Essay On Module A – King Richard III

Resource Description

Module A: King Richard III essay

Everything is being dismantled, reconstructed, recycled. To what end? For what purpose?

To what extent is this statement true of the texts you have studied in this module?

In your response, make close reference to the pair of prescribed texts that you have studied in Module A

Texts reflect the concerns of their time, allowing the playwright to affirm or reject the dominant values of the time, thus helping us to understand ourselves and the world around us. In Richard III, Shakespeare uses his eponymous character as a vehicle to challenge Medieval values and the religious hegemony established through The Divine Right of Kings and The Great Chain of Being. Yet through his demise, Shakespeare’s intention to affirm these values during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign becomes clear. In contrast, Al Pacino’s 1996 docudrama, ‘Looking for Richard’ reflects his postmodern context, rejecting a unified reading of ‘Richard III’ through his exploration of the dissonances and plurality in the text. Through an analysis of Richard’s exertion of his free will, along with an exploration of the role of women in the play, it becomes apparent that while Shakespeare affirms the contextual values surrounding the play, Pacino rejects them.