Richard III. The play by William Shakespeare

Introduction

Shakespeare's main source of information was Raphael Holinshed's "Chronicles" .
The action is in England, in London, Salisbury, a camp near Tamworth and Bosworth Field.

Characters

• Richard III: Also called the Duke of Gloucester, is deformed in body and twisted in mind. Is the protagonist and the villain. Is evil, corrupt, sadistic, manipulative and he won't stop at nohting to become king.

• Buckingham: Richard's right hand. Is as amoral and ambitious as Richard.

• King Edward IV: Richard's brother, he's the king of England at the start of the play.

• Clarence: The other brother of Richard, born between Edward and Richard.

• Queen Elisabeth: The wife of Edward IV and mother of the two young princes, heirs to the throne, and their older sister, Elisabeth.

• Dorset, Rivers and Gray: The kinsmen and allies of Elisabeth.

• Anne: The young widow of Edward (the son of the former king, Henry VI).

• Duchess of York: Widowed mother of Richard, Clarence and Edward IV

• Margaret: Widow of Henry VI and mother of prince Edward.

• The princes: The two young sons of Edward IV.

• Young Elisabeth: Queen Elisabeth's daughter.

• Ratcliffe and Catesby: Two of Richard's flunkies on the nobility.

• Tyrrell: A murderer wanted by Richard to kill the young princes.

• Richmond: Member of the Lancaster family.

• Hastings: A lord loyal to Edward IV.

• Stanley: The stepfather of Richmond.

• Lord Mayor of London: A man who Richard and Buckinghamm use to crown Richard.

• Vaughan: A friend of Dorset, Elisabeth, Rivers and Gray executed by Richard.

Script

After a long civil war between the family of York and the family of Lancaster, England enjoys a period of peace under King Edward IV's reign. But Richard want Edward's power and the happiness around him, and decides to kill anyone he must kill to be king.
Because of his manipulation skills, Richard marries Lady Anne, even he knows that she murdered her first husband. He executed his brother Clarence and shifts the guilt into Edward IV to accelerate Edward's illnes and death. When he dies, Richard becomes lord protector of England while his sons grow up.
Next, he kills the princes' loyal nobles and the kinsmen of the queen.
Then he began a campaign for being crowned king. He imprisons the princes in the Tower and sends murderers to kill them.
By this time, his reign of terror has caused the common people of england to fear an loathe him, and he has alienated nearly all the nobles of the court. When some rumours begin to circulate, about a challenger to the throne gathering forces in France, the noblmen join his forces. That challenger is the earl of Richmond, a descendant of the secondary arm of the Lancaster family.
Meanwhile Richard tries to consolidate his power. He murdered his wife for marry young Elisabeth and secure his claim to the throne. But he has begun to lose control of the events and Elisabeth promises to marry her daughter to Richmond secretly.
Richmond finally invades England. The night before the battle, Richard dream abaut the ghosts of all people he murdered appear to curse him, telling him that he will die next day. In the battle Richard is killed and Richmond is crowned King Henry VII and betrothed to young Elisabeth in order to unite Lancaster and York.