1
10
11
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/d3914dc770db96228d03d516e295e524.png
b3ab04e9f374464a7f5f4301c03efecb
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III, Scene 18
(Act V, scene viii)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
An account of the resource
Richard and Richmond duel; Richard dies. This scene also utilizes the famous line, “My horse! My horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
Creator
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richardIIIjg
Source
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmiwGJGVDXk">link to item here</a>
Publisher
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YouTube
Contributor
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Sir Ian McKellan, Dominic West, director Richard Loncraine
Relation
A related resource
Final Scene of Richard III, 1995
Rights
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Video
actor
battlefield
celebrity
deformity
media
war
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/387dcafa5314016fe936a788a1ac2591.png
940ebbf656bcae5d4f94282e187573d9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III (Benedict Cumberbatch) dreams of the throne - The Hollow Crown: Episode 2 - BBC
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Creator
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BBC
Rights
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
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A BBC depiction of Oscar nominated Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III.
Source
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Ji5DOIwDw">link to item here</a>
Publisher
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YouTube
Description
An account of the resource
A BBC interpretation of Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III as he speaks of his desire for the throne.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
May 13, 2016
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Video
actor
battlefield
celebrity
character depiction
media
war
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/9e7a27d85ac83e8df03ec11fc620179c.jpg
d163efacff5034fe093886684c223a42
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Vivien Leigh as Lady Anne in Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
An account of the resource
Iconic actress Vivien Leigh as Lady Anne in Richard III; pastel on paper.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Morris Kestleman
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1277134/vivien-leigh-as-lady-anne-costume-sketch-kestelman-morris/">link to item here</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
A related resource
The first artistic representation of a major female character within Richard II.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Victoria & Albert Museum
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1948
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
JPG
actor
celebrity
costume design
drawing
headpiece
noblewoman
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/9bf16936559f25f03e7d001537571f53.jpg
254e083880e5719f21a410bd1823ba26
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
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This design by Morris Kestelman (1905-1998) was for an interior scene in the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of Richard III at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944.
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Morris Kestelman, designed in 1944
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<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1283009/morris-kestelman-set-design-for-set-design-kestelman-morris">link to item here</a>
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
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A set design of Richard III that not only demonstrates the progression of stage management within the 20th century, but also depicts the "grimly effective" tone or Richard III.
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Victoria & Albert Museum
Format
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JPG
battlefield
lighting
set design
stage layout
theater technology
war
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/e0b0f477607b62971b43bee41b8bd2a2.jpg
bbe5a8a3752613a9ffe434bec7d68166
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
An account of the resource
Painting (oil on canvas) of Richard III
Creator
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John James Hall (1776-1853)
Rights
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
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Edmund Kean and Richard III painted rather than sculpted in the year 1814.
Source
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<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84968/edmund-kean-as-richard-in-painting-halls-john-james/">link to item here </a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Victoria & Albert Museum
Format
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JPG
actor
celebrity
cloak
costume design
deformity
royalty
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/f93a50db7b1cfa201f677259e3049fd2.jpg
63045adc57dfb5f9d095ca75ed985128
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Shakespeare's The Animated Tales: Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
An account of the resource
Educational Video and animated version of Richard III.
Creator
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Hubert Humphrey
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG5gqA6cxBM&t=511s">link to item here</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 8, 2016
Rights
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
A related resource
Animated version of Richard III condensed into 30 minute episode for overall comprehension and understanding of play's major points.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Animated Video
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
YouTube
animation
education
media
public
tragedy
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/d89f1b6a9cc771f596dda91c6bbf1912.png
b0e4403ce99407093f5d4de7804fc7dc
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
PDF Version of The Tragedy of Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Richard III.
Description
An account of the resource
High quality, free PDF version of William Shakespeare's Richard III, made available through Folger Digital Texts and Folger Shakespeare Library.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/download/pdf/R3.pdf">link to item here</a>
Rights
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EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
A related resource
Free digital version of Richard III.
Format
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PDF
Publisher
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Folger Digital Texts
ebook
media
public
text
tragedy
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/79d37d666d18866779daec288d973fc4.jpg
705c4d08ec27880b4ac4aadec8e208b3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III Figurine
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Richard III
Description
An account of the resource
Porcelain figurine of limping Richard III
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Samson & Cie
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125047/richard-iii-figurine-samson-cie/">link to item here</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Victoria & Albert Museum
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1880
Relation
A related resource
Porcelain artistic representation of Richard III
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
JPG
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
character depiction
cloak
costume design
deformity
royalty
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/82a63881f6e4d4e77140005a5ba226d7.jpg
ebf37afe68b54b555b5f59bc8cc54cb9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III Drawing
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Richard III
Description
An account of the resource
Pen and ink drawing by Henry Fuseli of Richard III reclining as spirits surround him.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Henry Fuseli, 1741-1825
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1140002/richard-iii-drawing-fuseli-henry/">link to item here</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
late 18th - early 19th century
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this item. If you are interested in reproducing this item, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Publisher” field above.
Relation
A related resource
Drawn representation of Richard III
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Victoria & Albert Museum
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
JPG
battlefield
dream
ghost
set design
stage layout
theater architecture
-
https://embta.english.ucsb.edu/files/original/8cd00eb95c03b0a31e1757e7c7fed999.jpg
acca2fc83f269331b282f89ef9cb800c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III
Subject
The topic of the resource
By William Shakespeare
Description
An account of the resource
A multimedia exploration of educational tools relating to Shakespeare's "Richard III"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Juliet Way-Henthorne
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Physical Mutilation, Vengeance, and Technological Advancement in Shakespeare’s “Richard III”
William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” offers one of literature’s greatest villains with the ingenious, scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, whose treachery and plotting leads to the downfall of the House of York in the wake of the War of the Roses. Indeed, it is Richard’s intelligence, skillful manipulation, and playful interaction with the audience that has led this tragedy to endure the test of time, as it continues to influence popular culture even today through multiple adaptations, as well as inspiring characters like the nefarious Francis Underwood (ironically played by Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey) in the Netflix hit series, "House of Cards," which demonstrates the lasting power of Shakespeare’s works over mass media. However, beyond Richard’s ability to skillfully manipulate the human pawns in his grand schemes, his motivation stems from his physical deformity, which is depicted in a number of items associated with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” as well as complementing a collection of multimedia tools that reflect the continuing impact of such a widely referenced work.
Beginning with a ceramic sculpture of famed actor David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III (dated 1772), this collection provides a carefully crafted representation of the evolution of Richard III as the character relates to each era of his existence. In this sculpture of Garrick as Richard during battle, an excess of color is used, depicting an elaborately dressed Richard who, while skilled in games of the mind, is not skilled in games of war. With flushed cheeks and a limping leg representing the physical deformity that Richard describes as his being “cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” the villain seems hugely out of place on the battlefield (1.1.19)
Similarly, in a later piece simply called “Richard III figurine” (which is also owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum and dated 1880), Richard again appears apprehensive, elaborately clothed in a flamboyant costume befitting the court, with a dagger tucked into his belt. Additionally, Richard’s deformity is represented through a limping leg which, when paired with a hunched back, serves as the primary motive for his villainy:
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days” (1.1.24-31).
In these lines, audiences are able to gain an understanding of the impetus behind Richard’s evil acts; he feels that he has been neglected by nature and, therefore, reasons that he too may behave in unnatural ways, which encapsulates audiences’ fascination with darkness, deformity, and the desire for revenge. A final depiction of Richard’s physical form can be found in The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Edmund Kean as Richard in Richard III by William Shakespeare,” which, through oil painting, again captures the Duke’s deformity through unusual posture and a bulging back, which is partially obscured by ornate, jeweled cloaks. Through these physical depictions of Richard III, an intense interest in his physical mutation is demonstrated, adding to the magnetism of such a physically and emotionally complex character.
Interestingly, this collection offers two sketches that incorporate elements of the Elizabethan stage, depicting the ways in which actors might move about the space to the greatest advantage. Simply titled “Richard III drawing," this first sketch by Henry Fuseli depicts Richard as he sleeps during the eve of the great final battle while the spirits of all who he has wronged hover about him. The set is described as illustrating the “spirits rising by his side in pairs, and passing beyond his feet towards an opening in the centre of the tent” (V&A). So, while this piece depicts both scene and emotion during a pivotal moment in the play, it also portrays the practicality of the Elizabethan set. Contrastingly, the “Morris Kestelman set design for Richard III” appears without characters and illustrates the Old Vic Theatre Company's production of “Richard III” at the New Theatre, London, in September 1944, demonstrating the value of careful stage management even beyond the Elizabethan stage, as the billowing tents create an eerie sense of pre-war anxiety. Further, technological advancements allowed set designers to utilize lighting in order to illustrate restlessness and breathe a sense of life into an otherwise vacant set. Interestingly, Morris Kestelman also drew a costume sketch of iconic theatre actress Vivien Leigh, who played opposite her husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, as Lady Anne for many years. Though Vivien Leigh was an incredibly significant figure both on stage and in film, this sketch is particularly significant because it offers the only publicly available depiction of a female character from “Richard III.”
As media has evolved, so too have the ways in which audiences interact with “Richard III,” as well as all of Shakespeare’s plays. However, “Richard III” is, in itself, exceptional because the villain is so terrible -- committing multiple murders with a seemingly sound and cunning mind -- that actors through the ages have continued to prize this role. Beginning with The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing “Richard III” (starring Laurence Olivier), various forms of new media rose to enhance the audience’s experience with the play. With a dramatic reading, Olivier delivers an iconic performance that not only highlights the advancements in recording technology, but also proves that seemingly dated yet classic texts like those of William Shakespeare can still be accessed by a wider and perhaps less literarily inclined audience. In other words, forms of new media that carefully treat the works of Shakespeare serve as valuable educational tools, ultimately garnering a wider and more intrigued audience. Indeed, a high quality translation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is made freely available through public access via Folger Digital texts, making such tools of education more accessible and allowing readers to examine the play in a different manner; with the aid of a computer, particular words can be searched in order to trace themes, characters, or even to perform close readings with ease. And if a reader is inclined to dig even deeper, the application of digital humanities tools can be used to conduct distant readings through data mining and text analysis, which is only made possible through the simple transfer of PDF files like those offered by Folger Digital texts.
With regard to the contemporary significance of the play in popular culture, the role of Richard III remains so iconic that only some of the finest contemporary actors have been given the opportunity to play the villainous lead. The most notable of these actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch -- each offer a unique portrayal of Richard III, ranging from classic to modern interpretations that all preserve the essence of such an unusual villain marked by physical deformity and emotional disturbance, which lead to a twisted desire for vengeance and power. Moreover, with regard to animation, “Shakespeare’s The Animated Tales” provides high quality, condensed versions of Shakespeare’s works that, despite being abridged, cover all major plot points and help to preserve the spirit of the Shakespearean theatre while accessing a younger audience. Specifically, animation allows the darker undertones of the text to visually come to life, presenting the ways in which the application of popular media can enhance the lifespan of canonical works. To conclude, the most exciting aspect of the play’s preservation and even evolution is the fact that through modern technology, students, educators, and fans are able to access key scenes through YouTube and other publicly available media, marking this collection of artifacts relating to “Richard III” as both all-encompassing and a true representation of the ways in which an almost four-hundred-year-old text can be reinvented and given new life and meaning while still treating the original masterpiece with integrity and respect.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard III (1946), Radio drama
Subject
The topic of the resource
Shakespeare, William 1564-1616. Richard III.
Olivier Laurence, (1907-1989)
Description
An account of the resource
The Old Vic Theatre Company in their first American radio appearance performing Richard III, starring Laurence Olivier in the title role.
"Richard III (1946) - Radio drama starring Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson"
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
The Old Vic Theatre Company
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-41gSAaj_w">link to item here</a>
Publisher
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YouTube
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Roman Styran
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Relation
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Radio Drama of Richard III
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Video
actor
celebrity
media
radio
tragedy