Blog #7- Richard III, After Reading
After Reading:
You will examine the question of whether Richard is
a hero or a villain. Richmond does not die at the end of the play, so he does
not fit the Elizabethan tragedy meaning of a hero, since the hero has to die at
the end of the play. That leaves one other main character that dies at the end
- Richard. The question that needs to be answered is whether Richard is a hero
or a villain. Do the following:
·
Make a list of characteristics Richard possesses. List actions he takes,
things he does, adjectives and adverbs that describe his actions.
·
Make a list of characteristics and actions that a hero would take.
·
Make a list of characteristics and actions that a villain would take.
·
Make a list of the characteristics that Richard possesses and categorize
each of them as belonging to a hero or a villain.
·
How do you see Richard, as a hero or a villain? Why? What makes him seem to fit this
description for the audience? Why can he not be the other?
·
Recall the definition of tragic hero from above. Does he fit that
definition? Can he be a tragic hero? Why or why not?
Richard possesses the characteristics of sly, clever, tricky, and has a way with words. One action that he takes is intercepting the letter that was going to the king about Clarence to be killed and instead, Richard hired two people to go murder Clarence. Adjectives that describe his actions are sneaky and straight to the point because if he wants something done, Richard tells the person straight up or he will be sneaky.
ReplyDeleteHero= Courage, bravery, humility, patience, caring. Actions a hero would take are brave, courageous acts that no one else wants to perform.
Villain= Lack of empathy, focused, interesting background, kind of a genius. Actions that a villain would take are low, not fair acts that stops the hero in his track.
Richard contains the characteristics of patience(hero), focused(villain), and bravery(hero). I see Richard as a hero because the acts he performs are bad but he is focused on a goal and is set on getting it. The audience most likely sees him as a villain because of the actions he carries out but has many characteristics of a tragic hero. He could be a tragic hero because he makes a decision and this is a domino effect for the rest of the play.
P.Bonner 2nd period
No Richard III is in no way shape or form a hero. Calling him a hero would simply be romanticizing all the evil he had committed. If you begin to justify all his actions by how he was mistreated than he gets unwarranted sympathy. Richard III may have been smart of how he gained his power but, that does not mean he was a hero. Because of Richard III many, MANY people died both innocent and guilty. Richard III even stared a war in a time of peace simply to retain hold of power that was not rightfully his. And for that last bullet point no Richard does not fit the criteria for a fallen hero, he was a slain villain. Richard III even claimed to commit villainous acts during his argument with Anne in act 1.
ReplyDeleteBULLET ONE & FOUR:
Characteristics:
1. sly- villian
2. paranoid-villian
3. Backstabbing- villian
4. ruthless- villian
5. compassion less- villian
6. coward- villain
7. smart- hero
Actions:
1. has Clarence killed
2. told king Edward on his death bed that he killed Clarence
3. Killed Anne's husband then married her
4. killed his nephews to claim the throne
5. killed Anne so he could marry another
6. has right-hand man killed
7. starts a war
8. is a complete jerk to anyone and everyone
BULLET TWO:
hero characteristics
1. virtuous
2. compassionate
3. Brave
4. Integrity
5. Honest
6. not Richard III
BULLET THREE:
villian characteristics:
1. immoral
2. sly
3. deceitful
4. backstabbing
5. ruthless
6. self preserved
7. Richard III
1. Plotting, Cowardly, Scheming, Backstabbing, Manipulating
ReplyDelete-Send people to kill Clarence. Send Tyrell to kill Clarence's sons. (Cowardly)
- Saying Anne was sick so he could have her killed and it would not look bad. (plotting)
-Using Buckingham to gain power by promising him earldom of Hereford but not coming through with that promise
2.Brave, Noble, Truthful, Admirable
-Be brave in battle
-Be a positive leader in his society
-Not lie or steal from anyone
3. Scheming, Untruthful, Stealing, Manipulating
- Steal from anyone.
- Lie to save himself.
-Use people to do his dirty work
4. Plotting(Villain) Cowardly(Villain),Scheming(Villain), Backstabbing(Villain), Manipulating(Villain)
5. Richard is a villain because he does nothing to help anyone other than himself, he uses others to gain power, and he kills his own family in order to gain power.
6. He cannot be a tragic hero because he, at no part of the play, causes any pity for himself.
C.Gardner 7
Richard could be considered a number of characteristics including determined, sadistic, corrupt, manipulative, intelligent, and persuasive. A hero would be considered courageous, selfless, and empathetic. A villain would be considered immoral, wounded, and prideful. However, both a hero and a villain would stop at nothing to accomplish their goal. I see Richard as both a hero and a villain, because while he may possess many qualities of a villain, he also possesses many vital qualities of a hero as well. Even more so, Richard could be considered a tragic villain, because his actions stemmed from a deep insecurity, he was determined, and he died at the end.
ReplyDeleteH Manning 7
Richard is: Nefarious, cruel, thick-headed, and manipulative. He calls for the murder of the Princes, of his wife, and of every court member who supported the Princes. He used any means necessary in order to reach the throne. His actions were unnecessarily violent, and they were cruel and evil in nature. The hero would be valiant, strong-willed, and caring The hero would work relentlessly towards what he believes is right, and would put the needs of others in front of his own. A villain however, would be clever, yet deceitful and cruel. The villain would not even think about the consequences of his actions on others. The villain would go to extreme measures in order to achieve his goals. Richard is strong-willed (H), manipulative (V), dangerous (V), and very intelligent (H/V). I see Richard as a villain with heroic intentions. Richard does incredibly evil things throughout the play. And while they may seem completely irrational to everyone else, they seem as a necessary evil for the future of England to Richard. He cannot be a hero simply because he didn't think of the repercussions of his actions. I believe while Richard is not a true hero, he is in fact a tragic hero. He can be a tragic hero because even though he tried his hardest to do what he saw as best, he ended up dying without ever seeing it come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteA.Gebhardt 7
Richard the Third demonstrates the characteristics of sly, clever, and Tricky. He shows characteristics of how cruel, manipulative, and determined he is. A manipulative action that Richard does in the story is when he intercepted the letter that was going to the king about killing Clarence but he got the leader before it could reach him and he hired two people to go murder Clarence instead. Adjectives that describe his actions are manipulative and determined because he has away to make people go his way even if its the wrong thing and he won't let anyone from stopping him for getting what he wants.
ReplyDeleteHero= Someone who fights for their cause and won't let anyone stop them and shows how determined and hard-working they are.
Villain= Someone who is fighting for their cause and usually gives up easy. They show no dignity, do not put anyone else before themselves, and manipulate anyone.
Richard contains the characteristics of how determined, manipulative, and brave he is. I see Richard as a hero because ehe does show many signs of a hero but he could also be seen as a villain because of why he is doing what he doing,. The audience most likely sees him as a hero because the book is mainly about Richard the Third so they are kinda cheering for him since the beginning. He could be a tragic hero because he makes a decision and this is a domino effect for the rest of the play.
K. Carroll2
Richard is conniving, cruel, twisted, manipulative, and deceitful. He orders the murders for his own brother, his two nephews, his wife, and many more. He locks away his competition for the throne in dungeons and towers. Heroes are heroic, brave, courageous, smart, strong, and selfless. Heroes put everyone before them and do their best to protect everyone. Villains are also smart, but are also mean, heartless, greedy, and moral-less. Richard Could be classified as a villain because he is maniacal and heartless, but also as a hero because he is brave and courageous and never quits until he reaches his goal. I see Richard as a villain because he fights against everyone for the good of himself. He is very selfish and shows no morals in his actions. He kills anyone in his way, even family. He is cold blooded and deceitful. AGrainger2
ReplyDelete