Richard III
by William Shakespeare
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Richard III is the final play in Shakespeare’s history cycle and deals with the culmination of the
Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York leading to the Battle of Bosworth. The play is
based on the Tudor view of history and presents Richard as an evil, hunchbacked villain who slaughters his
way to the throne, murdering his brother, his nephews (the Princes in the Tower) and anyone who gets in his way.
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He is finally defeated by the saintly Richmond who is crowned King Henry VII, grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I.
The play cannot be taken too seriously as history, but it is a hugely successful piece of theatre centred on
a marvellously villainous central character.
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'Richard III' Set Design
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The set for this production was entirely black, with towering walls and a flight of steps on which the much-contested
throne was placed. Banners with the red rose of Lancaster and the White rose of York were displayed on the walls,
together with the golden sun of Edward IV, which was replaced by the silver boar of Richard III when he became king.
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The characters wore costumes of the historical period in which the play is set, in glowing colours which stood out
against the darkness surrounding them. As the play reached its climax, the colours narrowed down to black, silver
and the white rose of York for Richard and his followers, and cream, gold and the red rose of Lancaster for
Richmond and his adherents.
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