Victory in Speech

With only a couple blogs left, I wanted to think back over the course of the semester and pick up on a topic that had really resonated with me. Hamlet was a play and character that had a great impression upon me, especially when reading it for the first time, likewise with Julius Caesar and the characterization from The Taming of the Shrew. However, it was surprisingly easy to make the decision as my mind drifted back to the first play we read, Richard III, and the contrasting battle speeches between Richard and Richmond in Act V.

As I blogged about in an earlier post, Richard III follows the bloody conquest of Richard to his throne, and the destruction of all in his path. At this point in the play, the middle of Act V, Richard is on the verge of battle as forces led by the foiling Richmond press upon England to take back the throne for the people. This battle seems an appropriate metaphor for Richard as all his past actions are coming to a head, and after his nightmare, he is on the precipice of change - death in battle and death to his blood-lust crown in his kingdom. That aside, each leader gives a speech as they march their armies into battle. The differences to me were striking.

As an angry army of his own people prepare to attack him, Richard sums up his speech by distancing himself from his troops, just as he killed anyone close to him throughout the play and left himself in isolation. He mocks the enemy, going as far as calling them "scum" and calls for his troops to defend their country and current kingdom. He attempts to make Richmond out as a foreigner from France, but it felt that this motivation was loosely based and fell lightly. By the end of the speech troops may feel more inclined to fight for the state of England, but not the distanced Richard. On the other hand is Richard's foil, Richmond. His speech takes on a much more dramatic, heartfelt tone. Reminding his troops of England's former beauty and the tyrant leading her, he urges his troop to fight for honor, compassion, and loyalty - all traits Richard lacks. And then in great crescendo Richmond even proclaims that he will die in battle even if faced with defeat, but if they do succeed, he will also share with his soldiers the rewards.

In short, I loved the use of these speeches in Richard III. They are both extremely insightful in their own respects, and are beautiful tools that Shakespeare uses to condense his characterization of Richard for the entire play - into two paragraphs. From all of our texts this small scene captured Shakespeare's magic better than any other.