Richard III by William Shakespeare (Book Analysis) E-Book

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• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
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• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 26

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of Richard III with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Richard III by William Shakespeare, which tells the story of the eponymous King of England as he claws his way towards power, culminating in his brief reign and death at the Battle of Bosworth. Richard is show to be a treacherous schemer who is prepared to brutally dispose of anyone who stands between him and the throne, making him one of Shakespeare’s best-known villains. The role has attracted numerous eminent actors, from Laurence Olivier to Ralph Fiennes, and the play is still regularly performed today. It has also inspired multiple film adaptations.

Find out everything you need to know about Richard III in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ENGLISH DRAMATIST

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.Died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.Notable works:Hamlet (c. 1600), playThe Sonnets (1609), collection of poemsThe Tempest (1611), play

Hailed as Britain’s greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare wrote and produced around 39 plays, as well as a famous sequence of 154 sonnets and two long narrative poems. He married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children (Susanna, Hamnet and Judith). As well as a writer, Shakespeare was also an actor and part-owner of his playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men). In 1599, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men moved to the purpose-built Globe Theatre, which burned down in an accident involving a theatrical cannon in 1613, before being rebuilt in 1614. Besides providing a valuable insight into the Elizabethan and Jacobean times in which he lived and wrote, Shakespeare’s works are often praised as timeless guides to human nature and art that continue to be relevant today.

RICHARD III

A TRAGEDY BASED ON KING RICHARD III’S RISE TO POWER

Genre: history playReference edition: Shakespeare, W. (2007) Richard III. In: Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, eds., William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.1stedition: 1597 (First Quarto published)Themes: power, deformity, royalty, religion, fate

Shakespeare’s play Richard III was first published as a quarto edition in 1597, but is thought to have been first performed sometime between 1592 and 1594. Many critics cite this as Shakespeare’s most famous history play, and the title role has attracted a wealth of theatrical royalty – from Laurence Olivier to Ralph Fiennes. It is based on the life, rise to power and subsequent death of King Richard III. It begins many years before Richard becomes king, when he is the Duke of Gloucester. The play follows his scheme to murder those that stand in the way of his path to divine Kingship. In line with contemporary attitudes to Richard III, the play imagines him as hunchbacked and even evil. More recent scholarship, especially following the discovery of Richard III’s grave in a car park in Leicester, has sought to rehabilitate the often-villainous portrayal of Shakespeare’s central character – is he truly evil, or is he a victim of illness and prejudice?

SUMMARY

ACT I