History and Tragedy in Shakespeares Richard II Essay examples -- Rich

History and catastrophe in Richard II An attempt to sort Shakespeares plays into neat categories may come forward to have its benefits when striving to understand his work, but even a shallow reading of Richard II indicates that this approach is largely futile and sometimes misleading. enchantment it cannot be doubted that the play is of a historical nature, based on events save in Holinsheds Chronicles of 1577 and named after an actual major power, a sense of true Shakespearean tragedy is also present throughout. Instead of trying to analyse or appreciate the differences between these two forms, it is more than interesting to understand how they equilibrise each other. Shakespeare vividly brings the past to life in Richard II, and it is surely the mensural mingling of historical fact and tragic elements that is responsible for the great salient value of the play. Knowledge of the period of history from which the play is drawn meaning that the auditory mo dality is prepared for Richards fate, for example, and this only serves to illuminate the tragic inevitability of his downfall. The audience is aware that Richard II is only the first in a serial of history plays, and will be followed by Henry IV (parts matchless and two) and Henry V. In this sense Richard could be viewed in a potentially unemotional light, as a component of English history whose predominate simply linked the reigns of two others. The fact that he was usurped from the throne and bump off is not overwhelmingly tragic when seen in the context of world history, particularly if his reign is being viewed with cold hindsight. However, Shakespeares colourful portrayal of Richard and his fate essence that the audience can in many ways appreciate the king in terms of a ... ...te history in a new, more colourful light. Works Cited and Consulted Eccles, Mark. Richard III on Stage and Screen. Richard III. parvenue York Signet Classic, 1988. 265-78. Fields, Bertram. gallant Blood Richard III and the Mystery of the Princes. New York ReganBooks, 1998. Hallett, Charles A. and Elaine S. Hallett. The Revengers Madness. Lincoln U of northeast P, 1980. (Epigraph) Kendall, Paul Murray. Richard the Third. New York Norton, 1983. - - - . Richard III The Great Debate. New York Norton, 1992. Ornstein, Richard. Richard III. Richard III. New York Signet Classic, 1988. 239-264. Shakespeare, William. Richard III. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York W.W. Norton and Company, 1997 Spivack, Charlotte. The Comedy of Evil on Shakespeares Stage. London Associated UPs, 1978.