Paisley designs are referred to as motifs . . ")

More recently, Richard III has been brought to the screen by Sir Ian McKellen (1995) in an abbreviated version set in a fictional 1930s fascist England, and by Al Pacino in the 1996 documentary, Looking for Richard. Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939 is an English stage and screen actor the Richard III is a 1995 film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's play of the same name, starring Sir Ian McKellen, Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning The year 1996 in film involved some significant events Major releases this year included Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Looking for Richard is a 1996 Documentary film, the first film directed by Al Pacino. In the 1977 film The Goodbye Girl, Richard Dreyfuss' character, an actor, gives a memorable performance as a homosexual Richard due to his director's unconventional interpretation of the play. The year 1977 in film involved some significant events Events In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American Comedy film. Directed by Herbert Ross, the film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (born October 29 1947 is an Academy Award -winning American Actor, known for a number of film television and theater roles such Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. In 2002 the story of Richard III was re-told in a movie about gang culture called The Street King. King Rikki is a 2002 Drama film starring Jon Seda, Mario López, Tonantzin Carmelo and Timothy Paul Perrez

A 2006 film version of Richard III is part of the independent film-noir titled Purgatory, a retelling of three classic Shakespeare tales, including Richard III. Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation The 2008 version, Richard III, stars Scott M. Richard III is a film directed by Scott M Anderson, based upon the play by William Shakespeare. Anderson and David Carradine. David Carradine (born December 8 1936 is an American actor Biography Early life Carradine was born John Arthur Carradine in Hollywood

In 1996, a pristine print of Richard III (1912), starring Frederick Warde as Richard III was discovered by a private collector and donated to the American Film Institute. Richard III ( 1912) is a 55-minute film starring Frederick Warde as Richard III Frederick Barkham Warde ( 23 February 1851, Wardington, Oxfordshire, England - 7 February 1935, Brooklyn The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 The 55-minute film is considered to be the earliest surviving American feature film. In the Film industry, a feature film is a Film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening

Cultural references

Notes and references

  1. ^ Baldwin (2000, pp 1-2)
  2. ^ British Library
  3. ^ Halliday, (1964, pp 102 & 414)
  4. ^ a b c d Lull (1999, pp 6–8)
  5. ^ Ribner (1999, p 62)
  6. ^ a b Kiernan (1993, pp 111–112)
  7. ^ a b c d e f Haeffner (1966, pp 56–60)
  8. ^ a b Lull (1999, pp 22–23)

Further reading

External links

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