Richard III - Play Summary

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William Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, was written and performed around 1592. While Shakespeare’s portrayal was loosely based on the real King Richard III, the play’s antihero is almost entirely fictionalized. Still, Shakespeare’s embellishments combine to form one of the bard’s most memorable villains of all time: a deformed king who uses Machiavellian tactics to claim the throne.

The play takes place during the reign of King Edward IV, who rose to power after a long and bloody civil war in which his family, the Yorks, defeated the Lancasters. However, Edward’s brother, Richard III, becomes jealous of Edward’s power and resentful of his own physical deformities, including his hunchback. Richard decides to seize the throne from his brother, doing whatever it takes to ascend to power.

Since their brother, Clarence, comes before Richard as an heir to the crown, the hunchback’s first ploy is to have Clarence arrested. Prior to the play’s opening, Richard told the ailing King Edward of a prophecy that someone with a name beginning with “G” would cause their family to lose the throne. Hearing this, the king thought of Clarence (whose full name is George, Duke of Clarence) and ordered him imprisoned in the Tower of London. Richard—whose full name is Richard of Gloucester—blames Queen Elizabeth and promises to help his shackled brother.

Later, Richard encounters Lady Anne, who is mourning her husband, Prince Edward of Lancaster, along with his father, King Henry VI—both of whom were killed by Richard. Although Lady Anne curses Richard for his role in their murders, Richard contends that he killed her husband in an attempt to win her affection, inviting Lady Anne to kill him in retribution. She refuses, and Richard proposes marriage to her, eventually convincing Lady Anne to wear his ring. Privately, Richard expresses surprise that Lady Anne seemed to like his looks.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth worries about her future, since she is unpopular with Richard, who would become protector to her sons should her husband, the ailing King Edward, die. Sure enough, Richard blames Clarence’s imprisonment on the queen’s brother, Lord Rivers. Queen Elizabeth expresses outrage at the accusation, threatening to tell the king.

Soon, Queen Margaret, widow to Henry VI of Lancaster, joins them, putting a curse on Richard for murdering her husband and son. Richard defends himself, citing his fierce loyalty to King Edward. But Margaret predicts that the Yorks—including Lord Rivers, Queen Elizabeth’s sons, and even Richard—will pay with their lives for what they’ve done. Later, Richard gives the order for Clarence’s death. Clarence begs for the hired murderers to consult Richard, who Clarence believes will reward them for sparing his life. But the men inform Clarence that Richard sent them, then fatally stab him.

The ailing King Edward is unaware of Clarence’s death when he gathers his court, encouraging the various factions to make peace with each other. When Richard joins them, Edward orders him to forgive the Queen and bring Clarence back to court. Feigning confusion, Richard tells Edward that their brother is dead, bringing the peacemaking to a halt.

King Edward is guilt-ridden over his part in Clarence’s death and soon dies as well, leaving Richard in charge until the king’s eldest son, Prince Edward, comes of age. Richard takes advantage of his newfound power by imprisoning Lord Rivers and various other members of the queen’s family. Elizabeth realizes that this spate of arrests spells disaster for her family and, with the help of the Lord Cardinal, flees with her youngest son, claiming sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Prince Edward returns to London, where Richard arranges for him to stay in the Tower of London until he is old enough to take the throne. Richard’s loyal cousin, the Duke of Buckingham, orders the Lord Cardinal to violate Elizabeth’s sanctuary and bring the younger prince to the tower as well. Together with Buckingham, Richard also begins to spread a rumor that the princes are illegitimate, positioning himself as the rightful king.

As king, Richard orders the execution of various noblemen who oppose him, including Lord Hastings, a vocal opponent of his, and other members of Elizabeth’s family. Finally, King Richard orders Buckingham to execute the two young princes. But Buckingham objects, turning on Richard and allying with the exiled Henry, Earl of Richmond, a relative of the Lancasters rallying an army in France to defeat the tyrannical Richard. Nevertheless, Richard manages to bribe Sir James Tyrrell to murder the young princes.

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