ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: showpony21 on September 24, 2011, 03:42:42 pm
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Why does Shakespeare implement supernatural themes in Richard III, when it is supposedly based on real historical events?
What is he trying to tell us through supernatural curses, premonition dreams and ghosts?
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Did not do Richard III, so I am not too sure. Supernatural themes is quite common in Shakespeare's works though, the fairies in Midsummer Dream and The Tempest, the ghosts and witches in Macbeth and Hamlet. My guess is that many are used as language techniques, acting as metaphors or serving as means of foreshadowing. Also, the context of the time by which Shakespeare wrote these plays is one where Pagan beliefs and superstitions are rampant. Witch trials are also widely held.
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The supernatural elements in Richard III are predominantly there for theatrical purposes. At an analytical level though, you can draw parallels between the almost hellish nature of the language and the ghosts as sort of reflecting the damned state of Richard, and how he's both an embodiment of evil and caught in his own web of evil.
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The historical context of the play also contributes to Shakespeare's reasons for including supernatural themes in the play. Audiences of the day were highly superstitious people - although the allure of Richard's wicked persona was fascinating, they feared the wrath of God and they had an unrelenting belief in fatalism.