Commentary on Shakespeare's Richard III by Clemen, Wolfgang -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Original Title Page Title Page Copyright Page Half Title Original Copyright Page Table of Contents PREFATORY NOTE INTRODUCTION Act I

SCENE ONE

General Structure - The Opening Soliloquy - The Pre-Shakespearian Opening Soliloquy - Dialogue-Technique in the Episodes with Clarence and Hastings - Forms of Irony in I, i - The Language of the Dialogue - Richard’s Soliloquies - Exposition within the Scene

SCENE TWO

Anne’s Soliloquy - The Address as a Means of Irony - Anne’s Speech of Imprecation - The Technique of the Dialogue - Richard's Tactics - The ‘Conversion-Speech’ - Psychological Development - Richard’s Concluding Soliloquy - Conversion-Scenes and Wooing-Scenes in Pre-Shakespearian Drama

SCENE THREE

Structure - The Opening Episodes - Richard’s Entry and Behaviour - Richard’s Use of Language - Margaret - Margaret and the Stage Action - Simultaneous Staging in Pre-Shakespearian Drama - Linguistic Structure - Richard as the Instrument of Nemesis - Past and Future Dramatically Portrayed - The Curses - Curses in Pre-Shakespearian Drama - Warnings and Prophecies - Margaret’s Final Curse - Richard’s Soliloquy, 62 - The Interlude with the Murderers - Incitement to Murder in Pre-Shakespearian Drama

SCENE FOUR

The ‘Self-Contained’ Scene in Shakespeare’s Plays - The Place of the Scene in the Dramatic Structure - The Composition of the Scene - Clarence’s Dream - The Journey to the Underworld - Comparison with Richard’s Dream in V, iii - Dramatization of the Dream-Narrative - The Dream: Language and Versification - Dreams in Pre-Shakespearian Drama - Brakenbury’s Monologue - The Murder-Scene - The Conversation on Conscience - The Dialogue with Clarence - Murder-Scenes in Pre-Shakespearian Drama

Act II

SCENE ONE

The Reconciliation-Scene - Technique of Repetition - Irony and Ambiguity - Richard’s Entry - The Derby-Episode as a ‘Mirror-Scene’ - The King’s Final Speech

SCENE TWO

The Opening: The Children - Children in Elizabethan Drama - The Lament - Richard’s Entry - Buckingham’s Speech

SCENE THREE

The Time-Element in Richard III - II, iii as a Choric Scene - II, iii as a Mirror-Scene - Structure and Themes, no - Anticipation and Foreboding - The Use of Proverbs - Recurrent Key-Words, 113.

SCENE FOUR

Portrayal of Richard

- References to Time and Place - Dialogue-Technique - The Messenger - Language and Style of the Passionate Rhetorical Speech

Act III

SCENE ONE

Structure of the Scene - The Arrival in London - The Discussion of Sanctuary - The Discussion about Caesar - Richard and the Figure of Vice - The Talk with York - Forms of Irony - Versification - Final Section

SCENE TWO

The Messenger’s Entry - Stanley’s Dream - The Catesby-Episode: Ironic Contrast - The Tower as a Scene of Action

SCENE THREE

Treatment of a Minor Episode - The Spectacle and the Text - Turning-Point in the Action

SCENE FOUR

Hastings’ Role and Dramatic Irony - Richard’s Entry - The Reversal of the Situation - Hastings’ Epilogue - Scene-Endings in Richard III

SCENE FIVE

Contrast as a Structural Element - Richard’s and Buckingham’s Opening Speeches - The Scene with the Mayor - The Mayor - Richard’s Instruction-Speech

SCENE SIX

A One-Man Scene - The Scrivener as a Man of the People - The Lament on the State of the World

SCENE SEVEN

Dramatic Techniques - Buckingham’s Report - Irony and Stagecraft in the Scene with the Mayor - Rhetoric as a Vehicle of Dissembling - Structure and Syntax of the Speeches

Act IV

SCENE ONE

The Initial Meeting - The Brakenbury Episode - Lament and Imprecation - Retrospection and Anticipation in Anne’s Speech - Stylized Farewell - The Tower Apostrophized - The Implicit and Explicit Progress of the Plot

SCENE TWO

General Structure - Omission of the Coronation Ceremony - The Dialogue between Richard and Buckingham - Richard’s Reaction to Stanley’s News - The Tyrrel Episode - The Buckingham Episode

SCENE THREE

Telescoping of Time - Tyrrel’s Report - Reappearance of the Conscience-Theme - Style and Language of the Tyrrel Monologue - Richard's Monologue, 174.

SCENE FOUR

Three Types of Scene Combined - Margaret’s Opening Soliloquy - Margaret’s Role in IV, iv - The Lament - Use of Names - Margaret’s Words on Elizabeth - Appearance and Reality in Margaret’s Speech - Conceptions of Fate in Margaret’s Speech - Reactions to the Lament from within the Play - Pre-Shakespearian Lamentation-Scenes - Lamentation-Scenes in Classical Drama and in Shakespeare - The Scene with Richard - The Wooing-Scene between Richard and Elizabeth - Similarities and Differences between I, ii and IV, iv - The Seven Messenger Episodes

SCENE FIVE

Act V

SCENE ONE SCENE TWO

The Incitement-Speech

SCENE THREE

Symmetry and Simultaneous Presentation - Section One (1–117): Indications of Locality and Time - Further Points of Contrast between Richard and Richmond - Metrical Contrasts - The Ghost-Scene - Objective Reality of the Ghosts - Pre-Shakespearian Ghost-Scenes - Richard’s Soliloquy (177–206): Structure and Development - Use of Language in the Soliloquy - Comparison with Later Soliloquies - The Soliloquy: Development of Richard’s Character - Towards Character-Tragedy - The Richard-Ratcliff Episode (202–227) - The Two Orations Compared (237–270; 344–351) - Richard’s Last Entry (271–351)

SCENE FOUR SCENE FIVE

Conventional Motifs in the Final Scene - The Initial Stage-Direction - Richmond as the Mouthpiece of the Higher Powers - The Concluding Speech - Richard III as a History

NOTE ON THE PLAY INDEX

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