Heroes and Bastards

1
Heroes and Bastards

• How does Richard III compare to Othello, Hamlet,
  King Lear, Henry V and MacBeth?

2
Othello

• Othello lets his emotions run his life, much like
  Richard III in the later stages of his reign.
• Yet for all the dangers and encounters Othello is
  involved in, he is still naive of the corruptness
  of other individuals.
• He has a trusting nature in which ends up
  bringing him down, and allows himself to be
  manipulated and fooled into thinking his wife was
  unfaithful unlike Richard III, who manipulates
  every character that surrounds him into believing
  his piety.

3
King Lear i

• King Lear cuts of the daughter who wont support
  him, much as King Richard kills those who wont
  follow him or do as he says.
• Has a passionate nature that leads him into
  trouble.
• Where Richard is not king but looking to become
  one, Lear is already king but know he wont be
  for long as he is growing old.
• Like Richard he was vain, egotistic and proud.
• Lear values appearances above reality in that he
  wants to be treated as a king but doesnt want to
  fulfil a kings obligations. Richard will do
  anything to become king and be treated as king
  but nothing is said about how he rule as king or
  fulfil the responsibilities of governing for the
  good of his subjects

4
King Lear ii

• Unlike Richard, Lears values do change over the
  course of the play. As he realises his weakness
  and insignificance in comparison to the awesome
  forces of the natural world, he becomes a humble
  and caring individual. The closest Richard comes
  to this is a brief questioning of himself after
  the visit from the ghosts, but he is soon back to
  his old ways.
• Compassion appears in King Lear the only place
  in King Richard is when Queen Elizabeth, the
  Duchess and the children mourn together.
• Where Lear is willing to believe in empty
  flattery, Richard receives no flattery and knows
  others feel he doesnt deserve it.

5
Henry V - Differences

• Henry is brilliant, focused, fearless, and
  committed to the responsibilities of kingship.
  These responsibilities often force him to place
  his personal feelings second to the needs of the
  crown whereas Richard places himself above all
  else.
• Brave, likeable, fair, modest and humble.
• The young King Henry was full of high, good
  thoughts. He was devout in going to church, tried
  to make good Bishops, gave freely to the poor,
  and was so kindly, and hearty, and merry in all
  his words and ways, that everyone loved him a
  complete opposite to Richard III
• We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. Act
  4, scene 3, line 60.This quote is an example of
  Henry V being an encouraging, optimistic king- a
  contrast to RIII and his evil soliloquies in his
  attempts to attain power)
• The ruling monarch, who is presented in the play
  as the ideal Christian king. The main purpose of
  the play is to convey the idea that Henry V
  represents in all aspects the model of the ideal
  ruler.

6
Henry V - Similarities

• Henry Vs most remarkable quality is his resolve
  once he has set his mind to accomplishing a goal,
  he uses every resource at his disposal to see
  that it is accomplished. . This tactic may seem
  morally questionable, but it is a valuable
  psychological weapon that Henry uses to pressure
  his enemies into doing what he wants. Again and
  again, Henry acts in a manner that would be
  deplorable for a common citizen but that makes
  him an exemplary king.
• Once Henry has resolved to conquer France, he
  pursues his goal relentlessly to the end.
• Henry is betrayed by his friend (Scrope /
  Buckingham)
• Henry has a very special quality for a king the
  ability to present himself honestly while still
  manipulating his audience

7
Hamlet

• Only one directly in line for the throne
• Only one whos not interested in the throne
• Content to leave power and prestige to others
• Revenge, not ambition and greed, prompt him to
  kill
• Like Macbeth and Richard III, he views murder as
  an act which must be well thought over before
  being committed
• Equal to Richard in cold-blooded restraint and
  stony resolve
• Shows no regret for killing the wrong person
• Happily kills two school friends to spare his own
  life
• Hot temper and propensity to violence
• Difference from Richard the people sympathise
  with him we understand the reason behind his
  wicked acts
• Hamlet fears moral sin, where Richard III fears
  nothing and is determined to prove he has no
  conscience

8
MacBeth i

• MacBeth revisits the issue of the villain-hero
  that Shakespeare first addressed in Richard III.
  Richard Plantagenet is alone with Macbeth as the
  Shakespearian version of the thoroughly bad man
  in the role of monarch and hero
• MacBeths path to the throne steeper not even
  related to King
• Not naturally wanting to commit murder (unlike
  Richard III) rather coaxed into it by the
  prophesy of the weird sisters and his wife
• Murder and intimidation get him the throne
• Like Hamlet, MacBeth begins with a supernatural
  encounter, whereas Richard IIIs supernatural
  encounter occurs at the beginning of the end.
• Unlike Richard III, MacBeth recognises he is
  doing something bad as he does it, but reason
  that he must to fulfil the prophesy
• If Richard is determined to prove a villain,
  where is the tragedy when he does so? Is MacBeth
  is already going to do the things the witches
  tell him he will, again where is the tragedy?

9
MacBeth ii

• After Duncans murder he grows more and more like
  Richard III cold-bloodedly ambitious.
• Like Richard III, he feels that sin will pluck
  on sin, and grows to have a may as well be
  killed for a sheep as a lamb mentality.
• As Macbeth goes into battle, he is aware of his
  own demise, whereas Richard III is always
  confidant he will win.
• He prefers to die than to live as less than the
  true king
• Again with the fearingness MacBeth fears the
  supernatural.
• Richard knows from the start the he is
  determined to prove a villain
• Richard I am in / So far in blood that sin will
  pluck on sin (4.2.64-5) / MacBeth I am in
  blood / Stepped in so far, that should I wade no
  more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er
  (3.4.135-7).
• Another device that works similarly in both plays
  is child murder. Both protagonists recognise that
  they have crossed a moral line when they first
  decide to move against the young

10
MacBeth iii

• After the children are killed, both plays raise
  doubts about divine concern for innocents.
  Macduff's anguished question at the deaths of his
  family, did heaven look on, / And would not take
  their part? (4.3.223-4), recalls Elizabeth's
  protests to God over her own slaughtered
  children, When didst thou sleep when such a deed
  was done" (4.4-24)
• Both suffer from lack of sleep after their evil
  deeds
• When they do sleep, MacBeth and Richard are both
  troubled by ghosts in their dreams
• In the end, both tyrant-heroes are alone. Just as
  Blunt observes that Richard hath no friends but
  what are friends for fear, / Which in his dearest
  need will fly from him (5.2.20-1). Malcolm
  describes MacBeth as deserted none serve with
  him but constrainéd things / Whose hearts are
  absent too (5.4.13-14)