Richard III: Attitude Towards Women Essay

Explore how Shakespeare dramatises Richard III attitudes towards women.

Shakespeares Richard, Duke of Gloucester is multifarious personality, with his ambition to gain the crown of England driving his actions throughout the play. Richard is a viciously self-interested man, seemingly uncaring about the pain that his plotting causes others. Richard III follows Richards rise to power and the trail of betrayal, mistrust and destruction he leaves in his wake. A key theme throughout is the struggle for power between Richard and the women of the play.

The opening soliloquy of Act 1 gives an important insight into the reasons for Richards scathing attitude towards women. Initially the soliloquy seems to be joyful and he appears to be making very positive comments about his brother, King Edward.

Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this sun of York (1.1.1-2)

However, it quickly becomes clear that Richards comments are heavily sardonic and sarcastic as he criticises his brother. It is obvious from this first soliloquy that Shakespeare has moulded Richard to look almost monstrous and noticeably deformed. From the beginning of the play we are aware of Richards feelings about his body and how much contempt and disdain he has for being given such a repugnant body.

Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,

Deformed, unfinished (1.1.19-20)

Richard draws the audience in, and endeavours to attract our sympathy by addressing his deformity. By doing this he is clearly trying to manipulate the audience. He talks about how he has no delight to pass away the time (1.1.25). He is aware that the men who are capable of attracting wives and lovers are generally handsome young men which is the complete contradiction of Richard. Unfortunately for Richard he has been rudely stamped and is not shaped for sportive tricks (1.1.14) and thus would appear to have no opportunities to attract any women. The men who were at war have returned home to their wives and companions and Richard is no longer the main attention and this could be the primary reason as to why Richard is so invidious and resentful of women. His home is on the battlefield, where no women are allowed, where he is alone with his men, in command, where he is truly valued and respected.

Richard continually insults women as well as the men who are associated with them. He attacks his brother, King Edward by exclaiming how his wife is a wanton ambling nymph (1.1.17) and that he capers nimbly in a ladys chamber (1.1.12) suggesting that he has lost his masculinity by spending time with a woman. Richard now sees him as feminine and pathetic which has caused Richard to lose all respect for him. However, it is evident that Richard is jealous of Edward, but it appears that he has given up trying to find a desirable and advantageous woman that would love him in the knowledge that no woman would have such an aspiration.

In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare introduces us to Richard Duke of Gloucester brother of Edward King of England and George Duke of Clarence. Richard and his brothers are key characters throughout the play, even after their deaths. Edward, the current King of England, has fallen ill. Hearing the news Richard immediately seizes the opportunity to imprison his brother Clarence, who is next in line to the throne that Richard so desperately wants. Richard manages to send Clarence to the tower, without anyone realising that he is to blame for the unforgivable misconduct. Act 1 Scene 1 is the first time we see how Shakespeare dramatises Richards attitude and use of women. Clarence exclaims his horror at being sent to the tower by his elder brother. Clarence is completely unaware that Richard is the one who is responsible for his imprisonment. Richards response is;

Why, this it is when men are ruled by women.

Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower;

My lady Grey his wife, Clarence, (1.1.62-64)

This displays how Shakespeare has intended that Richard will use women to maintain the illusion that he is pure and honest and to use them as scapegoats in order to achieve his goals. Richard play acts in order to keep his plans secret, and this is evident throughout the drama. Clarence believes Richards tale. This is the beginning of Richards chauvinistic use and abuse of women.

Richard is clearly enormously self-conscious and insecure about his body and appearance. It would appear that he has accepted that he isnt made for women and thus he has forgotten them, until he continues further and we ascertain that along with his aim of becoming King of England, he will also attempt to woo Lady Anne. Perhaps he truly is distressed and humiliated about his body, however one might see through the faade and argue that he is manipulating the audience by play-acting. Not only does he want to be ruler of his country, but he also wants to have power over women as we see in the next scene.

In Act 1 Scene 2 Shakespeare introduces us to Lady Anne, who was formerly betrothed King Henry VIs son Edward, the previous King of England, until he was overthrown and murdered by the current King and his youngest brother Richard. Act 1 Scene 2 is used by Shakespeare to portray how manipulative, scheming and controlling Richard is. It soon becomes apparent as we continue through the scene that Richard is using Anne as an experiment to see whether he can woo a woman, even with his deformity.

And yet to win her, all the world to nothing? (1.2.223)

This is a brand new challenge for Richard. He is manipulating her because there is no war to fight and he must find a way to pass the time. This explains a lot about Richard and his attitude to women. It has become palpable that he has no respect for women and is of the opinion that women have no significance. Shakespeare uses language to portray Richards desire to draw Anne in. Firstly he uses his physical presence to create the dynamic of the scene by entering dramatically and almost shouting at the bearers to lay the coffin down. Anne is deeply angered by Richards inappropriate and inapt entrance;

Vouchsafe, diffused infection of a man,