Richard III: Monstrous Villain or Slandered King

About this event

At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play Richard III, Richard, alone on stage states that “I am determinèd to prove a villain.” And so he does—murdering any who stand in his way with abandon. But was the historical Richard really such a villain? During his brother Edward IV’s reign Richard was known for his loyalty and competence. But on his brother’s death in 1483, Richard declared his nephews illegitimate and took the crown. The uncrowned twelve year old Edward V and his younger brother Richard were lodged in the Tower, and not seen again. In 1485 Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth field, where Richard was killed. The new king Henry VII had his followers present Richard as a monster who among those he murdered were the Princes in the Tower. Thus, Henry’s victory saved England. In this class we examine the successes and failures of Richard’s life and reign, how the view of the villainous Richard developed, and then in more recent centuries, was countered by some historians as well as enthusiasts who formed the Richard III society.

Carole Levin, Willa Cather Professor of History Emerita of the University of Nebraska, is the author or editor of over twenty books as well as a playwright and poet, and has won awards for her teaching.

Format: In Person

Class Capacity: 18

Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged

Required

Instructor-Distributed Materials

First Assignment

Please read excerpts from William Shakespeare’s Richard III and Thomas Costain’s The Last Plantagenets. After doing the reading, consider all the different reasons for such a wide disparity of beliefs about Richard III’s character.

1 Session, $75 ($67.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

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The views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.

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