Women in Shakespeares Richard III

Women in Shakespeares Richard III In his play, Richard III, Shakespeare draws on historical facts about several historical women to tell his story. Their emotional reactions reinforce that Richard the villain is the logical conclusion of many years of intrafamily conflict and family politics. The Wars of the Roses were about two branches of the Plantagenet family and a few other closely-related families fighting each other, often to the death. In the Play These women have lost husbands, sons, fathers, or will by the end of the play. Most have been pawns in the marriage game, but nearly all of them who are depicted have had some direct influence on the politics. Margaret (Margaret of Anjou) led armies. Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Woodville) promoted her own familys fortunes, making her responsible for the enmity she earned. The Duchess of York (Cecily Neville) and her brother (Warwick, the Kingmaker) were angry enough when Elizabeth married Edward that Warwick changed his support to Henry VI, and the Duchess left court and had little contact with her son, Edward, before his death. Anne Nevilles marriages linked her first with the Lancastrian heir apparent and then with a Yorkist heir. Even little Elizabeth (Elizabeth of York) by her very existence holds power: once her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, are dispatched, the king who marries her has locked up a tighter claim on the crown, though Richard has declared Elizabeth Woodvilles marriage to Edward IV invalid and therefore Elizabeth of York illegitimate. Is History More Interesting Than the Play? But the histories of these women are much more interesting than even the stories that Shakespeare tells. Richard III is in many ways a propaganda piece, justifying the takeover by the Tudor/Stuart dynasty, still in power in Shakespeares England, and at the same time pointing out the dangers of fighting among the royal family. So Shakespeare compresses time, attributes motivations, depicts as facts some incidents that are matters of pure speculation, and exaggerates events and characterizations. Anne Neville Probably the most changed life story is that of Anne Neville. In Shakespeares drama she appears at the beginning at the funeral of her father-in-law (and Margaret of Anjous husband), Henry VI, shortly after her own husband, the Prince of Wales, has also been killed in a battle with Edwards forces. That would be the year 1471 in actual history. Historically, Anne marries Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the next year. They had a son, who was alive in 1483 when Edward IV died suddenly an death Shakespeare has follow quickly on Richards seduction of Anne, and has precede, rather than follow, her marriage to him. Richard and Annes son would be too difficult to explain in his changed timeline, so the son disappears in Shakespeares story. Margaret of Anjou Then theres Margaret of Anjous story: historically, she was actually already dead when Edward IV died. She had been imprisoned right after her husband and son were killed, and after that imprisonment was not at the English court to curse anyone. She was actually then ransomed by the King of France; she ended her life in France, in poverty. Cecily Neville The Duchess of York, Cecily Neville, not only wasnt the first to identify Richard as a villain, she probably worked with him to gain the throne. Wheres Margaret Beaufort? Why did Shakespeare leave out a very important woman,  Margaret Beaufort?  Henry VIIs mother spent most of Richard IIIs reign organizing opposition to Richard.  She was under house arrest for much of Richards reign, as a result of an early rebellion.  But perhaps Shakespeare didnt think it politic to remind the audience of the very important role of a woman in bringing the Tudors to power?