Module A: Looking for Richard and Richard III

Whilst the societal influences and context are fluid, the core human values remain
unaltered and transcend time. Shakespeare’s 1592 historical tragedy Richard III and Al
Pacino’s 1996 recontextualised docudrama, Looking for Richard, together highlight the
evolution of socio-political ideals. Shakespeare, in his theocentric Elizabethan society,
approaches the notion of the human condition with religious and moral implications and
explores how it is intertwined with power. Pacino, shaped by his predominantly secular
world, attempts to extract core values of Shakespeare's text bringing them to the
American public and as a result offers a reflective analysis of the nature of human life
and a political breakdown of power. Thus, Pacino in his film and Shakespeare in his play
effectively voice attitudes of their respective eras whilst simultaneously addressing key
concerns of humankind.

Shakespeare uses the five acts to establish a clear dramatic structure that is adapted
by Pacino who obscures the boundary between performance and reality. Pacino
comments on the abruptness of life in the intertextual reference to The Tempest “our little
life is rounded with a sleep” and is echoed in Richard’s rhetorical question, “shall we
wear these glories for a day?”. Whilst Shakespeare refers to the human conscience
overtly using the religious anaphora “…it accuseth him… it checks him… it detects”,
Pacino addresses it in a secular manner analysing Richard’s psychology in the aphorism,
“the emptiness of it” after the attainment of power. The concept of internal conflicts is
congruently explored in both texts. Richard exhibits dichotomous sentiments in his
soliloquy “Richard loves Richard”, an animalistic approach, and the antithesis, “I rather
hate myself”. Pacino uses egotistical shots of himself juxtaposed with scenes of his
personal frustration commenting on the nature of individualism. Shakespeare, in the
denouement, highlights the futility of Richard’s life in his ironic epideictic “A horse, a
horse, my kingdom for a horse”. Conversely, Richard is portrayed with distinct heroism
by Pacino through meaningful non-diegetic choral music at his death, thereby
establishing a postmodernist moral spectrum. Richard’s convoluted mind is partly due to
his lack of companionship, “having no friends to back [his] suit withal”. Likewise, Pacino
in the docudrama becomes more secluded and adapts darker clothing, mimicking
Richard’s condition.

Shakespeare despite his experimentation with humanism, portrays Richard as a

archetypal Machiavellian leader, presented in the imagery “so far in sin that sin will
pluck on sin”, resorting to further brutal acts to maintain power. Conversely, Pacino
humanises his appropriation of Richard through the transition from the stark chiaroscuro
lighting of him to softer form; reinforcing the idea of moral relativity. Richard’s ambition
spurs his machinations. Margaret foreshadows his intricate orchestration in the animal
imagery “bottled spider”, likewise Pacino recreates his tactics through a more organic
development using cinéma vérité. Richard’s lingual affinity and its use to beguile is
implicated in the usage of stichomythia, where Richard implores “But shall I live in
hope?” to which Lady Anne responds with the half iambic pentameter line “All men, I
hope, live so”. Likewise, Pacino illustrates this through quick transition shots of Richard
saying “I’ll get her”. Shakespeare’s play, in a form of political ingratiation adopts a
theocentric notion of power to further the Tudor myth. Richmond’s nobility is
represented through his religiosity, in his allusion to God, “captain I account myself”,
whilst Pacino chooses to display Richmond’s oratory skills, to draw parallels with
modern democratic leaders. Shakespeare’s theistic perception of power sees Richard’s
ascension to cause a disruption in the Great Chain of Being, demonstrated in the
personification of the sun as it “disdains to shine”. Pacino adopts a radically different
perspective, analysing the political landscape, as he interviews academics in short scenes
that are juxtaposed with the uninformed contemporary populace offering opinions on
monarchical issues of power. Religious pretension is a key ploy used by Richard.
Shakespeare in the climactic scene issues the stage direction “aloft, between two bishops”
who are ironically “props of virtue” demonstrating religion’s usage as a political tool.
Pacino, composing during the early days of the Clinton scandal also speculates on the
fallibility of modern leaders who use “lies and innuendos”.
 Shakespeare and Pacino perceive the tension to be a power struggle. Shakespeare
shapes this in a Frankensteinian way; the dualistic nature of the tension is indicated in
Richard’s aphorism “I am determined to prove a villain”. Pacino, however, reshapes the
subject of Richard’s destiny, seeking to analyse the values of Elizabethan society.
Richard grows into the Elizabethan norms and expectations of his deformity that
implicate his moral discrepancies. He becomes the “usurping boar” the animalistic
imagery ascribed to him and adapts characteristics of the “Vice”. This outcome is
developed and refuted by Pacino in his vox populi with the African-American, who
asserts that through “hav[ing] feelings”, the individual breaks from the societal
convention of unempathetic behaviour. Shakespeare gives each character a moment of
reflection prior to their death, Buckingham’s heroic couplet ends with the confirmation to
his crimes “blames the due of blame”, which indicates his attempt at redemption. This
aspect of divine reconciliation is rejected to Richard as his death is not on stage. Pacino
humanises Richard portraying him with certain courage through close-up of him
deflecting Richmond’s strike. Margaret is portrayed as a “primordial”, prophetic, pre-
determinist who issues prophecies, in the anaphora “bloody thou art, bloody will be thy
end”. She is appropriated by Pacino to be a character that is socially intelligent
demonstrated in her persuasive speech in the montage of rehearsals and shots of the film.
Shakespeare remarks on probability’s tendency to arc towards justice through Richard’s
symbolic decision, “I have set my life upon a cast”, resulting in a victory for Richmond.
Pacino due to his postmodernist ideals values freewill, as he evinces in the truncated
exclamation, “I am a villain” mirroring Richard, but altering Shakespeare’s ideals. The
parallel highlights the role of decisions in destiny.

Consequently, social contexts shape the perspectives of composers. Shakespeare

and Pacino address very similar issues of humanity in their respective texts. In the play
and the film, the pursuit of power is dramatised to highlight the human condition and the
nature of destiny. Despite the contextual variation between the two texts, their
comparative study illuminates their individual investigations.