Queen Margaret
Queen Margaret is the widow of King Henry VI. Her husband has been murdered by Richard and his throne has been taken by Richard’s brother during the Wars of the Roses. She realizes that Richard is evil and frequently insults and curses him. She is delighted when her curses come true.
Character traits
Bitter
Queen Margaret’s grief and suffering have made her bitter. She has lost her family and her power, and as a result she is full of anger and wants revenge.
Cruel
Queen Margaret is guilty of committing cruel acts herself. Richard reminds the audience that she killed his younger brother and waved a cloth soaked in his blood in his father’s face. She also enjoys the suffering of others and mocks Queen Elizabeth in her grief for the deaths in her family.
Prophetess
Queen Margaret is a prophetess and curses the other characters at court, predicting their early deaths and suffering. For example, she curses Queen Elizabeth with the prediction that her children will die: “Long mayst thou live to wail thy children’s death”. All her predictions come true, and the other characters start to see the power of her words.
The curses are a type of prophecy. A prophecy is a prediction of the future and Queen Margaret’s curses predict the fates of many characters in the play. The curses remind the audience of the other characters’ sins. Queen Margaret’s role is to remind the audience of the cycles of sin and guilt in history.
Queen Margaret’s curses also give a structure to the play. Each character reflects on Queen Margaret’s particular curse when they face death and their own guilty consciences.
Queen Margaret’s grief and suffering have made her bitter. She has lost her family and her power, and as a result she is full of anger and wants revenge.
Cruel
Queen Margaret is guilty of committing cruel acts herself. Richard reminds the audience that she killed his younger brother and waved a cloth soaked in his blood in his father’s face. She also enjoys the suffering of others and mocks Queen Elizabeth in her grief for the deaths in her family.
Prophetess
Queen Margaret is a prophetess and curses the other characters at court, predicting their early deaths and suffering. For example, she curses Queen Elizabeth with the prediction that her children will die: “Long mayst thou live to wail thy children’s death”. All her predictions come true, and the other characters start to see the power of her words.
The curses are a type of prophecy. A prophecy is a prediction of the future and Queen Margaret’s curses predict the fates of many characters in the play. The curses remind the audience of the other characters’ sins. Queen Margaret’s role is to remind the audience of the cycles of sin and guilt in history.
Queen Margaret’s curses also give a structure to the play. Each character reflects on Queen Margaret’s particular curse when they face death and their own guilty consciences.
Relationships
Queen Margaret’s family are from the House of Lancaster and Richard’s family are from the House of York. The families are enemies in the Wars of the Roses. The House of Lancaster has been defeated and Queen Margaret has lost everything, including her husband and son. She curses all the main characters and predicts their unhappy fates.
Richard killed King Henry VI, Queen Margaret’s husband and her son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Queen Margaret is not afraid of Richard and he becomes the focus of her anger. She sees his true evil nature.
Queen Elizabeth has replaced Queen Margaret on the English throne and at first they are bitter enemies. Later in the play, Queen Elizabeth asks Queen Margaret to teach her how to curse and they join forces in their grief.
Richard killed King Henry VI, Queen Margaret’s husband and her son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Queen Margaret is not afraid of Richard and he becomes the focus of her anger. She sees his true evil nature.
Queen Elizabeth has replaced Queen Margaret on the English throne and at first they are bitter enemies. Later in the play, Queen Elizabeth asks Queen Margaret to teach her how to curse and they join forces in their grief.
Changes in character
At the start of the play, the other characters mock Queen Margaret and view her as mentally unstable. They often overlook her, which allows her to listen to their schemes.
When her curses start to come true, the characters realize her power. Queen Margaret is now seen as a prophet of doom. When Lord Grey is arrested in Act 3, scene 3, he says, “Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads”.
In Act 4, Queen Elizabeth asks Queen Margaret to teach her how to curse. Queen Margaret gives advice to Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of York about using their grief to fuel their curses. Then Queen Margaret leaves for France, satisfied that she has had her revenge.
She is the widow of King Henry VI, who was killed in the Wars of the Roses.
Queen Margaret is an isolated figure at the English court and is full of rage against King Edward IV and his family.
She curses the other characters and warns them of Richard’s evil nature. Her curses are prophetic and many of them come true.
Shakespeare uses the character of Queen Margaret as a kind of chorus. A chorus is a device from Ancient Greek theatre, where a character or group of characters stands apart from the action, watching events and commenting on them.
When her curses start to come true, the characters realize her power. Queen Margaret is now seen as a prophet of doom. When Lord Grey is arrested in Act 3, scene 3, he says, “Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads”.
In Act 4, Queen Elizabeth asks Queen Margaret to teach her how to curse. Queen Margaret gives advice to Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of York about using their grief to fuel their curses. Then Queen Margaret leaves for France, satisfied that she has had her revenge.
She is the widow of King Henry VI, who was killed in the Wars of the Roses.
Queen Margaret is an isolated figure at the English court and is full of rage against King Edward IV and his family.
She curses the other characters and warns them of Richard’s evil nature. Her curses are prophetic and many of them come true.
Shakespeare uses the character of Queen Margaret as a kind of chorus. A chorus is a device from Ancient Greek theatre, where a character or group of characters stands apart from the action, watching events and commenting on them.
