Historical Context

Richard III is a history play, a type of play that is based either entirely or partly on real events but also has fictional elements.

Wars of the Roses:
* The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic conflicts that took place in England between 1455 and 1487. The wars were fought between the houses of Lancaster and York, two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet.
*The House of York, represented by a white rose, and the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose, vied for control of the English throne.

Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York: *Richard III was a member of the House of York. His father, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, had a strong claim to the throne, which set the stage for the conflict with the Lancastrians.

Edward IV:
*Richard III's brother, Edward IV, successfully claimed the throne for the Yorkists in 1461, deposing the Lancastrian King Henry VI. Edward IV reigned until his death in 1483, with a brief interruption during Henry VI's restoration in 1470-71.

The Princes in the Tower:
*Upon Edward IV's death, his 12-year-old son, Edward V, was set to become king. Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the future Richard III), was named Lord Protector for his nephew.
*Edward V and his younger brother were lodged in the Tower of London, ostensibly for their protection. However, they disappeared, and their fate remains one of England's greatest mysteries. Richard seized the throne, becoming Richard III.

Richard III’s Reign:
*Richard III's reign was brief (1483-1485) and marked by instability.
His rule was challenged by Henry Tudor (later Henry VII), a Lancastrian claimant.

Battle of Bosworth Field:
*Richard III was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Henry Tudor emerged victorious, ending the Wars of the Roses and founding the Tudor dynasty.

The real Richard III was the last English king to die on the battlefield. Historical evidence also suggests that Richard III was a confident horseman and a skilled warrior. Shakespeare’s Richard III is also shown as a great soldier.

In 2012 the remains of the real Richard III were found underneath a car park in Leicester, England. The skeleton proved that the real Richard had a condition called scoliosis, which led to his spine being twisted with his right shoulder higher than his left shoulder.

When Shakespeare wrote Richard III, Elizabeth I was on the throne. Her grandfather was Henry VII, the character Richmond in the play. It is thought that Shakespeare presented Richmond in a positive way, and Richard in an especially negative way, to please the queen.

Shakespeare’s Perspective:

*Tudor Propaganda:
Shakespeare wrote during the reign of Elizabeth I, the granddaughter of Henry VII. The Tudor regime had an interest in portraying Richard III negatively to legitimize their rule.

Shakespeare's depiction of Richard as a deformed, malevolent villain aligns with Tudor propaganda, which sought to demonize Richard and justify Henry VII’s usurpation.

*Sources:
Shakespeare drew on historical sources such as Sir Thomas More's History of King Richard III and Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles. These sources were influenced by Tudor biases, depicting Richard as a tyrant.

*Renaissance Context:
The play reflects Renaissance humanist interests in the complexities of power, the morality of rulers, and the nature of tyranny. It explores themes of ambition, manipulation, and the consequences of moral corruption.


​By situating Richard III within these historical contexts, Shakespeare’s dramatic portrayal of Richard gains depth and reflects the political and social concerns of both the period it depicts and the period in which Shakespeare wrote.
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