The State of Richard III
...lessly to this line of love and hate in which the face of love openly shuns its light at him. He turns to acts of nefariousness as a means to prove worth to the world and more importantly, his self. Still at the root, remains a man sickened by this wanton breath of his adversaries and sadly, his own family who fail to see him as a person. Richard is entitled to feel and with his subsequent actions, what appears as villainous is rather, a man desperately searching for validation in any form. Richard does descend on a path of treachery and in revealing his cunning wit and voracious ambition, decides to pursue the crown of England. Richard’s family, the York’s, have just taken over the crown and it is Richard’s older brother who is king. It is here that he begins to illustrate his brilliant ability to manipulate and incur the faith and trust of others. This is seen when he successfully courts Lady Anne, the widow of Prince Edward, a member of the Lancaster family who has just been overtaken for the crown of England. Thus, Richard manifests a tender compassion so compelling that he deceives Lady Anne into marrying him. His tactics include saying that it was “your beauty [that] was the cause of that effect—your beauty did haunt me in my sleep to undertake the death of all the world so I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.” (522 120-123) Thus, once again the motives or Richard originate from a place of innocence. It is love from another that Richard is in search of. And although his overall wish is to gain a woman to be queen with his king, it is certain that Richard desires to be viewed as a soul tempted by good; that this courtship can psychologically restore his tormenting anguish. And Richard does succeed. Why should he not continue these tactics of persuasion that in this instance resulted in elation and mutual affection? As the play continues, Richard delves further into this web of deceit and villainy in his quest for the crown and self-validation. He executes his brother, Clarence, and is a main culprit in the death of the current King, Edward IV. Edward IV had ordered the imprisonment and execution of Clarence but had decided to reverse this. However, Richard intercepts this letter and does decree clandestinely to execute Clarence. The king unknowing of this and already sick soon dies as a result of the overwhelming guilt. This is yet another example of the masterful puppetry of Richard. He introduces the death of Clarence directly to the King in a time when the York family has convened in order to reconcile ongoing internal feuding. Richard on the defensive does offer his peace to the king and the queen, a person most weary of the deceit of Richard. However Richard clears his name when he says that “I desire to reconcile me to his friendly peace. ‘Tis death to be at enmity. I hate it, and desire all good men’s love…I thank God for my humility.” (540 60-64) Thus, he does vindicate himself and in doing so reveals a subtle truth about his nature. He is conspiring to befuddle all those he speaks to, but Richard, emotionally does wish to have the love of those he knows. It is just now his greed and unsurpassed ambition have clouded his mind and rustled his path with this air of neglect and resentment already spawned from within. It is this confusion that soon will result in Richard’s demise as the root of his goodness becomes overtaken by the powers of his madness. The ploy of Richard continues to escalate as the play progresses with Richard surgically removing any threat to his taking the throne. He labels the family of Queen Elizabeth as traitors and subsequently has them banished to await execution, and then sends the young Prince Edward, his main threat to the throne, to a tower where he too is killed. It is after this event that Richard seems poised to assume his role as the king of England. Richard has gathered allies such as Lord Buckingham, and battered off the heated contempt of the Queen, Lady Margaret, the widow of the Lancaster King Henry VI, and even his mother, the Duchess of York. However, before Richard does become king, in a reflection of his unwavering insecurity as a man, he wishes to hear the opinion of the common people or rather, he wishes to know that he is desired. Obviously, as Richard has never been seen favorably in the eye of anyone, he knows the answer to this inquiry. However, that is not important. What is important is that the voice of the people, whomever represented by, request his services; that he is needed. This comes in the form of the ignorant mayor who unknowingly is coerced into requesting the services of Richard. And Richard is successful as the mayor exclaims to Richard that “do, good my lord; your citizens entreat you. God bless your grace! We see it, and will say it.” (566 225-227) Nothing is sweeter to the ears of Richard than hearing himself being compared to the quality of divinity. And again, it is seen that his psyche needs support and understanding. He is searching for these attributes reflective of someone in need of solace and vindication. These are feelings that stem from lament and remorse, not so-called evil. It is now that the crowning is eminent and this news proves rueful to the remaining members of the family. In a meeting of Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and Lady Anne, they extend their pain in learning that Richard shall be king. Richard’s own mother essentially proclaims her child as a work of the devil. This is her son she speaks of when she says, “O ill-dispersing wind of misery! O my accursed womb, the bed of death! A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world, whose unavoided eye is murderous.” (567 50-53) This is a perfect example of the prodigious abuse endured by Richard his entire life. It is true, this proclamation comes at a time of misery and confusion created at the hands of Richard, but that is not to say that his own mother, the creator of his being, should abandon and curse him down. It is most certainly this attitude that has been the paradigm of the relationship between her and Richard since the beginning. The end is now near. Richard has been named king and his downward spiral is about to spiral out of control. Upon reaching this pinnacle of his goal, Richard instead of reveling in the success of his ploy, finds himself further alienated then before. He has lied to his own allies, including his main counterpart, Lord Buckingham, and now finds himself approaching war against the Henry Earl of Richmond, a member of the Lancaster family. In fact, Richmond is sought out by members of the York family displaying the degree of desperation felt with Richard being crowned. This is further ostracism endured by Richard, who now appears to have lost all resolution as to what his true intentions are. This is seen towards the end when he, now marching with the sparse followers he possesses, has one more encounter with his mother. Richard is already lost in the haze of destruction and this is stake in the heart when his mother decries, “Thou cam’st to make the earth my hell. A grievous ...