Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Reading

• The Tragedy of Richard the Third (515–596), Act 1
• “History” (BC, 90–94)
• Edward Hall, “From The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancaster and York” (BC, 163–164)

Notes

An aspect of Othello that we didn’t cover is the idea of Iago as devil. Consider Othello’s words: “I look down towards his feet, but that’s a fable / If that thou beest a devil I cannot kill thee,” to which Iago responds, “I bleed sir, but not killed” (5.2.292–94).

This idea will become more important as we begin our discussion of Richard III, who seems to be at least an agent of the devil, if not the devil himself. Remember, however, that Richard is more complicated than even Shakespeare demonstrates. Shakespeare is writing during the reign of the family who removed Richard III from the throne (as is Edward Hill, who wrote a Tudor history of the Wars of the Roses).

For this play, then, especially important will be history and propaganda, what’s significant about a villain functioning as the main character, and why this history is called a tragedy.