Richard III
1. The chief attraction of Richard III is the presentation of innocence under threat.’ Using
your knowledge of the play as a whole, show how far you agree with this view of the
play Richard III. Remember to support your answer with reference to different
interpretations.
2. Discuss the importance and dramatic effects of dreams and dreaming in the play
Richard III.
3. ‘Richard’s most interesting relationship is not with the other characters, but with the
audience.’ How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the play?
4. ‘Richard’s followers are merely brutal and selfish.’ How far and in what ways do you
agree with this view of the roles of Richard’s supporters in Richard III ?
5. ‘Family ties count for nothing in the world of Richard III.’ How far and in what ways do
you agree with this view of the play?
6. ‘Buckingham is not just Richard’s sidekick – he’s an important character in his own right.’
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the role of Buckingham in
Richard III?
7. ‘Loyalty does no one any good in the world of Richard III.’ How far and in what ways do
you agree with this view of the play?
8. ‘Though clearly very different characters, Clarence and Hastings share a common fate.’
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the roles of Clarence and
Hastings in Richard III?
9. ‘There is always humour in the cruelty of the play Richard III.’ How far and in what ways
do you agree with this view?
10. ‘The women in Richard III are more than just victims.’ How far and in what ways do you
agree with this view?
, 11. ‘The world of the play is one of terrible uncertainty for the characters who inhabit it.’ In
what ways, and with what dramatic effects, is an atmosphere of uncertainty created in
the play?
12. ‘Evil ambition inspires all the major events of the play.’ How far do you agree with this
view of the play Richard III ?
There will be plenty of material for candidates to draw on when responding to this
question. Strong answers will do more than merely list major episodes of the play which
present ambitious and/or evil events – instead attempting to synthesise these elements
into a more sophisticated analysis of what the play is trying to suggest about evil and
ambition on a broader scale. Some candidates may choose to separate (and treat
distinctly) the ‘evil’ and ‘ambition’ key words in the prompt quotation. Others might
choose to suggest that it is in fact other qualities which inspire all the major events of
the play (although such an approach should never permit a candidate to ‘twist’ the
question so that they end up writing about an entirely unrelated topic on which they
would prefer to concentrate). It would be tempting for a candidate to focus their answer
entirely on the play’s titular anti-hero (and it would be entirely possible to achieve a
mark in the top band with this approach) but more successful candidates should also be
aware that the play explores the idea of evil ambition in other ways – both in the
motivations of other characters (especially Buckingham, Richard’s ‘other self’) and also
in the broader historical concerns of the drama. The fact of an audience’s possible
ambivalence towards Richard’s ‘evil ambition’ might also provide a fruitful area for
discussion – especially when considering the artistry of Shakespeare as he makes the
audience admire the king’s strategies even if we deplore their effects. The familiar tragic
trait of over-ambition (perhaps explored in the context of some of Shakespeare’s other
tragic heroes) could also be a fruitful area for consideration.
1. The chief attraction of Richard III is the presentation of innocence under threat.’ Using
your knowledge of the play as a whole, show how far you agree with this view of the
play Richard III. Remember to support your answer with reference to different
interpretations.
2. Discuss the importance and dramatic effects of dreams and dreaming in the play
Richard III.
3. ‘Richard’s most interesting relationship is not with the other characters, but with the
audience.’ How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the play?
4. ‘Richard’s followers are merely brutal and selfish.’ How far and in what ways do you
agree with this view of the roles of Richard’s supporters in Richard III ?
5. ‘Family ties count for nothing in the world of Richard III.’ How far and in what ways do
you agree with this view of the play?
6. ‘Buckingham is not just Richard’s sidekick – he’s an important character in his own right.’
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the role of Buckingham in
Richard III?
7. ‘Loyalty does no one any good in the world of Richard III.’ How far and in what ways do
you agree with this view of the play?
8. ‘Though clearly very different characters, Clarence and Hastings share a common fate.’
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of the roles of Clarence and
Hastings in Richard III?
9. ‘There is always humour in the cruelty of the play Richard III.’ How far and in what ways
do you agree with this view?
10. ‘The women in Richard III are more than just victims.’ How far and in what ways do you
agree with this view?
, 11. ‘The world of the play is one of terrible uncertainty for the characters who inhabit it.’ In
what ways, and with what dramatic effects, is an atmosphere of uncertainty created in
the play?
12. ‘Evil ambition inspires all the major events of the play.’ How far do you agree with this
view of the play Richard III ?
There will be plenty of material for candidates to draw on when responding to this
question. Strong answers will do more than merely list major episodes of the play which
present ambitious and/or evil events – instead attempting to synthesise these elements
into a more sophisticated analysis of what the play is trying to suggest about evil and
ambition on a broader scale. Some candidates may choose to separate (and treat
distinctly) the ‘evil’ and ‘ambition’ key words in the prompt quotation. Others might
choose to suggest that it is in fact other qualities which inspire all the major events of
the play (although such an approach should never permit a candidate to ‘twist’ the
question so that they end up writing about an entirely unrelated topic on which they
would prefer to concentrate). It would be tempting for a candidate to focus their answer
entirely on the play’s titular anti-hero (and it would be entirely possible to achieve a
mark in the top band with this approach) but more successful candidates should also be
aware that the play explores the idea of evil ambition in other ways – both in the
motivations of other characters (especially Buckingham, Richard’s ‘other self’) and also
in the broader historical concerns of the drama. The fact of an audience’s possible
ambivalence towards Richard’s ‘evil ambition’ might also provide a fruitful area for
discussion – especially when considering the artistry of Shakespeare as he makes the
audience admire the king’s strategies even if we deplore their effects. The familiar tragic
trait of over-ambition (perhaps explored in the context of some of Shakespeare’s other
tragic heroes) could also be a fruitful area for consideration.
