For Thursday: Richard III, Act 3

For Thursday's class, read all or as much of Act 3 as you can, which documents Richard's ascent to power, despite not having much popular support. No questions this time, but we'll have an IN-CLASS RESPONSE when you come to class. But here are some ideas to consider as you read:

* Why does the young Duke of York and the Prince mock Richard in 3.1? How does he respond to their jokes at his expense? Why do they act so differently than most other men in the play?

* We see Richard start to act like a king in Act 3, both in public and private. Based on these actions, what kind of king will he be? Should the Citizens in Act 2 be worried?

* This play uses dreams in several scenes, usually people who have dreams of Richard killing or threatening them. Why do you think Shakespeare keeps using this device? And does anyone take them seriously?

* In general, how do most of his peers regard Richard as a serious candidate for the throne? What seems to influence their decision? 

* Notice how many people start taking Queen Margaret's words from Act 1 seriously. Why do they regard her as more truthful now than then, when they dismised her as a "lunatic"?

* How does Act 3 play with the idea of acting and staging scenes for an audience--both the audience in the play, and the audience watching the play? Why might these meta moments (though nothing as explicit as The Mousetrap from Hamlet) be important?

* Shakespeare sometimes has very small scenes interrupt the flow of his story, often with very insignificant characters. 3.6 is one such scene, a single speech made by an anonymous Scivener (scribe). What do you think is the purpose of this scene? Could it be cut without much notice? 

* At the beginning of 3.7, Richard has Buckingham try to stir up popular support for Richard. But no one takes the bait. Even when he plants a few 'supporters' in the crowd to cry "God save King Richard!" this isn't much to-do. Why do you think this is? How might it relate to the scene in Act 2 with the Citizens and their opinions of the monarchy?