Richard Iii
- Submitted by: ameddings
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- Category: English: Shakespeare
- Date Submitted: 12/07/2010 11:26 AM
- Pages: 7
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To what extent do you feel that the final act of Richard III provides us with a classically tragic conclusion to the play?
In classical tragedies the endings end is such ways in which often people are killed to bring to them what they deserved so that the audience can feel catharsis. There is often a big fighting scene which brings the play to an end where by the tragic hero or tragic victim gets their victory on the tragic anti-hero or Senecan tyrant. In the ending of this play things start to speed up, shorter scenes are used to create momentum and lots of characters, old and new, are used. This creates little depth to each character but has the opposite effect to the plot. It almost feels as if Richard is in recognition of all that he has caused, he becomes very paranoid and his army are not loyal and he sees this.
The reference to ‘All Soul’s Day’ symbolising that winter is upon them and things are dying. Buckingham even says that it is the day that he dies, “All Soul’s Day is my body’s doomsday.”(5.1.12). This creates a whole image for the reader as if this is the ending of the people in the play when they have recognised the power of God and what they have done as Buckingham has. People are turning against Richard and siding with Richmond secretly such as Stanley as they have false faith in Richard. The audience see that Richmond is a good Christian man and is kind to his army creating a good image of him from the audience’s point of view. There are constant comparisons between Richard and Richmond, such as how their names are similar but their characters so different, such as their oration to their armies, Richmond says, “Yet remember this: God and our good cause fight upon our side.”(5.3.24). He talks about unity with God and connections between the people, “God and our good cause”. Always mentioning the importance of God and also he mentions how their loving women will be waiting for them, painting positives on their side and not negatives on the...
In classical tragedies the endings end is such ways in which often people are killed to bring to them what they deserved so that the audience can feel catharsis. There is often a big fighting scene which brings the play to an end where by the tragic hero or tragic victim gets their victory on the tragic anti-hero or Senecan tyrant. In the ending of this play things start to speed up, shorter scenes are used to create momentum and lots of characters, old and new, are used. This creates little depth to each character but has the opposite effect to the plot. It almost feels as if Richard is in recognition of all that he has caused, he becomes very paranoid and his army are not loyal and he sees this.
The reference to ‘All Soul’s Day’ symbolising that winter is upon them and things are dying. Buckingham even says that it is the day that he dies, “All Soul’s Day is my body’s doomsday.”(5.1.12). This creates a whole image for the reader as if this is the ending of the people in the play when they have recognised the power of God and what they have done as Buckingham has. People are turning against Richard and siding with Richmond secretly such as Stanley as they have false faith in Richard. The audience see that Richmond is a good Christian man and is kind to his army creating a good image of him from the audience’s point of view. There are constant comparisons between Richard and Richmond, such as how their names are similar but their characters so different, such as their oration to their armies, Richmond says, “Yet remember this: God and our good cause fight upon our side.”(5.3.24). He talks about unity with God and connections between the people, “God and our good cause”. Always mentioning the importance of God and also he mentions how their loving women will be waiting for them, painting positives on their side and not negatives on the...