Richard III

Richard III is William Shakespeare's history play about Richard of Gloucester's pursuit of the English crown and the collapse of his rule. His wit and direct appeals draw the audience into the workings of calculated deception, while other characters reveal the grief left by the struggle for power. Public ceremonies repeatedly conceal private coercion. As opposition gathers, the confidence of Richard's performance becomes harder to sustain. The play gives a compelling dramatic shape to tyranny without making its central figure's version of events an unquestioned historical record.