Richard III: A True Tragedy

993 Words4 Pages
Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Richard III, raises many questions whether or not it should be considered a tragedy. Many would say yes and many no, but what is Richard’s true tragedy in this play? Richard III’s, true tragedy was being an unloved and unlovable man. His desperate desire for love spirals him into becoming a criminal. His deformed body, or being hunchbacked, is merely an outward sign of his hatred within. Richard is fully conscious of his own misfortunes, and has been told by not only his mother, but others, such as the widow. Richard could not truly love himself for who he was, therefore no other person could love him either. “In order to love someone, you must first love yourself.” Richard’s death has the audience feeling sympathy for him, because he died a lonely man, who just wanted to be loved, and caused more pain to himself and others. Two characteristics of tragedy involves a hero whom the audience must feel sympathy for and have a tragic downfall, in which Richard meet both. Richard had become a character of Shakespeare’s unique…show more content…
She wants Richard to understand that she portrays him as a deformed, prematurely born, rooting hog, and evil birth defect. She goes on to say how Richard was an insult to his mother’s womb and a hated disgrace to his father’s sperm. She continues with the intention to finish, only to be interrupted after she tells him he is dishonorable and disgusting in her eyes. Her words are like weapons to Richard, yet fuel his hatred for himself inside and out. In act four, scene one, Richard’s own mother refers to her womb as an “accursed womb, the bed of death” (54)! Richard as a “cockatrice” (55) that she has “hatch’d to the world” (55) and his gaze kills anything that it lands on. In act 4 scene 4 she gives him the “most grievous curse” (189). Richard is ultimately denied a mother’s love. He is the unloved man, who just wants to be
Show More
Related

  • King Lear's Dichotomy

    1256 Words  | 6 Pages

    said of William Shakespeare that the Elizabethan writer's works could not easily be categorized into either comedy or tragedy. It is here that we see that there is a need to accept, from a perspective of the study of Shakespeare's plays, that at times the author is not a follower of the rigid rules of literature. Through this, the play becomes not just either a comedy or a tragedy but is also both. Wallace continues on to hint that Shakespeare might as well be the playwright that Socrates is referring

    Read More

  • Shakespeare Gender Roles In Othello

    4808 Words  | 20 Pages

    Julie Stockton Professor Franz Potter Capstone Project - Draft June 6, 2015 The Gender Roles in Shakespeare Known as a fine interpreter of human thought and action, William Shakespeare often relied on gender roles and stereotypes to aid the audience in forming an opinion of a character or event. Since Elizabethan society made such great distinctions between the actions and feelings of men and women, it is only natural that the works from that era would also conform to those same great differences

    Read More

  • Stereotypes Of Women In Shakespeare's Times

    3067 Words  | 13 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s England around the later part of the 16th century, women were portrayed as being obedient and also having no form of independence or control in their own lives. Men were always in charge of women during this time period and women had to abide by the rules that were set forth by their husbands. Women didn’t have a voice as they had to submit to their husbands who made all of the decisions. In fact, submission to those who were seen as being more powerful was what was expected in

    Read More

More about Richard III: A True Tragedy

Open Document