The Evil of Richard the Third :: essays research papers

The Evil of Richard III               Shakespeare Richard III was a traitor, a murderer, a tyrant, and a hypocrite. The leading characteristics of his mind are scorn, sarcasm, and an elicit contempt. It appears that the contempt for his victims rather than active hatred or cruelty was the motive for murdering them. Upon meeting him he sounds the keynote to his whole character. " I, that am curtailed of this proportion, cheated of feature by guise nature, Deformd, unfinishd sent before my time Into this word scarce half made up"( 1.1.20-23)     The first scene of the play begins with a soliloquy, which emphasizes Richards physical closing off as he appears alone as he speaks to is audience. The idea of physical isolation is heightened by his references to his deformity such as "rudely stamped ....Cheated of feature by affect Nature, deformed unfinished". "( 1.1.21-22). This deformit y would be an outward indication to his audience of the disharmony from Nature and viciousness of his spirit. As he hated "the idle pleasure of these days" and speaks of his plots to sent one brother against another, Richard seems socially apart from the figures around him, and perhaps regarded as an outsider or ostracized because of his deformity. His separation his family is emphasized when he says "Dive, thoughts raft to my soul"(1.1.41) when he sees his brother approaching. He is unable to share his thought with his own family as he is plotting against them. Thus, we are given hints of his physical, social and spiritual isolation which is developed throughout the play. But despite these hints, he still refers to himself as part of the House of York, shown in the repeated use of "Our"     The task which Shakespeare undertook was to mold the hateful constitution of Richards Moral character. Richard had to contend with the prejudices a rising from his bodily deformity which was considered an indication of the depravity and wickedness of his nature. Richards ambitious nature, his elastic intellect, and his want of faith in goodness entreat to produce his tendency to despise and degrade every surrounding being and object, even as his own person. He is never sincere except when he is about to commit a murder.     "therefore, since I can not prove a lover, To entertain these fair well spoken days, I am resolved to be a villain".As a villain Richard must be heartless, he can not let his emotions interfere with his actions.