How have the contexts of the

composers of Richard the Third

and Looking for Richard affected
their portrayal of their key
themes?
Both William Shakespeares play Richard III and Al Pacinos docudrama Looking for
Richard explore the timeless themes of Richardss pursuit of power and the impacts of
his villainous and evil nature. Shakespeares Elizabethan context is far different from the
humanist and secular context of Pacino. Shakespeare highlights the importance of the
church and the divine right to rule of monarchs within Richardss pursuit of power and
downfall; this is not relevant within Pacinos contemporary times. Hence Pacino employs
this key theme to reframe the play's focus from divine rule to political power whilst still
exploring Richardss achievement of this power. Through his portrayal of King Richard,
Shakespeare creates a character meant to be hated by his audience who were familiar
with the Tudor myth. Shakespeare creates a Richard that is exaggeratedly villainous in
nature, animalistic and heavily deformed conveying Richards death as an act of divine
retribution. Pacino similarly, conveys Richards as a villainous and Machiavellian
character, however in a contrasting approach, downplays the effects of Richards
deformities, and conveys Richardss loss of power as due to the effects of his conscience
and his short-sighted alienation or betrayal of his supporters. These changes to the
character of Richard allow Pacinos modern audience, unfamiliar with the Tudor myth, to
understand the downfall of Richard as being due to his evil character and conscience not
the power of god. In order to achieve his purpose of bringing the appeal of Shakespeare
to the twentieth century, Pacino recreates Shakespeares timeless themes and insights
within a modern frame.
Both composers express Richards deception as a measure to gain power within their
exploration of Richardss pursuit of power. Shakespeare utilises the characterisation of
Richard and his interaction with other characters to show Richards duality. He informs the
audience in soliloquy of his intent to deceive, I am determined to play a villain.
Shakespeare also employs the double entendre of Richards promise your imprisonment
shall not be long to Clarence, to show how easily Richard deceives those around him.
Hence Shakespeare positions his audience to see Richard as the well known vice
character from Elizabethan plays and his deception as evil and cruel. Pacino reshapes
these techniques to fit his contemporary context where Richard is not an evil usurper,
but a cunning politician. Richard's ability through soliloquies and asides to seductively
engage the audience is highlighted) in an interview with actor Kevin Klein who tells
Pacino that Richard is always saying to the audience this is what Ill do, then he does it
and comes back to say wasnt that good? Klein explains that in order to show Richardss
duality, his ability to play a character in order to achieve his ambitions, Pacino must
involve the audience as co-conspirators with Richard. Hence Pacino utilises his portrayal
of Richard to create a character understood by his modern audience who are familiar
with deceptive and smart politicians. Through the exploration of the pursuit of power one
can see that Pacino has reformed Shakespeares malevolent king with an insatiable lust

for power into a cunning and intelligent politician like figure. This change allows for a
greater understanding of Richards pursuit of power and his acts of deception within
Pacinos modern context and audience.
Pacino reshapes Shakespeares Richard during the final scenes of the play to explain his
loss of power in his modern American context, differing from Shakespeares use of divine
retribution. Shakespeare portrays Richard as an evil royal usurper, and utilises the plot
device of the ghosts in Act 5 Scene 3 to convey to his audience, who are already familiar
with the Tudor myth, that Richard must die in order for peace to be restored, bloody and
guilty in a bloody battle end thy days!. Richards loss of power due to divine retribution
and ghostly intervention is not relevant for a humanist society; hence Pacino portrays
Richard as mentally unstable and lacking confidence. Pacino conveys Richard's loss of
power as due to his conscience, through the plot device of his existential crisis. The
ghosts from Richard III are reframed into Richards dream using visual stichomythia and
are obviously distorted to appear dreamlike. Quickly alternating shots of Clarence, the
young princes, and the nobles Richard has murdered, along with Queen Elizabeth
wrought with anguish are contrasted with shots of Richards own death both in rehearsal
and performance. Kimballs voiceover is used to state he has let the pursuit of power
totally corrupt him he is alienated from his own self. Shakespeare conveys Richards
conscience, not his lack of support from the church, as leading to his downfall. Hence
Pacino reshapes Shakespeares original text through his portrayal of Richardss character
in order to convey the impacts of Richardss nature in secular modern context, whilst still
commenting on the impacts of ones ruthless pursuit of power at all costs.
The great contextual change is evident within final scene of both the play and the
docudrama in which King Richard dies and Richmond takes power. Both the themes of
Richards pursuit for power and the impacts of his evil nature are explored throughout
the parallel scenes. Shakespeare utilises brief stage directions they fight; Richard is
slain, followed by the metaphor the bloody dog is dead to convey the death of Richard.
Shakespeare employs the immediate death of Richard and the animal imagery conveyed
by Richmond to portray to his audience that God has carried out an act of divine
retribution due to Richardss Machiavellian nature. Shakespeare employs Richmonds
monologue in the final scene to convey the restoration of divine order and peace
throughout the kingdom, we will unite the white rose and the red. Smile, heaven, upon
this fair conjunction. Shakespeares audience would now recognise that order has been
restored through their current rulers the Tudors supported by both God and the church.
Pacino must transform final scenes to create a greater understanding for his mainly
secular audience. Pacino employs the plot device of Richmond's soldiers shooting Richard
in his back, thus portraying his death as unfair. Pacino gives Richmond no heroic
monologue just two sentences God and your arms be praised, victorious friends. The
day is ours, the bloody dog is dead. This is said whilst Richmond is walking away from
the camera, hence Pacino utilises the mise en scene of this shot and the following close
up shot of the filmmaker stating is this it? I hope so whilst the scene is still filming in the
background to undermine Richmonds inglorious victory and take focus away from
Richmonds speech of the role of god and thus importance of divine retribution. Through
his focus on the impacts of conscience not divine retribution Pacino is able to transform
the text and Richardss death to suit his context in which Richards death arises from the
burden of guilt.

Both Richard III and Looking for Richard are products of different times yet they are
connected through their exploration of Richardss evil nature and his obsession with
power. Pacino in his docudrama Looking for Richard reshapes Shakespeares original

play Richard III in order to bring the Elizabethan drama with a heavy religious context,
to his twentieth century mainly secular audience, whilst still delivering the key ideas and
insights to be gained from the Shakespearian original. Through a study of the contexts
and values of the texts, the responder arrives at more nuanced understanding of the
varying treatment and reception of texts over time, and gains insight into the inevitable
downfall one must suffer when they choose to be a villain in order to gain power and
glory for themselves.