Richard III and the English Chronicle Play
T0
By 1605 in England there was at least one history play focusing on the reign of every monarch from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth but the notorious King Richard III was easily the most popular character in Elizabethan drama; he appeared in eight early plays, three of them by Shakespeare. Four hundred years on, the debate still rages. In this special lecture John Wolfson (Honorary Curator of Rare Books, Globe Education) will ask if Richard was really as evil as Shakespeare portrayed him * 'a foul lump of deformity', 'a murd'rous villain', an elvish-mark'd, abortive, rooting hog'? With the assistance of Michael Gould and Stephen Hogan, John Wolfson will contrast Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard III with that of the Chronicles and other 16th century playwrights.
Archive :: lecture:S1603143757, venue:V165
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