Analysis: Act V, Scenes VIIVIII in Richard III Essay

Richards death is conveyed only in stage directions in the textuncharacteristically, Shakespeare does not even give him a dying speech. Richards death comes as no surprise, however. His final scenes only enact the outcome that the play has already established as inevitable, both in terms of narrative shape and in terms of moral resolution. In broad terms, the first part of the play shows a gradual rise in Richards fortunes and power. These fortunes peak and then decline dramatically. Buckinghams hesitation to help Richard kill the young princes in Act IV, scene ii, moments after Richards coronation, marks the beginning of Richards decline into paranoia and his gradual loss of control of the events around him. The duchess of Yorks curses and Elizabeths deception of Richard in Act IV, scene iv confirm this downward slide, which reaches its low with Richards nightmareand subsequent self-questioningin Act V, scene v. After all of these events, it is clear that Richards death, which has been predicted and prophesied many times by many people, is only a matter of time.

Richards final scenes do illustrate something of the frenzied selfishness of his mind. Shakespeare depicts the gradual devolution of his bold and reckless fighting on the battlefield, as he goes from fighting to protect his power and his kingdom to fighting simply to protect his neck. Richard lacks the sense of higher purpose with which Richmond has been endowed, and thus he lacks the ability to die nobly. In the end, Richard is obsessed with his own self-preservation, as indicated by his cry of [a] horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse! (V.vii.7, 13). In this moment, Richard clearly reveals his priorities. He would trade everything for a horse on which to improve his chances of surviving the battle rather than die honorably for his cause.

Richmonds final speech primarily serves a narrative purpose, showing that Richard, the villain of the play, has been definitively vanquished, although his death has occurred offstage. Richmonds simple, judgmental declaration that [T]he bloody dog is dead indicates the relief and exhaustion that he (and everyone else) feels after Richards long campaign of cruelty (V.viii.2). Many dead kings, even wicked ones, are remembered kindly by their enemies after they die, but Richard is so universally hated that he is spoken of merely as a bloody dog. Symbolically, then, Richards death and Richmonds ascension to the throne suggest that the conflicts that have plagued England for so long are at an end. England hath long been mad, and scarred herself, says Richmond, referring to the wars among the royalty (V.viii.23). Richmonds intention to claim the kingdoms long usurpd royalty, as Stanley puts it, heralds the symbolic end not just of the particular conflict with Richard but of the Wars of the Roses in general (V.viii.4). Moreover, with his marriage to young Elizabeth, Richmond will meld the houses of York and Lancaster in a fertile and peaceful union, uniting the white rose and the redthe symbols of the houses of York and Lancaster, respectively (V.viii.19). Richards long reign of terror has come to an end as the play closes with the promise of a marriage, and with the new King Henrys fervent prayer for this fair lands peace (V.viii.39). The play, then, ends tragically for Richard but happily for England.