‘Lies and deception drive the action of the play from beginning to end’
Shakespeare uses Richard’s deceitful actions to present him as Machiavellian as he
kills and manipulates his way to the throne. The playwright illustrates the intrinsic link
between performativity and deception, where Richard’s schemes and falsities drive
the action of the play. However, the audience must also contemplate how they view
the play: Shakespeare’s historical inaccuracies can be used as a way of deceiving
his audience, providing a skewed recount of history presenting the Tudors in a
positive light.
In his determination to “prove a villain”, Richard’s evil nature is exemplified through
the lies and deceptions he creates throughout the play, which can be seen when
comparing his soliloquies to his interactions with other characters. RSC’s
Adaption(1965) depicts Richard crying in Clarence’s arms after sending him to the
Tower, then resuming a smug facial expression when he goes, claiming he will
“shortly send thy soul to heaven”: the juxtaposing actions indicate the lengths he will
go to in order to fulfil his ambition to become a villain, including deceiving and
betraying his own kin, establishing his bloodthirsty and violent nature. Richard’s
seduction and subsequent execution of Anne further exemplifies his psychotic
nature, once again comparing his “honeyed words” to Anne with his decision to “not
keep [her] long”, creating an ominous tone and foreshadowing her eventual death.
As J.J Lewis suggests, Richard uses women as “pawns”, presenting his marriage to
Anne as nothing more than to solidify his power. As seen in the Ian McKellen
Adaption, their marriage remains passionless, refuting Richard's claim that he killed
Anne’s husband and father-in-law out of love for her. His villainy is evident through
his cruel manipulation of Anne’s emotions and (in the Ian McKellen adaptation),
evident in how he ordered Anne’s death in front of her. Richard deceives both Anne
and Clarence for his own personal gain, seemingly caring about them yet playing a
key role in their deaths, highlighting his capacity for evil that drives the play forward
as he commits increasingly immoral acts.
Throughout the play, Richard employs his deceptive performative nature to gain
political power. Richard tells lies and presents himself in a positive light so others
view him as the ideal King. He ‘performs’ a version of himself to the mayor, enacting
false religious piety to present himself as a devout and ideal candidate for kingship.
This is evident in the Globe’s 2024 production, in which Richard is wearing a white
robe whilst standing between two bishops (who ironically multi-role as murderers), all
engrossed in prayer. This false piety, paired with Buckingham and Richard’s
performance (Buckingham begging RIchard to be the King), leads to the mayor
desperately trying to convince Richard (who seemingly declined the role) to accept,
enlisting the audience to do so. Shakespeare clearly establishes Richard as a man
without morals, utilising religion to further his ambition for divine power. Richard also
exploits the importance of legitimacy, creating a lie to “infer the bastardy of Edward’s
children” to create the idea they are unsuitable for the throne. Richard “delights in
Shakespeare uses Richard’s deceitful actions to present him as Machiavellian as he
kills and manipulates his way to the throne. The playwright illustrates the intrinsic link
between performativity and deception, where Richard’s schemes and falsities drive
the action of the play. However, the audience must also contemplate how they view
the play: Shakespeare’s historical inaccuracies can be used as a way of deceiving
his audience, providing a skewed recount of history presenting the Tudors in a
positive light.
In his determination to “prove a villain”, Richard’s evil nature is exemplified through
the lies and deceptions he creates throughout the play, which can be seen when
comparing his soliloquies to his interactions with other characters. RSC’s
Adaption(1965) depicts Richard crying in Clarence’s arms after sending him to the
Tower, then resuming a smug facial expression when he goes, claiming he will
“shortly send thy soul to heaven”: the juxtaposing actions indicate the lengths he will
go to in order to fulfil his ambition to become a villain, including deceiving and
betraying his own kin, establishing his bloodthirsty and violent nature. Richard’s
seduction and subsequent execution of Anne further exemplifies his psychotic
nature, once again comparing his “honeyed words” to Anne with his decision to “not
keep [her] long”, creating an ominous tone and foreshadowing her eventual death.
As J.J Lewis suggests, Richard uses women as “pawns”, presenting his marriage to
Anne as nothing more than to solidify his power. As seen in the Ian McKellen
Adaption, their marriage remains passionless, refuting Richard's claim that he killed
Anne’s husband and father-in-law out of love for her. His villainy is evident through
his cruel manipulation of Anne’s emotions and (in the Ian McKellen adaptation),
evident in how he ordered Anne’s death in front of her. Richard deceives both Anne
and Clarence for his own personal gain, seemingly caring about them yet playing a
key role in their deaths, highlighting his capacity for evil that drives the play forward
as he commits increasingly immoral acts.
Throughout the play, Richard employs his deceptive performative nature to gain
political power. Richard tells lies and presents himself in a positive light so others
view him as the ideal King. He ‘performs’ a version of himself to the mayor, enacting
false religious piety to present himself as a devout and ideal candidate for kingship.
This is evident in the Globe’s 2024 production, in which Richard is wearing a white
robe whilst standing between two bishops (who ironically multi-role as murderers), all
engrossed in prayer. This false piety, paired with Buckingham and Richard’s
performance (Buckingham begging RIchard to be the King), leads to the mayor
desperately trying to convince Richard (who seemingly declined the role) to accept,
enlisting the audience to do so. Shakespeare clearly establishes Richard as a man
without morals, utilising religion to further his ambition for divine power. Richard also
exploits the importance of legitimacy, creating a lie to “infer the bastardy of Edward’s
children” to create the idea they are unsuitable for the throne. Richard “delights in
