While reading Act 1 of The Tragedy of King Richard the Third, I noticed several similarities between Richard and Queen Margaret. Both characters are viewed as “others” by many of the characters and they are pushed to the outskirts of the community. Richard and Queen Margaret are also both viewed as ugly and this adds to the rejection they face from various characters. Lastly, Richard and Queen Margaret feel that they have been kept form something that they deserve or are entitled to and this seems to feed their bitter dispositions.
Richard is pushed to the outskirts of the community because he is viewed as someone who hates the wife of his brother, Queen Elizabeth, and rejects all of her people. She states that Richard does not love her, nor anyone. Richard acts with discontent and bitterness towards, which only works to feed into or further his discontent and marginalization. Queen Margaret, similarly, is viewed as a hag or a witch who curses others. Her words and actions towards other characters only continues the poor perception that the community has of her. Both Richard and Queen Margaret are also viewed as ugly characters and this adds to the rejection they face.
However, should Richard and Margaret be held accountable for their dispositions or do they deserve sympathy? Margaret was pushed out of her position and out of her home. Richard was born as a disfigured and ugly boy who felt like he couldn't be loved. They both are unhappy because they feel like they can't get what others freely have. Margaret has been removed from her high status and comfortable living situation and Richard seems to want love, but becomes a controlling villain who is power hungry to make up for it.
5 comments:
This is an interesting, and difficult, idea. Should people always be held accountable for their own actions? In regards to Richard, it is hard to feel sympathy for him because we see how villainous he is. He is regarded as a great soldier and is accepted on the battlefield. In this regard, he is most certainly included in a major aspect of society. We don't know much about his childhood, but I'm not sure how much it matters. There are plenty of deformed people in the world who had horrible lives and didn't commit horrific crimes like Richard III. Who knows, though, maybe it's a lot different today. Maybe no one cared about outsiders and treated them so wretchedly they know nothing but hate, pain, and vengeance, so these are the feelings they act upon. I wonder if this was Shakespeare's way of exploring the nature versus nurture debate or if he simply wanted Richard's outside to look as ugly as he is inside?
I have to agree in some aspects. It is true that one could say that these two characters, Richard and Queen Margaret, are sour because of the circumstances of their life. But it can also be said that they didn't have to turn out that way. I would have certainly agreed with this before Tuesday's class! But in class we explored the idea that Richard says he does this because he is not built for love, but he quite easily woos Anne. It seems to counteract the idea that he is like this because of his deformaty.
I think you bring up a good point. I'm not sure either character deserves any sympathy. While both have lived difficult lives, they would be received better if they acted kinder. Both are mean and cruel to those around them. Richard is scheming against everyone for personal gain while Margret is ruthless because she no longer has authority. It is sad that both characters are percieved in such a manner, but they bring it upon themselves. Richard for instance claims no one would love him due to his deformities. Yet, Anne is willing to marry him. Whether this be because of social status or not, he clearly could be married. It seems he enjoys being evil and therefore deserves no sympathy. For Margret her time is up and she is living a free life. She could have been placed in a convent but instead lives amongst her people still. I think that the two characters exaggerate their circumstances for pure enjoyment and really should not get sympathy.
I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to sympathy, I give in really easy but I find it hard to conjure up any sympathetic feelings for Richard and Margaret. I agree with Sarah, despite their circumstances if they were nicer it would be easier to feel for them. But they're downright mean, rotten folks. And like Steph said, Richard claims he wasn't built for love and then woos Anne, that just makes him that much more evil, especially considering the context of that situation. Sympathy and compassion should always be a possibility for characters, but that's it, just a possibility. Sometimes characters are downright evil.
This post makes a really interesting contrast, and a critically useful one, as well. Richard and Margaret are posed against one another, and are outsiders for different reasons. I think it's important to say that Richard's status as outsider is chosen (more or less--he can't help that he's deformed and fourth born), whereas Margaret's is forced on her. But their behavior, and the clash between the two of them, does set them up as key opponents.
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