Richard Iii Essay Example

scene, Richard talks to Brakenbury and asks if he can deny everything. Brakenbury replies that he has nothing to do with it. Richard then mentions Mistress Shore and tells Brakenbury that anyone who has nothing to do with her, except for one thing, is better off doing it secretly and alone. These exchanges between Richard and other characters demonstrate his verbal power through his rhetoric language. Lady Anne also tries to use this strategy when defending herself against Richard. Richard asks her to allow him to defend himself against the supposed crimes, and she responds by asking him to allow her to accuse him of his known evils. She neutralizes his attack by adopting his rhetorical patterns but changing the meanings with opposite verbal substitutes. Lady Anne's use of Richard's language suggests that she believes his way is effective. However, as the conversation progresses, she becomes more furious with him, suggesting that she realizes her words alone are not enough to triumph over him.The text emphasizes that Richard uses speech as a means to maintain his power. He consistently employs the language of sensual pleasure in his attempts to seduce Anne, but ultimately, this is all in service of his lust for power.

The text highlights how during the seduction, Richard skillfully utilizes language infused with affection, sexual desire, and physical obsession, despite his disdain for it as a sign of effeminate weakness. His motivation for employing this language is primarily political - he aims to secure the throne and understands the power of his words in achieving his goal. Interestingly, this strategy does not yield the same results for women in the play; when they

make requests or voice their desires, they are either ignored or silenced. In one specific instance, Richard offers Anne his sword during the seduction, presenting her with an opportunity to wield phallic power that he assumes she will be unable to accept. However, he underestimates Anne's perception of the seduction as she is deceived by its erotic nature and believes she holds power over Richard. Yet, Anne ultimately rejects using the sword on him, displaying submission towards him. This exemplifies one of Richard's significant mistakes - presuming that all women conform to gender stereotypes as much as Anne does.

Richard consistently views gender in essentialist terms, resulting in his underestimation of his female adversaries. Lady Anne proves to be a successful seduction for him, but he fails to recognize the capabilities of other women, such as Elizabeth. Elizabeth challenges Richard both in her style of prose and her wit, surpassing his abilities in argumentation. She manipulates Richard into thinking she will help him win over young Elizabeth, but instead, she has already promised her to Richmond. This cunning move thwarts Richard's plan to solidify his control over England's throne, ultimately leading to his downfall. Elizabeth adopts Richard's rhetorical tactics and employs them against him, expertly using the power of language to keep him on the defensive. This reversal of roles highlights Elizabeth's skill in language manipulation, which surpasses Richard's diminishing verbal abilities as the play progresses. This marks a pivotal moment in the play.The scene in which Richard proposes to Elizabeth marks his downfall, as she mocks him and refuses to take his proposal seriously. In the article "Richard III Versus Elizabeth: An Interpretation," Stephen Tanner

argues that Richard is not outwitted by Elizabeth. However, I disagree with this assessment, as comparing Richard's wooing scene with Lady Anne to his scene with Elizabeth clearly shows who is in control. In the wooing scene, Richard is confident and uses wordplay to manipulate Anne's words. In contrast, Elizabeth interrupts him with conviction, breaking off his sentences and exposing his wrongdoings.

Richard's wit no longer serves him, as he has been outsmarted by Elizabeth. Consequently, he resorts to violence, leading to the destruction and ruin of himself, his country, and many innocent lives. This inevitability can only be avoided through these means. This absence of conversation in the wooing scene further exemplifies Richard's loss of power.

The women in the play function as mourners but also question the purpose and effectiveness of language. When Queen Elizabeth mourns the death of her sons, she seeks help from Margaret, expressing that her own words lack vitality and requesting her to invigorate them. She believes that her suffering can be transformed into language, relieving her pain through cursing. In times of crisis, the women in Richard III are aware that their sole weapon is words.

The Duchess of York inquires why calamity is filled with words, to which Queen Elizabeth responds by describing lawyers as talkative purveyors of clients' sorrows and heirs to unearned happiness, as well as unsuccessful speakers of miseries. She acknowledges that although they may not provide any practical help, they do bring some solace to the heart. This can be attributed to the patriarchal society of the time, where men held power and women were expected to be submissive. Speech was the only avenue available for

these women to express themselves. Despite some privileges enjoyed by the royal women, it is noted that Elizabethan law does not outline the rights or lack thereof for women in a general sense. Their education revolved around cultivating virtue and acquiring housekeeping skills. Hence, the curriculum aimed to prepare girls to embody the qualities of a pure wife and mother.

Through bible readings, women were taught their inferiority to their husband and also learned practical skills like weaving, sewing, basic medical knowledge, singing, and dancing. This perpetuated an ideology that restricted women's access to knowledge and learning, promoting freedom for men at the expense of women's rights. Margaret defies this control and can be seen as a villain, representing rage and pain. Despite her villainous role, Margaret is crucial to the play as she brings attention to the torment caused by Richard's evil. Similar to Elizabeth, Margaret openly criticizes men and expresses deep hatred towards Richard. She warns Buckingham to be cautious of Richard's treacherous nature. However, it is believed that Margaret should not be speaking out against men since she is disrespecting them.

However, the lack of respect towards Richard from her demonstrates her failure to adhere to the ideal feminine virtues for the Renaissance woman. She is resistant to the patriarchal ideals of silence and obedience, actively defying him in any way she can. Through her lesson to Elizabeth and the Duchess on the power of cursing, she showcases to the audience how language can alleviate suffering and become a means of expression for these women. During the late-sixteenth century in England, when this play was performed, anxieties about male aggression were intensified by the

contemporary political climate. The ruler, who should symbolically embody patriarchy within the kingship, was not a man but a woman - Elizabeth I, whose natural physical form was feminine.

The parliamentary statute passed at the beginning of Mary's reign granted women monarchs power and stated that the same authority and power given to the king can be exercised by the queen. This statute effectively made a queen masculine in terms of public and princely functions. Elizabeth, a wise and shrewd leader, outshined the men who sought to control her. Her empire instilled fear in the male rulers of Spain and France. Margaret's character may evoke resemblances with Queen Elizabeth I as she battles against the men in her society.

However, Elizabeth I succeeds where other women fail. The reason for this is that the play was written with the intention of appeasing an audience that desires to see the patriarchal society reinstated to its original state. In this societal structure, men are in control and women are submissive, as was the norm at that time. Richard, the main character, demonstrates his lack of concern for the harsh words of women and shows no respect for their opinions. This misogynistic portrayal reflects the prevailing attitude during the play's composition in 1592. Richard's disrespect for Margaret stems from her failure to conform to the expectations of a Renaissance woman. According to societal norms, these women not only had to be chaste but also had to appear chaste, which was symbolized by qualities such as silence, humility, and modesty. Margaret's cursing is contrary to these expectations and does not align with the image of a chaste woman who remains silent.

According

to Marilyn French, Shakespeare did not simply accept the prevailing ideas of his time. He recognized the danger in misogyny and attempted to find an alternative approach to the traditional gender roles and moral expectations. In Richard III, the female characters have various roles, all of which are largely determined by their relationships with men. Anne and young Elizabeth are either married or potential wives. The Duchess and Queen Elizabeth are mothers. However, once Richard kills his brothers, they all become like Margaret - rendered powerless and only able to express themselves through cursing.