King Richard III

by William Shakespeare , Edited by Janis Lull

• ISBN13: 9780521276320
• ISBN10: 0521276322
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Richard III is one of the great Shakespearean characters and roles. James R Siemon examines the attraction of this villain to audiences and focuses on how beguiling, even funny, he can be, especially in the earlier parts of the play. Siemon also places King Richard III in its historical context; as Elizabeth I had no heirs the issue of succession was a very real one for Shakespeare's audience. The introduction is well-illustrated and provides a comprehensive account of the play, critical approaches to it and its varied stage history.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	viii
Acknowledgements	ix
List of abbreviations and conventions	x
Introduction	I
History and meaning in Richard III	I
Richard III and Macbeth	16	(3)
Plot and language in Richard III	19	(22)
Richard III in performance	23	(18)
The audience in Richard III	41	(1)
Note on the text	42	(4)
List of characters	46	(5)
The Play	51	(158)
Textual analysis	209	(11)
Appendix I: The Q-only `clock' passage	220	(2)
Appendix 2: The Plantagenet family tree	222	(2)
Reading list	224