In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on moral holiday. The early part ofthe play draws its readres to identify with Richard and thereby to participate in afanatasy of total control of self and domination of others. We begin to be pulledinto the fanatasy in the play’s opening speech, where richard presents himselfas an enterprising, self made villian and offers an elabrote justification for thisself he renovation. The average reader is indulged in this fanatsy He then confides to us his plans to dispose of the first victim, his brotherClarence, who is already being taken to prison as a result of Richard’s plots.Clarence’s imprisonment serves as immediate confirmation of Richard’s surepower over others. Richard decieves Clarence into beliecving that Richard is hisally; in case we were misled along with clarence, Richard achieves similiarsuccess in conquering the woman with whom he chooses to ally himself inmariage. His utter mastery of the political arena continues long into the playassassination and summary execution of this rivals.but Richard’s advances is not wholly without resistance, which appearsmost threatingly in the person of Queen Margaret, widow of Henry the VI, theking whom Richard killed before this play begin. With a will as strong asRichard’s and a keen appetite for vengeance, Margaret issues a stream ofcurses, and manages, in spite of Richard’s efforts, to curse Richard too. TheFurther we proceed into the play, the greater the number of characters whorecall how margret cursed them as they go to their deaths at Richard’s hands. Asthis patterrn bulids, it begins to seem more and more inevitable that all cursesmay come true-including her curse on Richard himself. The more clear this pattern becomes, the more the play works to directour sympathies away from Richard. His supporters desert him: his victims pileup. His fantasy of utter control of himself and domination of other...
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