Everyone's doing it so I thought I should too
How does the play show the importance of Conscience? - I think that was the prompt
The protagonist in William Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, Richard Gloucester is “determined to prove a villain” from the onset of the play. Through his Machiavellian usurpation of the English throne, Shakespeare presents Richard as an unconscionable character of unimaginable abhorrence. His rapid ascension to the crown predominately resides in his ability to suppress his conscience, as to detachably partake in some of the most malignant acts imaginable. However, curiously it is also Richard’s inability to repent that ultimately cements his doom. Shakespeare illustrates through his rise and fall the importance of always having a conscience.
Richard is innately malevolent; however by suppressing his conscience, he is able to further commit acts of despicable iniquity to seize the crown. The means by which Richard usurps the throne, more likely would have frightened the Elizabethan audience. And rightly so, as Shakespeare attempts to instil an abominable image of someone with the complete lack of social mores after abandoning their conscience and morality, to the audience. In his opening soliloquy Richard asserts his intent to “prove a villain” and “to spy [his] shadow in the sun”. From the moment he relinquishes his morality, telling it “dive…down to [his] soul”, Richard exploits it to further his position of the throne, as seen by his interactions with his brother Clarence. Swiftly adopting the persona of a conciliatory brother, he promises Clarence that his “imprisonment shall not be long” and that he will “deliver [him]… or else lie for [him]”, despite being the person whom orchestrated Clarence’s sentence and consequently his murder. Subsequently, the wooing of Lady Anne is emblematic of Richard’s role as Vice and Machiavel within the play, as enabled by his forgone conscience. Richard pursues Anne not to be her “husband…as for another secret close intent”. He preys on vanity and vulnerability of Anne, a widow, who her father and husband he murdered. Upon his success, Richard exclaims “was ever a woman in such humour won”, which suggests that Richard sees Anne merely as a pawn or object in some game. This notion is further crystallised when he states “I will have her, but I will not keep her long”. Whilst Yorkist and Shakespearean society were patriarchal ones, Richard’s misogynistic attitude towards Anne far exceeds the expectation of the Elizabethan audience, whom may be repulsed by Richard’s deviance and lack of morality.
Furthermore, one of Richard’s more prolific assets is his inability to repent, through his Shakespeare creates a dehumanising character. As the play progresses, so does the degree of his iniquity, until he secures the crown. One of the most infamous acts of the Machiavel Richard is his order or desire to “wish the bastards (young princes) dead”, his command of infanticide would undoubtedly have been understood by the Elizabethan audience as one of the worst crimes imaginable. However perhaps even more chilling is his response to the outcome, when Tyrell the assassin report to Richard of the “most arch deed of piteous massacre”, Richard unmoved asks for Tyrell to “tell the process of their death” over “supper”. The immoral Tyrell laments are his actions, yet Richard is unfazed. Shakespeare perhaps intents to demonstrate how without conscience, one can no longer be considered human.
In contrast, Richard’s lack of conscience for the most part of the play is also instrumental in his rapid descent from power. His godless stoicism leads to his non-existent fear of divinity, supernatural and eternal damnation, which are the most potent fears of the Elizabethan audience. Richard is immune to Lady Anne’s scorn, labelling him a “foul devil” and “minister for hell”. Richard’s suppressed conscience affords him the ignorance of these threats, but certainly not the ramification. Queen Margaret is a character in which Shakespeare brings back/in for dramatic effect, is the choric voice of the Elizabethan audience. As the prophetess, Margaret curses Richard as the “troubler of this poor world’s peace” and that the “worm of conscience still begnaws thy soul”. Despite when her “curse fall upon [everyone’s] heads”, Richard takes no heed, he is blind sighted from all the curses and divine retribution that is owned to him. As by proof, when his conscience returns, Richard realises that he is in “so far blood that sin plucks on sin” and “all unavoided is the doom of destiny” acknowledging that the workings of the divine have caught up with him. Richard’s unconscionable demeanour only gives him false protection from curses and divinity.
In addition, consumed by his immorality Richard takes “deep traitors for thy dearest friends”. By the end of the play, Richard is without allies, as he executes all those that do not see eye to eye with him such as “good lord Hastings”, and “deep revolving” Buckingham who “grows circumspect” of Richard’s continual transgression of morals. Ultimately, by the Battle at Bosworth Field, Richard is alone as Stanley the Earl of Derby and the Bishop of Ely too abandon him. His unconscionable character has either lead to the death of his only friends and driven away the remaining Yorkist. On the realisation of this Richard recants “there is no creature that loves me. And if I died, not soul will pity me”. His ravenous pursuit of power has turned all of England against him and thus his demise looms, as he no longer has the support of the people, friends or family. Shakespeare depicts that ignoring one's conscience can have devastating consequences.
In essence, Shakespeare attempts to illustrate through the rise and fall of Richard the importance and necessity of always having morality and conscience. Whilst in it can be said that Richard’s ascent to power is only enable by his lack of it, it is a double edged sword that dooms Richard, for he becomes oblivious of the true powers the supernatural cursing and divine retribution. Thus Shakespeare demonstrates through Richard Gloucester that conscience is of paramount importance.
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