Richard III Act III Study Guide

Character Analysis: (personalities, actions, and relationships)

Buckingham (Duke)

• Personalities: mischievous, determined, smart
• Actions: helps Richard’s rise to power; helps convince the Lord Mayor that Richard is a pied man and deserves to be king
• Relationships: he is Richard’s right hand man and confidant, he help Richard rise to power

Hastings (William, Lord Hastings, Lord Chamberlain)

• Personalities: honorable, unweilding
• Actions: he doesn’t go along with Richard’s plans to take the crown from the Prince so Richard has him killed
• Relationships: doesn’t support Richard; Richard kills him by accusing Hasting’s mistress of witchcraft and ordering his execution

Stanley (Lord)

• Personalities: able to play the two sides of the war; deceiving
• Actions: has a warning dream about Richard’s downfall; secretly helps Richmond, although he cannot escape Richard’s watchful gaze
• Relationships: the stepfather of Richmond; Earl of Derby

Catesby

• Personalities: shady, untrustworthy
• Actions: he is sent to find out if Hastings will support Richards rise to throne
• Relationships: he supports Richard and helps him rise to power

Lord Mayor (of London)

• Personalities: gullible, trusting
• Actions: Hastings and Richard set up a scene for the Lord Mayor after they strike out with the commoners, seeing Richard’s pies side he decides to support his rise to King
• Relationships: supports Richard’s kingship after he is hoodwinked by Buckingham and Richard

Prince Edward

• Personalities: trustworthy, young
• Actions: is put up in the Tower of London by Richard for his “safety,” later executed with his brother and their supporters
• Relationships: brother of the Duke of York; Richard’s nephew; son of King Edward IV, rightful heir to the throne

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.

2. Act III scene v lines 1-96

• How Richard convinces others of his good intentions: Firstly, in order to legitimize executing Hastings to the Mayor of London, Richard and Buckingham stage an uprising and blame it on Hastings. Then, to get the public on his side to help smooth his transition to the throne, Richard sends Buckingham to persuade Londoners that the crown should be given to Richard instead of Prince Edward, the heir of Edward IV. Richard instructs Buckingham to question Edward IV’s legitimacy and make the conclusion that therefore Richard is the truly legitimate heir. By having Buckingham make this bold claim, instead of himself, Richard is able to convince others that he did not want to become the king but that if there is truly no one else fit to take the throne that he will become king out of the goodness of his pious heart.

Study Questions:

1. What foreshadowing does Hastings experience before he is beheaded?

• Before he is beheaded Hastings experiences foreshadowing and remembers Stanley’s warning dream and Margaret’s curse.

2. What role does irony play in Hastings’ execution?

• The role irony plays in Hastings’ execution is that he regretted having bragged to the messenger about how he was in good standing with Richard, and now Richard is the one who has orchestrated his execution.

3. Why is it important that Richard is seen with a prayer book and two priests? How does this relate to modern day US politics?

• It is important that Richard is seen with a prayer book and two priests because it sets him up as a pious man and a man who is fit to be king.
• This relates to modern day US politics because politicians are always using religion as a way to set them up as a good candidate and in general use deception to get people to support and get them elected.

4. In what way does Richard tell Buckingham to slander Edward?

• Richard tells Buckingham to slander Edward by bringing into question his legitimacy and his right to the throne, by supposing that his parents were unfaithful and surmising that therefore he is not the rightful heir to the throne because he does not have royal blood.

5. What are the two major reasons Richard states for not wanting to become king?

• The two major reasons Richard states for not wanting to become king are that even if it was truly his birthright that he would rather hide from his greatness than be smothered by the greatness of being king and that there are many other options in the royal tree to be king and that therefore there is no need for him to take the position.

Quotes: For each of the following quotes, indicate WHO said the quote, TO WHOM it was said, and the SIGNIFICANCE.

1. “Those uncles which you want were dangerous...God keep you from such false friends.”

• Said by: Richard - Said to: Prince Edward
• Significance: It is ironic because Richard is the untrustworthy uncle that the prince should be wary of, because Richard is the false friend who will eventually order his death.”

2. “So wise so young, they say, do never live long.”

• Said by: Richard - Said to: himself (it’s an aside)
• Significance: Foreshadows his plan to kill the prince and take his throne.

3. “I’ll have this crown of mine cut from shoulders before I’ll see the crown so foul misplac’d.”

• Said by: Hastings - Said to: Catesby
• Significance: It is ironic because Hastings is beheaded by Richard after Catesby reports back that Hastings will not support Richard’s rise to king.

4. “ ‘Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord, when men are underprepared and look not for it.”

• Said by: Catesby - Said to: Hastings
• Significance: It is ironic because Catesby will report back to Richard that Hastings will not support his run for the throne, and Hastings will be unaware and surprised when Richard sentences him to death.

5. “You may jest on, but, by the Holy Rood, I do not like these several councils, I.”

• Said by: Stanley - Said to: Hastings
• Significance: It highlights that Stanley doesn;t like these separate meetings because he is afraid that Richard might think that he is conspirating against him and kill his son because of it.

6. “They for their truth, might better wear their heads than some that have accused them wear their hats.”

• Said by: Lord Stanley - Said to: Hastings
• Significance: He is basically saying that people deserves to be alive more than other people deserve the positions they hold, this is referencing the fact that Hastings will die in order for Richard to cement his position as king.

7. “I think there’s never a man in Christendom can lesser hide his love or hate than he, for by his face straight shall you know his heart.”

• Said by: Hastings - Said to: Ely and Stanley
• Significance: It is ironic because Hastings is explaining how he thinks Richard wears his feelings on his sleeves and that he can always tell how he is feeling and what he is thinking, when he can’t predict that Richard is about to have him executed.

8. “If? Thou protector of this damned strumpet, talk’st thou to me of “ifs”? Thou art a traitor.”

• Said by: Richard - Said to: Hastings
• Significance: This is when Richard shows his trey cards and reveals to Hastings that he knows that Hastings is not in support of him becoming king, this is right before Richard sends Hastings to his death.