Richard the III - a history

Shakespeare was capable of writing for the masses, and he was able to take history and create a play for average and elite people alike to relate to and understand. I personally, love learning about history and the story behind great and powerful figures. Richard the III focused on Richard the man, as well as, Richard the ruler.



This play could not just be a fabrication to appeal to the audience because Shakespeare had to be conscious of his genre, and he did not want to mislead his viewers regarding historical content. Although Shakespeare did have literary license to adjust his story to make it as entertaining as possible, he was well aware that he was not just creating a dramatic play of his own, but instead, retelling the tale of the horrible reign of King Richard III.



The writing reflected Shakespeare's attempts to keep the play as accurate as possible; giving speeches to the public, and having conversations and writing from the common people portrayed the relationship between the ruler and state. It was important to represent the feelings and emotions of the regular citizens that Richard was affecting because his role as leader was detrimental to their well-being. There had to be a direct link from Richard's actions to his governed people.



Shakespeare was also making the statement, although, these civilians may be uneducated and under-valued, they are absorbent and aware of ill-behavior. The common townspeople were able to identify Richard's ill-intentions before the revered noblemen were capable of recognizing his evil agenda. Shakespeare was demonstrating that the elite can be easily fooled and although they look down on these meager people, they are not as easily persuaded by powerful names and enticizing status.

This genre of writing is interesting because it must pay attention to the overall affect a ruler has to its people, and as entertaining as the play may be, it is an important story that needs to be told so such actions can be recognized in the future and dramatic events do not have to be suffered. Shakespeare was capable of reaching countless lives, and through his ingenious work, he was able to educate those while entertaining them in the process.