“Richard III”
Details
Minneapolis Central Library: Room N-202.
There is underground parking beneath the library, off 4th St. S., for about $5. Go in to the Library lobby and then in to the book stacks area. Take the elevator or stairs up to the 2nd floor, then go all the way to the left.
This is a discussion about the play, not a reading or showing of it.
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York.
– Richard, in Richard III, Act 1 Scene 1
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
– Richard, in Richard III, Act 1 Scene 1
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
– Richard, in Richard III, Act 5 Scene 4
SYNOPSIS (from the Folger Library)
• As Richard III opens, Richard is Duke of Gloucester and his brother, Edward IV, is king. Richard is eager to clear his way to the crown. He manipulates Edward into imprisoning their brother, Clarence, and then has Clarence murdered in the Tower. Meanwhile, Richard succeeds in marrying Lady Anne, even though he killed her father-in-law, Henry VI, and her husband.
• When the ailing King Edward dies, Prince Edward, the older of his two young sons, is next in line for the throne. Richard houses the Prince and his younger brother in the Tower. Richard then stages events that yield him the crown.
• After Richard’s coronation, he has the boys secretly killed. He also disposes of Anne, his wife, in order to court his niece, Elizabeth of York. Rebellious nobles rally to Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. When their armies meet, Richard is defeated and killed. Richmond becomes Henry VII. His marriage to Elizabeth of York ends the Wars of the Roses and starts the Tudor dynasty.
FREE VIDEOS - FULL PLAY (YOUTUBE)
• Hofstra Shakespeare Festival (2019)
• English Shakespeare Company (1990) (Modern Setting)
• Denton Community Theatre (2017)
Part 1
Part 2
FREE VIDEOS - OTHER (YOUTUBE)
• Richard III - Play Summary (6:48 minutes)
• Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Richard III
• Tim Nance: Shakespeare’s Richard III Discussion and Summary (54:30)
KANOPY APP
Download the free app. Then link your library account to it. This will allow you free access to many Shakespeare plays. You can also watch the Shakespeare series “Upstart Crow” for free.
ARTICLES
• Wikipedia: Richard III
**• About Shakespeare’s *Richard III ***by Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine
**• A Modern Perspective: *Richard III ***by Phyllis Rackin
• SparkNotes: Richard III Full Play Summary
• SparkNotes: Richard III Full Play Analysis
• SparkNotes: Richard III Themes
• Further Reading: Richard III
GENERAL RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
• The Folger Shakespeare Library has free and paid (includes notes) downloadable texts of all of Shakespeare’s plays.
• The Folger Library: Shakespeare Documented has copies of original documents from Shakespeare’s time.
• PlayShakespeare: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Research
• Podcast: “Approaching Shakespeare”
• Podcast: “Shakespeare Unlimited” Play by Play
• SparkNotes 101: Shakespeare [Excellent synopses of all the plays.]
• Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber [Excellent analysis of all the plays.]
FACEBOOK PAGES
• The Official William Shakespeare Page
• Shakespeare Study Group
• William Shakespeare: His Works and His World
APP
• Shakespeare App
BEST SHAKESPEARE USED BOOK SELECTIONS IN THE TWIN CITIES
• Midway Books, St. Paul
• The Book House, Minneapolis
• James & Mary Laurie Booksellers, Minneapolis
“Richard III”