Richard iii

The citizens are looking forward to a period of peace and stability, but Edward’s youngest brother, the “bunch-backed” Richard, Duke of Gloucester, has other ideas. Richard betrays his brother Clarence, woos his dead enemy’s wife, undermines Queen Elizabeth, threatens his friends, and kills his rivals on his bloody path to the crown. Once he has attained the highest office in the land, Richard realises how short-lived power can be. Left with only a handful of loyal followers, Richard’s inevitable demise is brought about at the Battle of Bosworth, and he is killed by Richmond, who assumes the crown as King Henry VII.

Richard III was Shakespeare’s first big hit, and the first of his plays to offer a vehicle for a virtuosic performance in a leading role. The play has over 50 speaking roles and is second in length only to Hamlet. It remains a contentious play to this day as some believe that Shakespeare’s villainous depiction of Richard is historically inaccurate.