Marissa Costello
Professor Richards
English 246
30 April 2023
Condemned for a Villain: A Psychological Analysis of Richard III
Commonly reviled as a cold-hearted villain, Shakespeare’s Richard III has long been an example of exemplified villainy. Over the play’s duration, Richard, a hated hunchback with no familial love, plots to steal the throne from his brother, Edward IV. His crimes are vast; he has his brother Clarence killed, manipulates Lady Anne into marriage for political gain, and orders the murders of his nephews and adversaries to secure his brief claim to the throne before being doomed to death on the battlefield by ghosts of his victims. Rightfully, Richard III’s horrid actions cement him as a monstrous villain. Yet behind every
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Instead, he flaunts his villainy as he manipulates Anne into wedding him “in her heart’s extremist hate,” tricks characters into believing him “a saint when most [he] play[s] the devil,” and is victoriously crowned King Richard (I.ii.251, I.iii.358). Richard’s conscience is suppressed until Act V, Scene iii, when he is literally confronted with his heinous deeds by the ghosts, an experience which, as agreed by Lansky, prevents him from continuing to suppress his conscience as it “is actively and unmistakably reproaching him” (129). Immediately after being confronted by the ghosts, having finally faced his crimes, Richard cries out, “O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!” and recognizes his actions as wrong, asking “Is there a murderer here?” only to answer with “Yes, I am,” admitting that he “rather hate[s]” himself for committing his “hateful deeds” (V.iii.191-202). Whereas Richard previously revealed in his schemes, he is now shaken by them and openly states his guilt, signifying that he is aware of how wrong his actions were and therefore indicating his villainous behavior was brought about by suppressing that awareness of judgement over moral rights and