Richard III
The Tragedy of Richard III
What makes a good man go wrong? Was he really good to begin with? Richard III is the most controversial king in English history, but is it a mistake to consider him a hero or a villain? He was a complex individual: an aggressive and warlike personality susceptible to flattery, self-interest and self-delusion.
The Victims of Richard III
A list of people reputed to be murdered on Richard’s command from June 1483 through August 22, 1485.
Henry IV, not Richard II
Some Ricardians call themselves “Double Ricardians” since they support Richard II as well as Richard III. I think they have this wrong. If there are parallels, it is Edward V who is Richard II, while Richard is Henry IV.
Remembering August 22, 1485
Even Richard’s enemies confessed that he died well, and yet his corpse was mutilated and humiliatingly displayed. The confrontation with Henry Tudor’s forces at Bosworth field was a do-or-die situation for Richard. Even though he had superior numbers, he couldn’t trust the men who commanded them. Seeing Richard’s death as heavenly retribution, the Croyland Chronicler refers to a poem commemorating the event.
Protector or Competitor
From the start, Richard separated Edward from his friends and allies. He placed Edward in the Tower, conceivably awaiting his coronation, but actually keeping him under closer supervision. And, even while he discouraged people from visiting the King, Richard put himself in the public eye, undermining Edward and finally deposing him
The Significance of Richard’s Rebels
Richard’s seizure of power was so shocking that it provoked a rebellion of the political class. For the first time in English history, a king was overthrown, not by his nobility, but by the upper-middle class officers of his government. It is noteworthy that they were willing to make an unknown King of England while rejecting the man who had been the object of praise just months before.
Self-Delusion
Richard was the darling of Edward IV’s 1483 Parliament, but he mistook their praise for permission to usurp the throne from the nephew he had sworn to protect. He had expected and needed his brother’s servants and other officials of the Crown to fall in line and support his usurpation, but instead they turned against him and threw their support to the unknown and exiled Henry Tudor.
A Well-Meaning Incompetent?
For centuries following Richard III’s usurpation, historians regarded him as a dissembler, cleverly outthinking and outmaneuvering his political enemies. During the twentieth century, however, several historians have produced a new portrait of Richard as an impetuous bungler easily manipulated by those with their own agendas.
The Problem with Richard’s Marriage
When succession is based on bloodlines, marriage and legitimacy become critical issues. Human nature and circumstances being what they are, irregularities are not uncommon and can be exploited for political reasons. Moreover, irregularities often cannot be proved or disproved, making it easy fodder for political enemies. Richard’s justification for the throne was based upon Edward V’s alleged illegitimacy, but his own marriage was not so clear-cut.
On Hating Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
Notoriety will put a person in the spotlight sooner than merit will. When it is the Bard who puts the notorious in the spotlight, history from that point on gets mangled under the spell of the playwright’s take on the matter. Contrary to what some believe, Richard was not larger than life, nor was he the center of his political universe.