Approaching Shakespeare Richard III
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Jan 25, 2012 Delve into the complexities of Richard III as the podcast challenges the desirability of Richmond's victory. It explores E.M. Tillyard's Tudor myth while questioning the narrative's stability during the 1590s. Richard emerges as the dominating force, with a focus on his rhetorical skill over physical violence. Female characters serve as memory-keepers, interrupting linear progression. The discussion highlights the play's resistance to teleological narratives, emphasizing Richard's tragic presence over Richmond's role as a savior.
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Richmond Is A Narrative Device Not A Hero
- Richmond functions as the historical nemesis but is dramaturgically minor and underplayed throughout the play.
- Shakespeare minimises Richmond to keep the tragedy focused on Richard's character and rhetoric rather than on a triumphant savior.
Tudor Myth Versus Succession Anxiety
- Tillyard reads Richmond's victory as fulfilment of a Tudor providential telos that restores order.
- The lecturer challenges this, arguing Shakespeare may instead rehearse anxieties about the Elizabethan succession.
Folio Order Creates Artificial Teleology
- The folio order frames the histories as a teleological sequence, over-determining Richmond’s ending.
- But early audiences likely experienced Richard III as a standalone play, making that teleology later construction.
