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Richard III Directed by Jon Tracy DISCOVERY GUIDE 2010 Richard III Directed by Jon Tracy Marin Shakespeare Company 415-499-4487 www.marinshakespeare.org Welcome to the Discovery Guide for Richard III Introduction---------------------------------------------------- Marin Shakespeare Company is thrilled to present one of Shakespeare’s most riveting histories! As one of Shakespeare’s earliest and immediately popular history plays, this show makes an intriguing introduction to ‘the Bard’ for students who are new to Shakespeare with its action- packed story of a man who would do anything for power. For those already enchanted by Shakespeare’s works, this play will keep you on the edge of your seat, as the story is packed with ambitious characters, betrayals, trickery, and historical facts. However you come to this production, a little preparation before the show might be in order! This DISCOVERY GUIDE will provide you with some background on the play, some explanations of characters and plot lines and some pre- and post-show activities, exercises and discussion questions for further deepening your theatre-going experience! Let us know if this DISCOVERY GUIDE is helpful ([email protected].) Enjoy! Contents---------------------------------------------------------- PAGE 1 -- Discover: the origins of the play PAGES 2-3 -- Discover: the characters PAGES 4-6 -- Discover: the story of the play PAGE 7 -- Discover: major themes in the play PAGES 8-9 -- Discover: discussion questions PAGE 10-11 -- Discover: classroom connections PAGE 12 -- Discover: key quotes from the play (for discussion or writing topics) PAGE 13 -- Discover: matching game PAGE 14 -- Discover: A Duke. A Lord. A What? The Pyramid of Power PAGE 15 -- Discover: additional resources (websites, books and videos) A word from the Director--------------------------------- For our production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, we decided to embrace the title character’s mindset... literally. As you watch you’ll notice that all the characters seem presented through Richard’s perspective. This gave each actor much flexiblity when creating their characters, each thinking as wildly as Richard might have done. To this end, we have spent a great deal of time discussing and analyzing how to create this bizarre world, culminate in this “high-society-circus” that is at turns bitingly funny and terrifyingly twisted... just as Richard (and perhaps, Shakespeare) would have liked it... Richard III - page 1 DISCOVER: the origins of the play... Shakespeare’s Sources-------------------------------------- Shakespeare’s Richard III is based on the life and reign of England’s Richard of Gloucester who lived from 1452-1485 and reigned as King of England from 1483 to his death. But who was Richard III? And why did Shakespeare find him so intriguing he dedicated a play to his ascent and decent from the English throne? The man known as Richard III------------------------------ Richard III was born on October 2, 1452, the fourth, and youngest surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. Richard’s three older brothers were Edmund, Edward, and George. The whole of Richard’s childhood was filled with civil wars over the crown of England, particularly by two families, the Lanchester dynasty and the York dynasty in a time of conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. Both families had “royal blood” - that is some of their relatives were Kings or Queens of England, making them eligible for the throne. At the age of 8, Richard’s father and older brother Edmund died while fighting at the Battle of akefield.W Because of fear for Richard’s and his older brother George’s lives, he spent the majority of his youth being brought up in the country side by the Warwick family (cousins through marriage). In June of 1461, King Henry VI (of the Lanchester dynasty) was overthrown and Edward became King of England. Although young, Richard proved himself a loyal and successful military commander and administrator to his brother King Edward IV. By the age of thirty, he was given the titles of Duke of Gloucester (1461), a Knight of the Garter (1461), Knight of the Bath (1461), sole Commissioner of Array for the West Counties (1464), Governor of the North, Constable of England (1469), and Lord High Admiral of England (1471). During Edward IV’s rule, Richard rarely was seen at the court of England. He spent much of his time in the North of England governing and protecting it from invasion and financial downfalls. In the North, Richard, although a very socially private person, was well liked by the people in how he governed them. Richard’s brother George, now Duke of Clarence, on the other hand was not contented with being the brother of a king. Throughout Edward’s reign, George committed treason by plotting with Warwick and France against King Edward in order to usurp this throne. These treasons would bring about Clarence’s death and 1478 he was executed by his brother’s Edward’s command (and also it is thought that Edward’s wife, Queen Elizabeth supported Clarence’s execution because of familial ill feelings). It is reported that Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was very upset by his brother’s death. During the second half of Edward IV’s rule, civil wars broke out again supported by strong allies in France. Edward died in April of 483 due to illness and thus begins the circumstances of Shakespeare’s play. Richard’s accent to the throne happened extremely quickly - in a matter of six months. Before his quest for the throne, Richard was overall liked by the people he governed in the North and was know as a pious and loyal man. With Edward’s death, the throne needed to be filled very quickly. Prince Edward (Edward IV’s oldest son) was to be brought to London immediately for his coronation. In learning that Prince Edward was to be king, and backed by supporters of the Lanchester dynasty, Richard had to make a choice – to keep the royal throne in his House of York, he needed to take the throne. Richard III - page 2 DISCOVER: the origins of the play... With the help of a few powerful men, such as Buckingham, Lord Hastings, and Radcliffe, Richard was able to seize power and in 1483 he was crowned King of England. Richard III was a strong commander but lacked social skills; he made few friends and allies at court. Thus when his only son died, the House of Lanchester and their supporters found the opportunity to try to gain support in usurping Richard’s throne and ending the rule of the House of York. These constant civil wars, led to Richard’s death at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III was the last English King to die in battle and was the last ruler of the Plantagenet dynasty. The throne went to Henry VII and to the reign of the Tudor family in England. It is believed by many historians that Richard’s death was the end of the Medieval Age of England. Up until his accent to the throne Richard III was considered a benign politician. However, in the six months of his accent, his ambition revealed a brutal man who would do anything to ensure his place and the continuation of his family’s dynasty in England. The Richard III depicted in Shakespeare’s famous play is one of deceit and unnatural evil. It is important to understand that Shakespeare knew of Richard III through the stories passed down by those who lived and ruled after him - most importantly the Tudor family who took the throne after Richard’s death. The Tudor family was still ruling in England when Shakespeare wrote this play. First publication and performance-------------------- William Shakespeare never published any of his plays and therefore none of the original manuscripts have survived. Eighteen unauthorized versions of his plays were, however, published during his lifetime in quarto editions by unscrupulous publishers (there were no copyright laws protecting Shakespeare and his works during the Elizabethan era). A collection of his works did not appear until 1623 (a full seven years after Shakespeare’s death on April 23, 1616) when two of his fellow actors, John Hemminges and Henry Condell, posthumously recorded his work and published 36 of William’s plays in the First Folio. Some dates are therefore approximate other dates are substantiated by historical events, records of performances and the dates plays appeared in print. Richard III was written and completed around 1591. This play was very popular in the years following its first appearance. As a result, it was printed in 6 Quartos - The first Quarto was printed in 1597, the second in 1597 as well, the third was printed in 1602, the fourth 1605, the fifth in 1612, and the sixth in 1622 (all spanning over 25 years). The first folio was printed in 1623. The earliest recorded performance was on November 17th, 1633 at Queen Henrietta Maria’s birthday celebration under the reign of Charles I (although it was most likely performed many times before 1633). Quartro? Folio? Huh?---------------------------------------- Quarto: A quarto is sheet of printing paper folded twice to form eight separate pages for printing a book. The Quarto editions of Shakespeare’s plays are generally considered ‘unauthorized’. Folio: A folio is a sheet of printing paper folded once to form four separate pages for printing a book. The Folio text is notable for its quality and consistency; scholars judge it to have been set into type from a theatrical prompt-book and, therefore, more accurate. Richard III - page 3 DISCOVER: the characters... Friends and Foes of Richard------------------------------- KING EDWARD IV: Richard’s oldest surviving brother (after Edmund died in 1460). King Edward was well loved by the people and brought domestic and economic peace and balance to England.
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