Shakespeare's King Richard III's Speaking.

Abstract

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is hell-bent on usurping the throne of England from his Yorkist brother, King Edward IV. At the funeral of her father[1]in-law, King Henry VI, he woos the widow, Lady Ann. She marries him after yielding to his solicitations. Meanwhile, Richard plots the assassination of his brother, Duke of Clarence, whom he has imprisoned in the Tower of London. The king, Edward IV, is sick, and Richard is named regent with the help of Lord Hastings. He imprisons Edward's young boys in the Tower and consolidates his authority with the aid of Buckingham, who, on Richard's behalf, obtains the allegiance of the Lord Mayor of London and his adherents. Richard is declared king when the king dies. For attempting to thwart his intentions, he has Hastings executed. In the Tower, the young princes are assassinated. The successor to the Lancastrian claim to the throne, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, declares war against Richard. They come together in Bosworth. On the eve of the fight, Richard is plagued by the ghosts of his victims. He is slain in the battle, and Henry Tudor succeeds him as Henry VII of England. The drama concludes with him preparing to marry Elizabeth of York and bring the Wars of the Roses to an end (Baldwin, 2000).