Richard III Act II Study Guide

Character Study: (Personalities, Actions, and Relationship to Richard)

King Edward IV

• Personalities: he is calming and a level headed king
• Actions: he tries to get Queen Elizabeth and Richard, and their men, to talk it out and resolve their feud before he dies; he feels immense guilt for Clarence’s death

• Relationship to Richard: brother to Richard

Richard III

• Personalities: deceitful (he lies to everyone and makes them feel bad for him), conniving, evil, bored (with no more war he occupies his time with his evil plans), enjoys chaos, self-critical (he sees himself as a deformed mistake)

• Actions: all of his actions and decisions are in the interest of how to get himself into power so that he can rule as king

• Relationship to Richard: name of Richard once he becomes king, former Duke of Gloucester  

Buckingham (Duke)

• Personalities: loyal to Richard, smart and creative with deceitful and political plans

• Actions: he works with Richard to help him ship away the princes and help him get in a position to take the throne as king for himself

• Relationship to Richard: he is Richard’s right hand man, he helps him become king

Queen Elizabeth (formerly the Lady Grey)

• Personalities: blunt and unyielding (in Act 1 Scene 3 she doesn’t shy away from giving Richard a piece of her mind)
• Actions: she tries to make peace with Richard until Edward dies; when she finds out Richard trapped her son’s and brother in the tower she starts plotting how to kick Richard out of power

• Relationship to Richard: Edward's (IV, brother of Richard) wife, mother of Prince Edward (V) and Richard (Duke of York)

Duchess of York

• Personalities:she is sweet and hopeful that Richard, her son, is good and can be trusted
• Actions: she talks to Queen Elizabeth, and is there when she hears the news about her son’s imprisonment.

• Relationship to Richard: mother of Richard, Edward, and Clarence

HONORS ONLY:

Literary Analysis: Read the following scenes closely. Study the persuasive strategy that Richard employs to win Anne over (what arguments work on her?) Also, identify at least five examples of figurative language in the text (alliteration, simile, irony, etc.). For each of these scenes also consider how Richard convinces others of his good intentions. For each passage, write a 6-7 sentence analysis explaining what you discover.

Examples of Figurative Language

1. Alliteration: “And, princely peers, a happy time a day.” (2.1.49
2. Irony: “Who knows not he is dead! Who knows he is?” (2.1.84)
3. Personification: “To reconcile me to his friendly peace.” (2.1.61)
4. Metaphor: “The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind.” (2.4.55)
5. Metaphor: “themselves the conquerors / Make war upon themselves, brother to brother, / Blood to blood, self against self.” (2.4.66-68)

1. Act II scene I lines 54 – 97, 138 – 144

• In this scene Richard initially convinces others of his good intentions by working with Hastings and Buckingham to vow to make and keep peace with Queen Elizabeth and her kindred while they are in the dying King Edward IV’s royal court. Later on in the scene Richard convinces others of his good intentions by pushing the blame of Clarence’s murder from his brother King Edward to the Queen’s kingsmen.  

2. Act II, scene iv, lines 54-70

• In this scene Richard convinces others of his good intentions by claiming that he imprisoned Queen Elizabeth’s brother Rivers, her son Grey, and Sir Thomas Vaughan in the tower in order to keep them safe.

Study Questions:

1. What does Richard blame Elizabeth for in Act II and how might this be strategically important?

• In Act II Richard blames Elizabeth for Clarence's death, this might be strategically important because it pits those supporting him and his brother further against Elizabeth and casts the doubt away from him, both giving him a greater opportunity to gain power in the future.

2. What is ironic about everyone’s behavior in front of King Edward when he is trying to reconcile the members of his family?

• Everyone’s behavior in front of King Edward when he is trying to reconcile the members of his family is ironic because Queen Elizabeth and her kindred and Hastings, Buckingham, and Richard were striking a vow to make and keep a peace among themselves, up until they find out that Clarence has been killed and they turn the blame for his death on each other.

3. What does Elizabeth find out at the end of Act II which has her anticipating “destruction” and the end of all?

• At the end of Act II Elizabeth finds out that Richard has imprisoned Queen Elizabeth’s brother Rivers, her son Grey, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, forcing her to flee to sanctuary with her son the Duke of York, this has her anticipating “destruction” and the end of all.

4. How does the Duchess seem to feel about her son Richard?

• The Duchess seems to feel that her son Richard is not at fault for what Queen Elizabeth accuses him of; she doesn;t seem very fond of him but she isn’t on the attack like Elizabeth is.

Quotes: For each of the following quotes, indicate WHO said the quote and its SIGNIFICANCE.

1. “Tis death to me to be at enmity; I hate it, and desire all good men's love.”

• Said by: Richard (2.1.62-63)
• Significance: This shows Richards attempts to fool people of his goals, saying that it kills him to be enemies with Elizabeth and that all he wants is for everyone to love him, in order to get people on his side and get them to not suspect him for Clarence’s death.

2. “Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.”

• Said by: King Edward (2.1.8)
• Significance: Edward wants Elizabeth and Richard, and their people, to do more than just not hate each other and not fight, he wants them to love each other.

3. “Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle shape, and with a virtuous visor hide deep vice.”

• Said by: Duchess (2.2.28-29)
• Significance: She is hinting that it is a shame that someone so evil can lie so well and put on a face of friendliness, like Richard does (she can see through his lies).

4. (aside) “And make me die a good old man! That is the butt end of a mother's blessing; I marvel that her Grace did leave it out.”

• Said by: Richard (2.2.112-114)
• Significance: He says he hopes he lives a long life, and dies old, and that that is something a mother should wish upon her son, and he comments how he is surprised she left it out.

5.  “Small herbs have grace; great weeds do grow / apace.' / And since, methinks I would not grow so fast / Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make / haste.”

• Said by: York (2.4.14-18)
• Significance: It is a metaphor for the difference in Richard, an ugly but fast rising man, vs. the prince, a beautiful but slow rising boy.

6. “Ay me! I see the ruin of my house.../ Welcome destruction, blood and massacre/ I see, as in a map, the end of all.”

• Said by: Queen Elizabeth (2.4.54-59)
• Significance: This shows Queen Elizabeth;s realization of Richards plan to destroy her family, she prophesied the destruction and death he will cause (her son’s) and says the future is very clear to her now.”

7. “And being seated, and domestic broils / Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors / Make war upon themselves, brother to brother, / Blood to blood, self against self.”

• Said by: Duchess (2.4.65-68)

• Significance: The Duchess prophecies that once Richard succeeds in winning the throne he will have war with himself and those who helped him gain the throne.