The Evil of Richard the Third :: essays research papers

The Evil of Richard III               Shakespeare Richard III was a traitor, a murderer, a tyrant, and a hypocrite. The leading characteristics of his mind are scorn, sarcasm, and an overwhelming despite. It appears that the contempt for his victims rather than active hatred or cruelty was the motive for murdering them. Upon skirmish him he sounds the keynote to his whole character. " I, that am curtailed of this proportion, cheated of deliver by dissimulation nature, Deformd, unfinishd sent before my time Into this word scarce half do up"( 1.1.20-23)     The first scene of the play begins with a soliloquy, which emphasizes Richards somatogenetic closing off as he appears alone as he speaks to is audience. The idea of physical isolation is heightened by his references to his deformity such as "rudely stamped ....Cheated of feature by dissembling Nature, deformed unfinished". "( 1 .1.21-22). This deformity would be an outer indication to his audience of the disharmony from Nature and viciousness of his spirit. As he hated "the idle pleasure of these days" and speaks of his plots to sent one chum salmon against another, Richard seems socially apart from the figures around him, and perhaps regarded as an outsider or ostracized because of his deformity. His separation his family is emphasized when he says "Dive, thoughts down to my soul"(1.1.41) when he sees his chum approaching. He is unable to share his thought with his own family as he is plotting against them. Thus, we are given hints of his physical, social and spiritual isolation which is developed end-to-end the play. But despite these hints, he still refers to himself as part of the household of York, shown in the repeated use of "Our"     The task which Shakespeare undertook was to mold the hateful personality of Richards Moral character. Richard had to c ontend with the prejudices arising from his bodily deformity which was considered an indication of the depravity and hell of his nature. Richards ambitious nature, his elastic intellect, and his want of faith in goodness conspire to produce his tendency to despise and degrade every surrounding existence and object, even as his own person. He is never sincere draw off when he is about to commit a murder.     "therefore, since I can not prove a lover, To entertain these fair well spoken days, I am determined to be a villain".As a villain Richard must be heartless, he can not let his emotions impede with his actions.