Question: Plays are often said to show rather than tell. How far does Richard III indicate that dramatic action and dialogue fulfill all the functions of presenting thought and action?
"King Richard III", a play written by William Shakespeare portrays the true sinister nature of the main antagonist, Richard as he overtakes the throne of England through vile methods. Despite being deformed since birth and looked down upon for that very fact, his determination to be a villain replaces his lacking factors. Naturally, actions and dialogues of the characters in the play help the audience paint a portrait of other characters and the roles they occupy in the play. They uncover the unknown side of the characters and show the thoughts which these characters hold as they progress. There are conflicts and contrasts that vary but they are all essential to unifying the play as a whole. Without those factors shaping the play, one would hardly be able to find more about other characters of the play and understand the dynamics of the play. By including monologues and dialogues amongst characters, Shakespeare fulfills all the traditional functions of a play in presenting thought and actions.
The play begins with Richard delivering a soliloquy in which he first explains his situation and then proceeds to accounts of his evil deeds. When Richard mentions his deformed body and poor conditions that make him hard to live as a “normal” human being, audience may at first feel sympathy, only to have this temporary emotion shattered later on. Shakespeare uses words such as “deformed” and “unfinished” in order to explain the pitiful state in which Richard is in. In addition, by adding how even non-humans display enmity toward him; dogs “bark” at him as he walks by (Act 1 Scene 1, Lines 20-23), Shakespeare provides a context and a possible explanation as to why Richard could have become a villain . At this point, readers begin to witness Richard's transformation from a pitiful man to a manipulating villain. The first time Richard is exposed as a manipulator of people is when he goes to gain the favor of Lady Anne. In this particular scene, the use of words display a show of flattery and fawning that changes Lady Anne's tone previously filled with hate into one that is satisfied and perhaps rather smug at the flowery language. She becomes utterly defenseless to his “charms” that supposedly won her heart. Events such as these where Richard sways his opponents to gain favorable terms and benefits all prove to be essential as they all culminate in Richard’s eventual enthronement. Shakespeare allows the characters to be easily manipulated by Richard to emphasize his wicked nature and make it clear that he truly is a villain. Another aspect that becomes visible later on is the heartless order that he gives to Lord Tyrrel to have the two young princes murdered. He justifies the necessity of enacting the cold-blooded murder in order to fulfill his desires. After the murder is complete, Tyrrel begins off Act 4 Scene 3 by stating that the “tyrannous and bloody act is done” which informs the audience that the murder of the two princes has been completed (Act 4 Scene 3, Line 1). Instead of staging the actual murder on stage, Shakespeare chooses to by bring Tyrrel on to the stage, informing the audience of how terrifying and shameful he was of carrying out such a deed, the audience can imagine his terror and identify with him. Shakespeare’s decision of not showing the murder of the two princes on stage but rather describing them in words such as “butchery” and “bloody act” (Act 4 Scene 3 Line 1) is indeed noteworthy. The audience is left to wonder and imagine simply with the words of the character. Tyrrel’s thoughts are presented clearly as he describes the “piteous massacre” of the two princes. Words such as piteous, massacre, and butchery in effect, not only functions to establish the gloomy mood of the play as a whole, it creates dramatic impact on the audience, creating a climax to the bloody imagery of the acts as they unfold. Over the course of Richard’s vicious cycle of his treacherous acts, Shakespeare incorporates the use of hackneyed yet impacting words which brings King Richard III into a different atmosphere. Repetition of words in Shakespeare's work functions as emphasis and in creating shocking imagery, thus adding to the drama. Each important scene is presented with fitting dialogues that replaces the lack of technology in visual presentation. Perspectives of other characters are unveiled through dialogues and demeanor as characters come on stage. Thus, in his play, "King Richard III", Shakespeare not only reveals characters' inner thoughts, but along with it, their true characters through the use of dialog and course of actions, which unravel the dynamics of the plot.