Richard III - Richmond Themes

Question 1

Confident, authoritative

Answer 1

• support, juxtaposed to R’s paranoia
• orders, imperatives, assertions

Question 2

Just, fair

Answer 2

• forgiveness
• orders for burials

Question 3

Compassionate, kind

Answer 3

• care for Stanley

Question 4

Force of peace

Answer 4

• dramatic function, restoration of order
• marriage (link to R - kingdom on brittle glass)
• unity
• imagery of healing
• personification of peace

Question 5

Contrast to Richard

Answer 5

• unity, healing, impact of this
• division, animal imagery, isolation, destruction
• England under each
• RM’s lack of ambition vs R’s ambition

Question 6

Kingship

Answer 6

• counterpart to R’s tyranny and self-interest

Question 7

God’s instrument

Answer 7

• religious language
• M’s prayer, echoed fulfilment of divine justice
• validation of Tudor myth
• ghosts offering support, tool of divine justice
• divine right of kings, ‘true ruler’, affirmation, legitimises claim to the throne

Question 8

Threat posed

Answer 8

• urgency, drama
• divine support
• increasing support
• R’s diminishing control
• escalation
• scenes of messengers
• closer, increasing defections

Question 9

Critical debate

Answer 9

• dull, less charismatic
• one dimensional, simplified
• deliberately subversive?
• idealised - Tudor propaganda
• functional - more interesting in terms of what he reveals
• ‘every actor wants to play Richard - nobody wants the part of Richmond’ - Prof Holland

Question 10

Function

Answer 10

• different view of kingship
• vehicle for R’s loss of control
• build tension
• restoration of order