Characters (Richard III)

This section explores the key characters in the play Richard III by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Richard III is a character-driven play that explores the ambitions, schemes, and moral downfalls of its protagonists and antagonists. The characters in the play reflect the complex nature of power, loyalty, and conscience, with Richard at the centre of the drama. Each character contributes to the thematic exploration of political ambition, manipulation, and divine justice.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III)

Richard is the protagonist and anti-hero of the play. He is a manipulative, ambitious, and ruthless character who stops at nothing to achieve his goal of becoming king. Shakespeare presents Richard as a Machiavellian figure, capable of deceit, betrayal, and murder to secure power.

Ambition and villainy: Richard is unapologetically ambitious, declaring his intent to “prove a villain” (Act 1, Scene 1) from the start of the play. His desire for power drives him to eliminate anyone who stands in his way, including his brothers Clarence and Edward, his nephews (the young princes), and even his ally Buckingham.

Physical deformity as a symbol: Richard's hunchback and physical deformity are often interpreted as outward symbols of his inner moral corruption. In Shakespeare's time, physical deformity was frequently associated with evil, and Richard’s self-loathing of his appearance fuels his villainous behaviour.

Manipulation and deception: Richard is a master manipulator, using rhetoric and charm to deceive and control others. His most notable manipulation is his seduction of Lady Anne (Act 1, Scene 2), despite having killed her husband. He also manipulates his brother Clarence into trusting him before orchestrating his murder.

Complexity of character: Although Richard is the villain, Shakespeare gives him moments of introspection and vulnerability, particularly towards the end of the play. In his soliloquy before the Battle of Bosworth (Act 5, Scene 6), Richard reveals his inner conflict and guilt, admitting, “I am a villain”. This complexity makes Richard a compelling and memorable character.

King Edward IV

King Edward IV is Richard’s elder brother, whose death marks the beginning of Richard’s ascent to the throne. Although he is portrayed as a well-intentioned king, his decisions to pardon enemies and attempt to reconcile warring factions contribute to the political instability that allows Richard to rise to power.

Naivety and indecision: Edward’s inability to see through Richard’s manipulation highlights his naivety. His attempts to reconcile the factions within his court are ultimately futile, as Richard’s ambition undermines any efforts at peace.

Moral contrast with Richard: Edward represents a moral contrast to Richard. While Edward seeks peace and stability, Richard thrives on chaos and violence. Edward’s weaknesses and untimely death leave a power vacuum that Richard exploits.

George, Duke of Clarence

Clarence is Richard’s middle brother, who is imprisoned and eventually murdered on Richard’s orders. He is portrayed as a tragic figure, unaware of the betrayal looming over him, despite numerous warnings.

Victim of Richard’s schemes: Clarence’s naivety makes him vulnerable to Richard’s manipulation. Even as he is imprisoned, Clarence believes Richard will help him. His death (Act 1, Scene 4) is one of the first significant examples of Richard’s cruelty.

Guilt and conscience: Clarence’s dream before his death, in which he imagines drowning and being tormented by his past sins, reflects the theme of guilt and conscience in the play. While Richard seems to lack conscience for most of the play, Clarence’s death foreshadows Richard’s eventual reckoning with his own guilt.

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth is the wife of King Edward IV and mother to the young princes. Throughout the play, she suffers the loss of her husband, sons, and status, as Richard gradually destroys her family. Elizabeth is a tragic character who embodies the suffering caused by political ambition and betrayal.

Political victim: As a member of the Woodville family, Elizabeth faces hostility from other factions at court. Her position becomes increasingly vulnerable after Edward’s death, and she is powerless to stop Richard from seizing the throne and killing her sons.

Foil to Richard: Elizabeth is a moral and emotional contrast to Richard. While Richard is manipulative and power-hungry, Elizabeth represents the human cost of his ambition. Her attempts to protect her children and secure their future fail in the face of Richard’s ruthless scheming.

Alliance with Margaret: In Act 4, Scene 4, Elizabeth joins forces with Queen Margaret to curse Richard and mourn their shared losses. This scene demonstrates Elizabeth’s evolution from a politically passive figure to someone who actively opposes Richard.

Lady Anne Neville

Lady Anne is the widow of Prince Edward, whom Richard killed, along with her father-in-law, King Henry VI. Despite her hatred for Richard, she is manipulated into marrying him. Anne’s character represents the vulnerability of women in the play, who are often used as pawns in the political schemes of men.

Victim of Richard’s manipulation: Richard’s wooing of Lady Anne (Act 1, Scene 2) is one of the most famous scenes in the play, where he persuades her to marry him even though he has been responsible for her family’s deaths. Anne’s vulnerability to Richard’s charm and deceit highlights her tragic fate.

Tragic figure: Anne’s life is marked by loss and betrayal. After marrying Richard, she becomes further isolated, and her death (off-stage in Act 4, Scene 1) is a consequence of Richard’s ambition, as he seeks to marry Elizabeth’s daughter to strengthen his claim to the throne.

Buckingham

Buckingham is one of Richard’s most loyal allies at the start of the play but ultimately becomes another victim of Richard’s ruthless ambition. He assists Richard in his schemes, including the murder of the young princes, but is later discarded when he hesitates to kill Edward’s sons.

Richard’s accomplice: Buckingham’s loyalty to Richard makes him complicit in many of Richard’s crimes. He is a crucial figure in Richard’s rise to power, helping to manipulate public opinion and plot against their enemies.

Downfall and betrayal: Buckingham’s downfall comes when he hesitates to murder the princes in the Tower. This hesitation marks a turning point in their relationship, as Richard no longer trusts him. Buckingham’s eventual capture and execution (Act 5, Scene 1) reflect the dangerous nature of aligning with Richard, whose alliances are always temporary and self-serving.

Moral ambiguity: Buckingham is a morally complex character, torn between loyalty to Richard and his own sense of morality. His reluctance to kill the princes suggests that he has limits, but by the time he rebels against Richard, it is too late to save himself.

Queen Margaret

Queen Margaret, widow of King Henry VI, is a symbol of revenge and divine retribution in the play. Though she has lost her power and position, Margaret remains a formidable presence, delivering curses that seem to predict the downfall of Richard and his allies.

Voice of divine justice: Margaret’s curses (Act 1, Scene 3) foreshadow the tragic events of the play. Her invocations of fate and divine retribution suggest that Richard’s rise to power will ultimately lead to his downfall.

Embodiment of vengeance: Margaret’s speeches are filled with references to revenge, both for her own losses and for the wrongs committed against others. She is the embodiment of vengeance, constantly reminding the audience that the moral universe of the play will not allow Richard’s evil to go unpunished.

Marginalised figure: Though she once held great power as queen, Margaret is now a marginalised figure, forced to the edges of the political scene. However, her words have lasting impact, as her curses seem to dictate the fate of the characters who wronged her family.

The Princes in the Tower (Edward and Richard)

The young princes, Edward and Richard, are the innocent victims of Richard’s ambition. Their imprisonment and eventual murder serve as a turning point in the play, highlighting Richard’s ruthlessness and the moral degradation of his reign.

Symbols of innocence: The princes symbolise innocence and the rightful continuation of the Yorkist line. Their murder by Richard is one of the most heinous acts in the play, cementing Richard’s reputation as a tyrant.

Political pawns: The princes, are used as pawns in Richard’s schemes. Their fate is a stark reminder of the lengths Richard will go to secure his hold on the throne, sacrificing even his own family.

Richmond (Henry Tudor, later Henry VII)

Richmond represents the force of good and divine justice in the play. He is portrayed as the saviour who will overthrow Richard and restore order to England. Richmond’s character serves as the embodiment of morality and rightful kingship.

Moral contrast to Richard: Richmond is the antithesis of Richard. While Richard embodies evil and tyranny, Richmond represents justice and the restoration of divine order. He invokes God in his speeches and positions his cause as righteous.

Bringer of peace: Richmond’s victory at the Battle of Bosworth marks the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. His marriage to Elizabeth of York symbolises the unification of the warring factions and the hope for a peaceful future.

Conclusion

The characters in Richard III are central to the play’s exploration of power, morality, and ambition. Richard, as the central figure, drives the action with his manipulative and villainous behaviour, while characters like Buckingham, Clarence, and Anne demonstrate the consequences of aligning with or opposing him. The women in the play, such as Queen Elizabeth and Margaret, represent the victims of political schemes, yet they also provide moral commentary on the events. Richmond’s victory brings the play to a close with the promise of justice and peace, contrasting sharply with Richard’s tyranny. Through these characters, Shakespeare examines the corrupting influence of power and the inevitable downfall of those who seek it at all costs.