William Shakespeare's Richard III

E261881

William Shakespeare's Richard III is a history play dramatizing the ruthless rise and fall of England’s King Richard III, renowned for its compelling villain-protagonist and rich, politically charged language.

All labels observed (4)

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Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Elizabethan drama
history play
play
adaptedAs film adaptations
numerous stage productions
television adaptations
approximateCompositionDate c. 1592–1594
author William Shakespeare
contains prose passages
dramaticDevice asides
direct address to the audience
soliloquies
dramaticForm chronicle history
featuresCharacter Duke of Buckingham
King Edward IV
Lady Anne Neville
linked to: Anne Neville

Margaret of Anjou
Queen Elizabeth
Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Richmond (Henry VII)
firstKnownPublication 1597 quarto
focusesOn fall of Richard III
rise of Richard III to the English throne
genre history
tragedy
historicalContext Wars of the Roses
historicalSource Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles
Sir Thomas More's History of King Richard III
includedIn First Folio (1623)
influenced later depictions of Richard III in literature
stage portrayals of political villains
language English
mainCharacter Richard III
notableFor politically charged language
psychological portrayal of a tyrant
rhetorical speeches
openingLine Now is the winter of our discontent
partOf Shakespearean history plays
first tetralogy of history plays
prequelPlays Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3
protagonistType villain-protagonist
settingPeriod late 15th century England
structure five acts
theme conscience and guilt
deceit and manipulation
divine justice
legitimacy of kingship
power and ambition
writtenIn blank verse

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Thomas More's History of King Richard III influenced William Shakespeare's Richard III
John Barrymore notableWork Richard III (stage role)
linked to: William Shakespeare's Richard III
Richard III of England portrayedIn Richard III (play)
subject linked to: Richard Plantagenet
linked to: William Shakespeare's Richard III
Richard III (1995 film) basedOn Richard III (play)
linked to: William Shakespeare's Richard III
Raphael Holinshed influencedWork Shakespeare’s Richard III
linked to: William Shakespeare's Richard III