Richard iii and looking for richard

Context results in historical and topical info around a certain point in literary work. Every text promotes values import. For indiv. And groups. RIII Wanted to prove legitimacy of Queen E’s rule- ’validity of her claim to throne’ –Divine right Context: Relatively peaceful, S makes R a devil and usurper to legitimise Eliz. Claim to throne. People were aware of RIII& Tudor’s overthrow of Platagenets, therefore play is dramatisation of actual events. Audience related to the values in the play-divine right, treatment and place of women, good&evil, religion.

Nobles spoke in Iambic P, whilst servants spoke in rough prose, this was real, therefore made sense to the audience, everyone loved the theatre. “ An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told” LFR grows from this, both demonstrate the intrinsic relationships between contexts and compositions of texts. King Richard III and Looking For Richard directly relate to historical and social contexts respectively, social drawing on historical’s challenge to the context in which it was written.

Shakespeare’s play was crafted in a difficult time of political and religious adherence. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard focuses on his devilish and Machiavellian nature. Machiavelli’s The Prince teaches that an adept ruler should aim to achieve power at any cost. Richard is a Machiavel; he calls himself a devil, ‘ Thus like the formal Vice, Iniquity, I moralise two meanings in one word. ’ LFR ‘ While some key values are explored, many are unique t the 1990’s’ The film and it’s immediacy & accessibility had replaced theatre, resulting in film.

Ap’s perception was that cultural & societal obstacles prevented US from coming to appreciate Shakespeare. Scholars have made S seem too difficult-actors have impression that they can’t perform as well as their Eng. Counterparts. AP’s juxtaposition of the two texts and their contexts provided political insights into both time periods, and the autocratic/democratic societies. Critical reflections of ideologies. He presented autocratic nature of Eliz. society and questions whether Shak. could be democratised. Values are materialism and economism.