Richard Iii

Hilary Burningham

Description

Graphic novel

Sujets

• Literacy
• Shakespeare
• Easy Reader
• William Shakespeare

Informations

• Publié par: Read Zone
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781783221141
• Langue: English

Extrait

R ICHARD 111
T HE G RAPHIC
S HAKESPEARE S ERIES
ReadZone Books Limited
First published in this edition 2013
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© copyright in the modern text Hilary Burningham, 2005
© copyright in this edition ReadZone Books Ltd 2013
The right of the Author to be identified as the Author of this work had been
asserted by the Author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data (CIP) is available for this title.
ISBN 978-1-78322-112-7
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R ICHARD 111
T HE G RAPHIC
S HAKESPEARE S ERIES
R ETOLD BY H ILARY B URININGHAM
I LLUSTRATED BY S UE W OOLLATT
INTRODUCTION:
THE WARS OF THE ROSES
Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, takes place during the last days of
the Wars of the Roses. For almost a hundred years, two powerful
families, the House of York (the Yorkists) and the House of
Lancaster (the Lancastrians), fought each other for the crown
of England. The Wars of the Roses were so-called because the
Yorkists had a white rose as their badge, and the Lancastrians
had a red rose. Their followers often wore red or white cloaks
or coats to show which family they supported. After the years of
fighting, there was a great deal of hatred and anger on both sides.
Richard and his family were Yorkists. Richard fought hard to
help his brother Edward become king of England. To make way
for Edward, they killed the Lancastrian king, King Henry VI,
and also his son, the heir to the throne. King Henry VI’s widow,
Queen Margaret, appears in the play. She hated Richard’s brother,
King Edward IV, because he had replaced her husband, King
Henry VI. She also hated Queen Elizabeth because she was now
queen in place of Margaret.
When Edward IV died, he made Richard the Lord Protector, in
charge of ruling the country until his oldest son, Prince Edward,
was old enough to rule. Richard was also supposed to look
after and protect the two young princes. But Richard himself
wanted to be king, and now he saw his chance. He murdered
and killed all those in his way so that he could be king. Richard
was a Yorkist, but because of his wickedness, even Yorkists were
divided in their support for him.
The Lancastrians, however, had a new claimant to the throne.
His name was Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.
He was a distant relative of the family and had been brought up
in France to keep him safe, away from the Yorkists. As Richard
became more and more unpopular, the Lancastrians encouraged
Henry Tudor to return to England to fight him. In 1485, Henry
landed at Milford Haven in Wales and marched towards London,
increasing his army as he went.
Richard gathered his army in London and met Henry and his
followers at Bosworth Field. Several lords who had formerly
supported Richard joined Henry’s side, taking their soldiers
with them. In a great battle, which forms the climax to the play,
Richard was defeated and killed. Henry Tudor was crowned King
Henry VII of England.
To make sure that the Yorkists and the Lancastrians would end
their fighting forever, Henry married Princess Elizabeth of York,
daughter of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth. Now the two
families were joined. The two badges, the red rose and the white
rose, were united in a double rose, the Tudor Rose. The Tudor
Rose became a symbol of peace.
NB This brief overview of the Wars of the Roses is presented in order to aid
understanding of the characters and events as Shakespeare presents them in
the play. Interested readers will need to pursue other sources of information if
they seek a more accurate, balanced account of the period.
Lancastrian Rose
Yorkist Rose
Tudor Rose
THE CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
King Edward IV
Prince Edward of Wales
(Later King Edward V)
Richard, Duke of York
George, Duke of Clarence
Richard, Duke of Gloucester
(Later King Richard III)
Queen Elizabeth
– wife of King Edward IV
Duchess of York
– mother of King Edward IV and his
brothers
Lady Anne
– widow of Edward, Prince of Wales,
the son of Henry VI; later married

to Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Queen Margaret
– widow of Henry VI
Henry, Earl of Richmond
(later King Henry VII)
Duke of Buckingham
Earl Rivers
– brother of Queen Elizabeth
Marquess of Dorset
Lord Grey
Lord Stanley
Lord Hastings
Sir Richard Ratcliffe
Sir William Catesby
Sir James Tyrrel
Sir Robert Brakenbury
– Lieutenant of the Tower of London
Lord Mayor of London
Ghosts
First Citizen
Second Citizen
Third Citizen
ç
ç
ç
sons of King Edward IV
brothers of King Edward IV
sons of Queen Elizabeth (from her
first marriage)
PORTRAIT GALLERY
King Edward IV
Duchess of York
Duke of
Buckingham
Earl Rivers
Marquess of
Dorset
Lord Grey
Henry, Earl of
Richmond
Sir William
Catesby
Lord Stanley
Lord Hastings
George, Duke of
Clarence
Richard, Duke of
Gloucester
Lady Anne
Prince Edward of
Wales
Richard, Duke of
York
Queen Elizabeth
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was for once in his life rather
pleased. After many years of fighting between two powerful
rival families, the families of York (the Yorkists) and
Lancaster (the Lancastrians), his family, the Yorkists, had
won, and his older brother Edward had been crowned King
Edward IV of England.
The emblem of the Yorkists was a white rose. The emblem
of the Lancastrians was a red rose. The series of battles over
the years had become known as the Wars of the Roses.
With the Wars over, people could enjoy peaceful activities:
parties, music, and dancing 1 .
But Richard could not take part in these pleasures. He had
been crippled since birth. He felt himself to be ugly and
deformed. With a hump on his back and a shrivelled hand,
who would ever love him? Even dogs barked at him in the
street. He might as well be just plain wicked.
Already he was planning to make trouble between his
brother George, Duke of Clarence, and the king.
1 This is an example of Richard’s sarcasm. He’s talking only about the
very rich people, not the poor people.
Richard III
— 8 —
ACT 1
— 9 —
RICHARD:
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Richard III
— 10 —
Richard’s thoughts were interrupted. Brakenbury,
Lieutenant of the Tower of London, had arrested his
brother George, Duke of Clarence, and was taking him to
the Tower.
Richard himself had brought about Clarence’s arrest
because he wanted to get him out of the way. Richard had
told the king that someone with the initial G would murder
his children. Since Clarence’s first name was George, the
king had him arrested.
Richard pretended to feel sorry for Clarence. He told him to
be patient and promised to help get him set free soon.
As soon as Brakenbury and Clarence went on their way,
Richard made it clear that instead of being released from
prison, his brother Clarence would soon be dead.
— 11 —
RICHARD:
Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne’er return.
Simple plain Clarence, I do love thee so
That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,
If heaven will take the present at our hands.