Richard III Destiny
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William Shakespeare’s play Richard III can indisputably be called his masterpiece. In it, he has created the character of Richard as the protagonist and a villain.. Richard laments his physical attributes which are shown here to be that of a deformed monster, unattractive, dishonest, sadistic, manipulative and so badly made.
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amourous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp’d, and want love’s majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail’d of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform’d, unfinish’d, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;
Act I, Scene I
It was not Richard’s destiny to become the king. The only way for a king or queen could claim to be the real and legal ruler was through a system called primogeniture- which means, the firstborn of the previous monarch became the next ruler. This was usually restricted to the male line of the royal family. Richard of Gloucester was born of the royal family but, he does not possess the
qualities of a King to be legitimate. After the death of their father, being the firstborn male in the family, Edward was entitled to take over the throne. Richard was the third son in the York family after Edward and Clarence. Shakespeare depicts Edward and Clarence as far more worthy of the
crown. They have the qualities of a King which Richard does not
possess.
Richard states in his opening speech;
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore since I cannot prove a lover;
Act I, Scene I, 26-28
In this speech Richard admits he cannot be a lover because he is ugly
with deformity. This imperfectness does not fit the perfect qualities known to Kings. His brothers, on the other hand, do possess the ability to love and both were married or betrothed. A King should be able to love to rule a Kingdom otherwise he may be a ruthless killer.
Richard is desperate for the throne of England. Following the royal bloodline, Richard has no chance in becoming king unless his brothers are dead. Richard will not stop at nothing in order to achieve his goal. His aim was to cause chaos in the kingdom, and ultimately become king himself. Richard was so determined where he would sacrifice anything to go against the stars.
In the first scene of the play, Richard announces in a narration, his plan to become king. Richard plainly states that
…………….since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Act I, Scene I
Richard clearly has proved himself as a villain. He uses his intelligence, political brilliance and his skills with to make sure his goals are achieved. Richard was heartless. Richard is consumed by the notion of taking the crown as his own. His primary ambition to rule England made him done so many ruthless actions. From the murder of his brother Clarence, to the plot of Edward’s death, and the assassination of the princes in the tower, Richard’s deeds grow more and more deplorable because of his desperation. He had planned so well for him to be in possession of the crown.
As in the murder of Clarence:
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other: