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Roy Justus

Dr. Cliff Thompson

History of Theatre I

April 27, 2008

Richard III: Shakespeare’s Text and Machiavellian Politics

In many of Shakespeare’s plays, the focus is on family. In Richard III this is true

as well, but it is one of his only plays to deal with politics as a strong secondary focus.

The title character is undoubtedly Machiavellian. In one of his earlier appearances in the

canon he references Machiavelli, in Henry IV, part 3:

Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile,

And cry “Content!” to that which grieves my heart

And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,

And frame my face to all occasions.

………..

I can add colors to the chameleon,

Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,

And set the murderous Machevil to school (3.2.182-85, 191-93).

However, this is one of Shakespeare’s only Machiavellian characters that discredit this

political school of thought outright. Due to the fact that his ends are more personal than

for his country,(and that his means are more offensive), we are given to identify him with

Machiavellian leaders with whom we are more familiar. The fascist dictators of the

1930s and 40s come readily to mind. Richard himself is a very complex character, and
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his reasons for attempting ascent to the throne are many. His initial monologue begins to

describe the reasons why he seeks this power. His deformity, traditionally a hump on his

back and a deformed left hand, preclude him from participating in the pursuits of love

that others are now able to turn their thoughts to, since the civil war is over.

His given reasons for his lust for power would be allayed if he were to find a lover,

one might suppose. He woos Lady Anne, a woman whose husband and father-in-law he

killed, and wins her hand in marriage. One may look at this scene as secondary to the

action of the play, but we find that after he has tasted this, his first concrete success in the

play, he chooses to continue to test his capability. This scene, to some, doesn’t seem

necessary. Historically, the reason for marrying her was fairly shallow. Richard, a

Yorkist, might have wanted to marry a Lancastrian in order to curry support with the less-

powerful ousted nobility, which would gain him no immediate political power.

Dramatically, however, this proves that Richard is an ineffective Machiavellian political

player. He wants to acquire Anne, but she is inessential to his power. This scene shows

both his human desire and his monstrous evil.

One psychologist examined this scene using a scale of Machiavellian behavior,

referred to as Mach IV (Shupe). Shupe claims that since Richard scored high on this

scale, he is a “High Mach” type, whereas Lady Anne thinks ethically and emotionally,

and is a “Low Mach” type. Richard’s lines in Henry IV, part 3 mentioned earlier

highlight these abilities to achieve his ends. Shupe examines several of Richard’s actions

in this scene that show why he succeeds in wooing Lady Anne due to their differences on

the Mach IV scale. His innovation, his willingness to take risks, and his lack of real

emotional involvement are completely consistent with a very Machiavellian personality

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type. The research shows that when certain conditions are met, a High Mach personality

will manipulate a Low Mach personality 12 out of 13 times (Shupe 32). Shakespeare

creates all three of these conditions in the scene, so the plausibility of the outcome of this

scene, sometimes doubted by psychologists, is proved. The conditions are: a) The

interaction is face-to-face, b) there is room for improvisation and c) the situation allows

for the arousal of emotions. Richard succeeds in wooing Anne, and immediately moves

beyond this to further evil. His next demand, “Take up the sword again, or take up me,”

(1.2. 187) according to Loehlin, crystallizes the relationship between Richard and Anne

(91). His risks feed her emotions, and her strong emotions eventually change allegiances

by the end of the scene.

Richard’s reactions to the other royals whom he encounters are deft and effective.

The queens, old and new, both hate and curse Richard. The old queen, Margaret, no

longer fears him and curses him securely. The current queen, Elizabeth, does fear him,

and knows that Richard will use every advantage to put her and her family out of power.

As soon as Richard enters this conference, he asks whom he has wronged, and claims that

since he (Richard) cannot flatter (due in most part to his deformity), he must be speaking

the truth. After the other royals leave, two murderers arrive, and Richard pays them to

kill Clarence. This is Richard’s first peacetime murder, and the murderers he gathers are

men of some conscience. His instructions to the murderers are short, but include one

command that they break:

But, sirs, be sudden in the execution,

Withal obdurate; do not hear him plead,

For Clarence is well-spoken and perhaps

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May move your hearts to pity if you mark him.

……..

Your eyes drop millstones when fools’ eyes fall tears (1.3. 366-369, 373)

This bit of instruction shows that his concern is simply the execution, and when they

assure him that they are men of action, he praises them for their lack of feeling. In the

same line his opinion of those ruled by emotion shines through: they are fools. Any

emotion that doesn’t result in action is useless to him. His murderers do complete the

assassination, but not before ignoring Richard’s words, and nearly heeding Clarence, and

leaving Richard’s work undone. Until the murder occurs, Clarence is still convinced that

his brother loves him, and is outside attempting to get him out. This shows that Richard’s

lies seem sincere to even his closest family members. His abilities to lie and act are

important, but he must constantly reassure himself in his soliloquies that his plans are

working. More than simple observation of his progress, we must remember that he is

speaking not only to the audience, but to himself.

In Act II, Richard begins to undo the work of his brother Edward even before

Edward’s death. Edward is very ill and it seems that any further problems within his

house will break his fragile hold on life. Edward is doing his best to reunite his house

before his impending death and secure his sons on the throne. Elizabeth, the queen, does

not want to trouble Edward with any suspicions she has about Richard. Edward, just

healthy enough to move about the castle, brings everyone together in his throne room and

has them pledge friendship to one another. The last pledge is that of Richard to

Elizabeth, and as soon as it is given, Richard reveals that Clarence has been killed. This

realization sends the king into his final illness. The king is too weak to object and the
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sons of Elizabeth are sent to prison in the north of England, by Richard and Buckingham.

As his machinations begin to move, Richard waits for further opportunities. He does not

get ahead of his plans, but waits for the results to come in. This displays a Machiavellian

tendency not to overwork oneself if not needed.

In Act III, Richard is named Lord Protector to the sons of his now-deceased brother

Edward and brings the older of the two princes, also named Edward, with him to London.

Richard proposes that Prince Edward stay in the Tower of London until his (Edward’s)

coronation. Then comes a passage that delves into the difference between Richard (a

tyrant) and another great leader, Julius Caesar. When Richard suggests that Edward be

kept in the tower, the boy asks if Caesar built the tower.

Morton J. Frisch, in “Shakespeare’s Richard III and the Soul of the Tyrant,”

explores this question and the contrast it brings up in some depth. Caesar, on the one

hand, is constantly trying to outdo himself because he is interested in the well being of

Rome. Richard, as we find, has no aim higher than attaining the throne. Anything that

will get him there is permissible. Richard’s offer to take Machiavelli to school in Henry

IV, part 3 is particularly audacious. One might find this to be so because this claim is

built upon the fact that Machiavelli will never get so much political practice as Richard

will. Machiavelli may have his philosophy down in theory, but Richard puts it into

practice (Frisch 276). As the scene in Act III progresses, the young prince remarks,

“death makes no conquest of this conqueror” (3.1.88). Edward admires Caesar and

claims that he will eventually(if he survives to manhood) conquer like him, taking France

back for England under his throne. Richard does not now, nor ever, claim to do anything

for the benefit of England (Frisch 277-278). His only aim is to please himself. His
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wishes do not even extend to the praise and approval of others. He actually seems to

have no interest in the actual ruling of the kingdom (Frisch 278). In another portion of

Henry IV, part 3, Richard says, “what other pleasure can the world afford [than] to

command, to check, to o’erbear? [Therefore] I’ll make my heaven to dream upon the

crown” (Henry IV, part 3 3.2.147,166, 168). His heaven is simply dreaming upon the

crown. While the young Edward, and Caesar, whom he admires, have lofty and noble

goals, Richard is concerned with only one thing; his possession of the throne (Frisch

278).

Later in Act 3, Richard even goes so far as to feign indifference when the crown is

offered to him. He stands between two clergymen and acts as if his mind were laid upon

things outside the world. This is his biggest ruse. He is, in fact, concerned with nothing

but himself (the furthest thing from godly thought that there is). His strategy works and

he is offered the crown. His wish fulfilled, he seems not to know what to do with

himself. By scene 2 of Act 4, knowing that his young wife, Anne, is dying from the

stress he is putting on her, he decides that he must marry his niece in order to keep his

crown and kill his nephews, as they will be heirs. He reasons, “ Murder her brothers, and

then marry her—Uncertain way of gain. But I am in so far in blood that sin will pluck on

sin. Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye” (4.2.65-68). This type of Machiavellianism

will not work. The end, being completely ignoble, is surely not worth the means that

Richard takes to get there. That which begins with murder will eventually end in one last

murder.

In Act 5, facing open rebellion by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Richard is

sleeping before the battle, and is confronted, by ghosts in his sleep, finally arousing his
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long-desensitized conscience. He acknowledges his “coward conscience” (5.3.191), and

then he is completely uneasy. His downfall suits his sudden and bloody rise to power,

his means suit his final end perfectly.

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Works Cited

Frisch, Morton J. “Shakespeare’s Richard III and the Soul of the Tyrant” Interpretation:

A Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 20. No. 3. (Spring, 1993), pp. 275-284.

Grady, Hugh. “Shakespeare’s Links to Machiavelli and Montaigne: Constructing

Intellectual Modernity in Modern Europe”. Comparative Literature, Vol. 52. No 2.

(Spring, 2000) pp. 119-142.

Loehlin, James Norris. “Playing Politics: ‘Richard III’ in Performance” Performing Arts

Journal. Vol. 15, No. 3, Classics Contermporary. (Sep. 1993), pp. 80-94.

Shupe, Donald R. “The Wooing of Lady Anne: Psychological Inquiry.” Shakespeare

Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 1, (Winter, 1978), pp. 28-36.

Siegel, Paul N. “Richard III as Businessman”. Shakespeare Jarbuch, Vol. 114. 1978, pp.

101-106.