After listing the play, character, act, scene and lines you will be reciting, provide some background information about your interpretation of the scene and how you will portray your character for your dramatic performance. What is the shape of the speech? any transitions? Tonal considerations? Don’t be afraid to be creative as you design the delivery, and try to “set the stage” visually as well as contextually in your response. Finally, how might your vision for of this character play into the larger context of your understanding of the play as a whole? 250-300 words, due lesson 14 (24/25 February)
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Over the course of rehearsing my lines, it has been troublesome occasionally to interpret what the character is trying to say. However, after the acting class, it really helped me to determine how to use those “power” words. Using a sense of emotion i will be able to emphasize pauses as well as words like “Thus, tongued tied ambition” as well as others. I think the tone of my monologue is a serious one. In the scene, Buckingham comes to Richard and explains to him that the citizens don’t want him as king. Therefore, he must trick them into thinking that he pretends to beg for the crown instead. There are many transitions in this speech. Times to speak loud or soft, fast or slow. It is those transitions that will keep the flow changing as if the person were speaking it. In reading both the play and the different versions, i think reading these lines could give me a better summary of what Richard really wants. If he really does want the crown or if he is just playing it safe so no one knows his true intentions. It shows how truly devious and cynical he is. Yet, i still think it gives me a larger understanding of all the lies and deceit that goes on by Richard in order to get the crown.
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I will be performing a scene from Richard the III. Specifically, I will be reciting a line from George, the Duke of Clarence, and brother to Richard. My monologue is 31 lines long, from Act 1, Scene 4, Line 1. Upon reading my monologue, it appears that Clarence is conducting some foreshadowing. His tone is almost one of despair, concern and hopelessness. He still tells it somewhat like a story, as if he is walking through his dream. He is still under the pretense that Richard is his ally, yet he dreams of him murdering him. This is foreshadowing as this is precisely what happens very shortly afterward in the scene. Transitions certainly do occur. He begins speaking like he is telling a story, and is certain that what he was dreaming is actually happening. He then transitions to a tone of despair, as if he cannot bear to think of this future as one that is a possibility. I think my tone must reflect these shifts, as they occur several times throughout the monologue. This will certainly further my understanding of the play as a whole and provide more context. By understanding how Clarence felt right before his death, one is able to understand the dynamics of the family as a whole. He still feels like he is safe even though he is about to die, which is a reflection of Richards skills of manipulation. By understanding this one monologue, I am able to gain a commentary on how well Richards plan is playing out so early in the play.
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I will be reciting from Shakespeare’s famous “Richard III”. From this I will be getting the character of Lady Anne. As I take on this character I will be memorizing and reciting from Act 1, Scene 2. In this Scene Lady Anne enters with the hearse of Henry the Sixth along with several other gentlemen, including carriers, guards, and a few others. In the beginning of this scene she is morning King Henry the Sixth. King Henry the Sixth is the father of her husband, Edward of Westminster. Because of her relationship to the king, she is utterly distraught and has an emotional breakdown during her mourning of the passed king. Meanwhile she also mourns the death of her husband, Edward of Westminster. He too was stabbed to death by the same hand that killed King Henry the Sixth. She curses dreadful curses to the hand who did the killing, which is Richard the Third. She talks to herself in disgust of Richard the Thirds actions along with his monstrous and ugly appearance. This section of the play is uninterrupted and lacks any transitions until the end when Richard the Third, the man she is cursing, enters the scene. Because this scene is very emotional for Lady Anne, I will have to ensure that I have a mournful tone along with a hateful tone as I talk about Richard the Third. I envision that my character is in an extremely dreadful emotional state as two people she loves dearly, Edward of Westminster and King Henry the 6th, have been murdered. Because of this I will have to play my act passionately.
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Richard III
Queen Anne
Act 3 Scene 2
Queen Anne’s angry tirade at Richard
The scene is Queen Anne, distraught at the presence of her husband’s killer. Her intense anger leads her to release a flurry of hatred against Richard. To achieve the intended spirit of the monologue, I will attempt to centralize and focus anger on a specific thing in order to intensify it to the level that Queen Anne holds. The flow of the monologue appears to short, choppy bursts due to the excited emotional state of the performer. Long flow would indicate a sense of composure, while I see this piece would benefit from losing composure. Some lines of the same subject are meant to flow together, and I will keep them in flow, while lines with separate insults or curses will be separated with a small pause to allow the comments to carry full weight. To augment my voice to fit the piece, I try to elevate the emotion in my words to the point where it begins to falter. This will require practice to ensure I find a sustainable level to continue throughout the monologue. Her guttural rage in this monologue helps convey the intensity of the power struggle that is occurring in the play. It also pulls the spotlight away from Richard, which is unusual considering he one who shares thoughts directly with the reader. By giving Queen Anne a direct line to the audience, it gives her more of a tangible impact instead of just being a bystander for Richard to manipulate in his quest for the throne.
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My monologue is early on. It takes place in Act 1, scene 2, at the very end of the scene. Richard has just admitted to killing Henry and Edward and he offered his hand in marriage to Anne, after he killed her husband. He tells her to take his sword and put it through his chest or he will marry her. She does not kill him and says that she won’t marry him but takes a ring anyway. Richard says he will finish digging the grave and shows a sign of repentance. After he leaves, Richard recites the monologue that I have selected. It appears that he is surprised that his plan worked at first. He questions whether anyone has ever won a woman by killing her husband. He goes on to say that he won’t keep her long because she cursed the man who did it and his wife, which is not Richard and Anne, respectively. He still questions how he won her and wonders how she forgot that he killed her husband Edward in battle. He praises Edward for not only his good looks, but his bravery and courage as a person. He then concludes that he must be good looking and that only he sees himself as vile and disgusting. I want to deliver this monologue in a way that shows surprise, happiness, fear, confusion and confidence, as all these emotions appear at some point throughout his address. In the surprised parts, the goal is to be quiet and reflective and talk more to myself than the audience. Toward the end, when he becomes confident in his looks, I will address the audience more and become bolder in my tone.
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Richard III, ACT 1, SCENE 2, LINE 227, Monologue from GLOUCESTER
Scene 2 contains Gloucester’s successful attempt to court Lady Anne. Before the monologue commences, Gloucester approached Lady Anne while she was mourning the death of her husband Edward IV. Gloucester expresses he is interested in Lady Anne for two reasons. She is both a pawn in Gloucester’s maneuvers to reach the throne and very beautiful. In this very puzzling scene, Gloucester convinces Lady Anne to marry him while also lying about, then admitting to killing both her late husband and his father. All this occurs in the presence of the late Edward IV’s dead body. Because it seems so absurd that Gloucester could win over Lady Anne while also being held in her deepest hatred, Gloucester’s monologue begins with him saying “Was ever woman in this humor wooed? Was ever woman in this humor won?” In these two opening lines the word “humor” means mood or manner in modern language. Gloucester’s approach to wining Lady Anne is a peculiar combination of flattery, deception, and treat of self-harm. This all sets the stage for Gloucester’s monologue which expressed his shocking success. Also present is the undertone of scheming and deceit as Gloucester continues his bloody ploy.
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The lines I will be reciting are from Clarence, brother to Richard who is locked away in a tower. In terms of the play Richard III, Clarence has a short appearance but one as he is in Richards way to the throne. After first reading the lines I analyzed that Clarence is having dreams of what is eventually to come, getting murdered because of Richard III. This level of foreshadowing will require a level of apprehension and mystery when reciting these lines. Clarence begins with a reflection of his setting to set the scene and then he transitions to talking about his future This dream feels real to Clarence, but he still feels loyalty to his brother and doesn’t believe that this could really happen. When reciting the lines about the dream the tone should be inquisitive but a little scared. The tone transitions again within the as he analyzes the thought of drowning. It is so real to Clarence and it feels like it has happened, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Richards ability to manipulate and make his victims feel secure before they get killed is constant throughout this whole play. The background of the full play helps further analyze what is about to happen and how it set forth a series of manipulations and conspiracies to get Richard on the throne. The tone that I should be having is sadness at the beginning and transition to mystery and apprehension with a touch of reassuring that I am safe with Richard. It is definitely a complex level of emotions due to the many different subplots that are concurrent in this scene. I must be acting in a level of stupidity that it is clear to the viewers that I am getting played.
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The Gloucester B monologue takes place in act 1 scene 2 when Gloucester interrupts the funeral precession of Edward to romantically court Lady Anne as she mourns over the corpse. Gloucester confesses to the murder of Edward, as well as the murder of Henry VI. Gloucester presents himself in this way to take advantage of her emotionally vulnerable state. He explains to her that the murders were motivated by his will to be with her. He offers her the choice of killing him or accepting his proposal. He harnesses the passion of the situation and ultimately proposes successfully to Lady Anne. In order to accurately play the part of Gloucester in this monologue, I will have to play as a manipulative villain. Gloucester makes his proposal to Lady Anne more appealing by explaining that she was his primary motivation to carry out the murders and offers her a choice at the end. I will emphasize these parts most of all. When Gloucester explains the murders themselves, I will tone it down in order to act as if they were regrettable, but worth it to marry Lady Anne. This monologue is very open-ended, with the final line presenting an ultimate question open to a response from Lady Anne. I will emphasize this line most of all in order to lead her to the answer as Gloucester did in the play. Gloucester presents this question as a moral dilemma. In a way, he portrays accepting the proposal as having mercy upon him, when she is actually sparing a murderer. This monologue represents Gloucester (Richard III) accurately because he is a very manipulative character. In the situation represented by the monologue, Richard is able to convince the widow of a man he murdered to marry him. He relies on persuasive skills to get what he wants.
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My monologue is in Act 1 Scene 3 of Richard III. It is Queen Margaret reciting curses to Richard, Elizabeth, Hastings, Rivers, and Dorset. Margaret is angry, because she knows Richard killed her son, Edward, and she says Rivers, Dorset, and Hastings watched and stood by as Richard did so. Margaret says she hopes Elizabeth’s husband and children die before her and someone else takes the throne from her, like she did to Margaret. She wishes the same thing that happened to her to happen to Elizabeth. Margaret says she “prays” that none of them die naturally, but instead die an early death by an “unforeseen accident.” She tells the heavens to open and listen to her curses. Margaret is angry because her husband and her son were both killed so that Richard could take the place as King. She is bitter because she was overthrown from power, and Elizabeth is taking her spot as queen. When embodying this character for the monologue, it is important to display anger more than sadness in my tone of voice and body language. Although Margaret is sad, in this specific speech she is angry, cursing out the other characters. I will use my breathing to add to the anger effect and use emphasis on certain power words. This monologue helps to show how important curses were in the time of Shakespeare. Margaret is not just rambling on, but she is talking “to the heavens” to try to set a curse on Richard and the others.
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Out of Richard III, I will be reciting the monologue from the Duke of Gloucester in Act 1, scene 2, lines 151-169. With this monologue, Gloucester attempts to court Lady Anne, the widowed daughter-in-law of King Henry VI and wife of his son, Edward, both of whom were killed by Gloucester. Lady Anne is clearly emotionally vulnerable, as the murderer of her husband is professing his love for her at the funeral procession for her family. Gloucester presents himself as vulnerable in the beginning, saying how Lady Anne’s beauty brings him tears. This is likely to connect to her vulnerable state. He then shifts. Knowing Lady Anne is extremely vulnerable, Gloucester offers her his sword as a means to kill him. This point emphasizes Lady Anne’s vulnerability more than Gloucester’s, however. Gloucester is clearly confident she won’t kill him, likely tired and hurt by all the death that has occurred. She’s too hurt to cause any more suffering, playing right into Gloucester’s hands. I’d reckon Gloucester begins his speech softly and holding back, almost scared to share his (fake) deep feelings for Lady Anne in order to draw her in. However, he slowly moves to a confident tone, so that by the time the sword is at his chest, Gloucester is comfortable and able to smile, knowing Lady Anne won’t kill him and his plan has worked. Gloucester’s desire to manipulate those around him is clear throughout the play. Born with physical deformities, Gloucester likely feels he was never in control growing up, so he takes pride in controlling other people. Chasing the throne, the hand of women whose lovers were killed by him, and manipulative power over others all reflect a desire to attain some control that Gloucester felt he was never able to achieve in his earlier life.
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I will be reciting Lady Anne Part A, the monologue in lines 1-30 of act 1, scene two. Here, Lady Anne is in procession with her husband’s dead body, grieving his death. She curses the person that killed her husband, remarking, “If ever he have child, abortive be it…if ever he have wife, let her be made as miserable by the death of him as I am made by my poor lord and thee.” Thus, I will begin the scene by portraying her as soft spoken and sad as she laments her loss. She may be knelt by the coffin, crying. However, as the scene progresses, she becomes angrier as she curses her husband’s murderer. This transition occurs around line 13, where Lady Anne begins her cursing rampage. She may stand up, begin to move around with a heightened energy fueled by anger, and raise her tone and volume. Lady Anne may even seem on the verge of a mental breakdown from such grief, implied by the dark specificity of her curses. The image of Lady Anne that is displayed here will add to the overall context of the play because it will show her mental state before Gloucester inserts himself in her life. Such emotion will make Gloucester’s ability to woo Lady Anne even more confusing, showcasing just how manipulating he is. Or, it may simply show that Lady Anne is a weak character. Regardless, this initial impression of Lady Anne is very important to the overall context.
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My monologue takes place after Gloucester manages to obtain Lady Anne’s “affection.” In the text and films we watched of this scene we can see that he is in fact surprised that he was able to achieve this. We can see that this was an important goal for him and although this was to lay the foundation for his future plans we can tell he actually likes her. He also takes note of the “humour” of the situation give that he was the one that killed her husband and father and the fact he was able to achieve his goal even after telling her. He ponders whether her affection is true given how much pain he has dealt her and he questions whether or not she has forgotten the lord he stabbed in anger three months before. We can see how confused he is with his emotions and situation continuously wondering why she would like his misshapen self coming to the conclusion that she somehow finds himself a “proper man” even though he does not. I think I envision this scene with a lot of question and hope yet constant battering of oneself and a tint of sadness at what he has done. Although he may not feel bad about what he has done I feel like he feels terrible for the way he has won her over. I think that this also plays into the development and actions Gloucester has and does throughout the rest of the paly given it happens so early on and that it is a significant monologue into his thoughts.
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I will be reciting a portion of the lines of Gloucester in Act 1, Scene 1 of Richard III. In this section of Gloucester’s monologue, he not only introduces himself as the villain, but also provides an explanation of why he is the way he is. It is a lament towards his situation, and more specifically his deformity. He is asserting that the misfortune of it has caused him to love war, hate peace, and embrace his villainous role. Over the course of his speech he rambles a little, and it is very conversational in tone. I interpret it as being said with varying degrees of volume, but always with arrogance, disdain, and disgust in his voice. He is resentful, and that needs to be portrayed in my recitation of his lines. In order to portray all these emotions that Gloucester feels so strongly I will use tone, inflexion, and dramatic pauses to convey meaning. To show his deformity I am still considering what posture I will assume or what props I might use during the recitation. This is perhaps one of the most important parts of the play when it comes to understanding the main antagonist: Gloucester. His introduction is not narrated by a second or third party. He describes himself here, and in detail. This description is key to understanding the motivations that will be behind some of his actions later in the play. Gloucester is central to the play. He has a role to play in practically every scene. Understanding him is important to understanding the entire play.
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I will be reciting Queen Margaret’s lines in act 1 scene three. This monologue takes place when Margaret overhears Richard and Elizabeth arguing about Edward’s death and their views on this death. Margaret emerges out of hiding and angrily accuses Richard and Elizabeth for her downfall and tells them they do not know what sorrow is as she has lost both her husband and son to murders planned by Richard. She states that Elizabeth is enjoying the privileges of a queen that she has no right enjoying as Margaret should be queen. Margaret, however, should not be in the building as she has been banished from the kingdom which causes everyone to turn against Margaret. Before she leaves, Margaret curses everyone in the room by saying that they will not sleep peacefully and they will outlive the rest of their family and have to emotionally deal with their deaths. This foreshadows many of the bad things that will happen later in the play. In the scene, Margaret is really angry and yelling and accusing the people she is talking to. This scene sets the stage for the rest of the play and the things that will happen, so Margaret’s angry tone needs to correctly foreshadow the play.
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I will be reciting Buckingham’s lines from Richard the III, Act 3, Scene 7, Lines 179-206. After reading Buckingham’s scene he comes across as very sarcastic. His role seems to be very similar to that of King Richard in that he is power hungry and cynical. Because Buckingham is King Richard’s right hand, it makes sense, naturally, that he would also be manipulative with his choice and use of words in order to get what he desires. I will portray him similar to how Richard will be portrayed with a dark, sarcastic tone. For example, when Buckingham is speaking to Edward he says, “By her, in his unlawful bed, he got This Edward, whom our manners term the prince”. He then goes on to say, “More bitterly I could expostulate, Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue” (Shakespeare). In these lines, Buckingham’s character is revealed in that he admits the only reason Edward is called a prince is out of manner, not because he is rightfully deemed a prince. He then goes on to say he could go further but he has mercy and holds his tongue only because Edward is still alive. Specifically, in these lines, I would increase the volume and slightly change the pace to show emphasis on his sharp attitude. My vision of this character will fit well into the play to show the overall plot and how Buckingham fits into the play as Richards right hand and contributes to the deceit that Richard creates.
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For my monologue I will be delivering twenty-nine lines out of Scene IV, Act IV of Shakespeare’s Richard III. In the scenes leading up to my monologue, Richard III has officially seized the throne of England. In the process, he has killed off much of his extended family—including two princes who were only children. Now, his former ally Buckingham raised an army out of Wales and is marching against him. On top of that, a family member from France with a claim to the English throne is also preparing for battle with him. Many of the members of King Richard’s court have also fled to France. King Richard decides that he needs to further cement his claim to the throne and proposes to Queen Elizabeth that he marries her daughter. This is where my monologue begins. Queen Elizabeth’s daughter is also King Richard’s niece, and King Richard killed Queen Elizabeth’s daughter’s brother too. This award family dynamic further adds to Richard III’s maniacal persona. After King Richard makes his proposal to Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth tells him, “Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers, a pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave “Edward” and “York.” Then haply she will weep.” These “bleeding hearts” were Queen Elizabeth’s daughter’s brother’s hearts who King Richard just assassinated. However, King Richard does eventually convince Queen Elizabeth to let him marry her daughter through his usual tact and persuasion. He accomplishes this by telling her he can “make amends” by giving the kingdom to her daughter and that if she does not let him marry her daughter, the kingdom will be destroyed by civil war. I plan on reciting my monologue with a persuasive tone. With an alternating tone of voice that asks the Queen questions and makes punctual statements. By understanding the background of my monologue as well as how King Richard is delivering it, my overall understanding has improved, and this will assist me in memorization.
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My monologue is Queen Margret A, during act 1 scene 3. She enters the scene somewhat confused as to why they are mad at her. She then goes on to question how a single-family could cause so much chaos and breaks down into a depressed tone and in the end, she kind of threatens the people she is monologuing to. I feel that she makes a clear transition from confusion to acceptance and realization to hatred. My understanding of the whole play has been enhanced after closely examining my character’s monologue. After looking at my monologue it is more apparent than Richard’s lust for power has not only impacted people in the short term but in the long term as well. His action have not only devastated families but also taken everything from Queen Margret.
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The scene I am doing is Act 5, scene 3 in Richard III, starting at line 175. The scene features King Richard giving a speech. The way I interpret the scene, King Richard is preparing for battle, and he thinks that he can win. He sounds proud and confident. The lines read that he has come to realization, but not a realization that says he has done wrong, but one that says he is not in the wrong. He says in line 189, “I am a villain. Yet I lie; I am not.” He also says in line 193 “And every tale condemns me for a villain.” I plan on portraying my character to be confident and loud, but also very cautious with what is being said. The tone should be as if he is perhaps talking with himself and not to an audience. He is reasoning with himself and thinking deeply. Richard III is portrayed as this villain for the entire play, and they come into effect when he speaks. Personally, I do not think that he ever tries to do the right thing throughout the play, and it is obvious. Although, when he gives these lines, it should sound like he is doing the right thing, because Richard III believes he is now in the right. In regards to how I am going to perform, the stage direction says that he “starteth up out of a dream” and I play on trying to recreate the scene as much as possible.
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I will be reciting lines from Richard III as Gloucester part B in ACT 1, SCENE 2, LINE 164. This scene is important for understanding Gloucester as a character and truly how evil he is. The scene takes place after he establishes himself as a villain and his reasons for being one. He feels sorry for himself for having a deformity that has stopped him from getting what he believes he deserves and makes himself out to be a victim. It is very clear; however Gloucester is not the victim in the story, which will be very important to convey when performing these lines. In part B he admits to murdering Edward and Henry, while also trying to gain the love interest of Lady Anne. Gloucester takes advantage of the emotional state that Lady Anne is in and convinces her to accept him after giving her the option of killing him with his sword. In order to fully convey the nature and tone of the scene I will need to act out his deformity and speak in a sarcastic, cunning manner similar to the one Benedict Cumberbatch uses in one of the interpretations we viewed in class. Overall, my vision for Gloucester will greatly contribute to my understanding of the play as a whole, especially being the main character in the play. Performing his character will also help fully understand him and the play. Knowing his intentions and motives will make the events and other roles in the play make more sense since every other character revolves around Gloucester.
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I will be doing a dramatic performance as Lady Anne during Act 1 Scene 2. This is where she is mourning the death of her husband and husband’s father (Edward and Henry VI. respectively). Richard barges into royal castle where Lady Anne is with the coffin with Henry VI. Lady Anne reacts to him with fury and anger but as Richard keeps talking and keeps swaying Anne, she begins to fall for him. I will begin in an angry tone towards the men that were supposed to protect Henry VI’s coffin, then direct it towards Richard. Cursing his soul for killing my husband and his father. I will resent him and express how disgusted I am that he even dares appear before me with Henry VI’s coffin being right there. When I am scolding the guards, I plan to scold fast and be bold. As I transition to cursing Richard, I will slow down and enunciate my words to make my point clear. When I get to the part where I mention that Henry is bleeding again, I will add a tone of sorrow and seem as though I am about to cry. My monologue is a bit contradictory to later on in the scene where Lady Anne begins to sway with her emotions towards Richard. She takes the ring that he offers but says that he will not give him her hand? She accepts a ring from the murderer of her husband and husband’s father. Richard even gives her a chance to kill him, but she lowers the sword. This would be a very different tone than what was used in the portion of my monologue. A more submissive, regretful tone.
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I will be performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s play Richard III. The monologue is Richard III’s near the end of the play, act five scene three. This act and this scene specifically depict Richard III as he copes with the atrocities he has committed, and I believe this monologue emphasizes Richard’s fall into insanity. Before the monologue, Richard is visited by the ghosts of everyone he has had killed, Prince Edward, Henry VI, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, the young princes, Hastings, Lady Anne, and Buckingham. These eleven ghosts Richard sees mock and curse him and tell him that he will die in tomorrow’s battle. This all sets up his monologue which depicts Richard III in a terrified state. In the monologue, Richard battles his conscience and asks himself if he loves or hates himself. He questions his actions and for the first time might realize that he could be held accountable. This takes him to pondering his death and despairing because of the many sins he has committed. To perform the monologue, I am going to try to seem on the edge of sanity. To do this I’ll have to use a lot of facial expressions and body language. I can change my volume and pace a lot, both shouting and ranting at stages while whispering and pausing in other places. My depiction of Richard III in this monologue will help me understand the play at large because it forces me to examine what this character is experiencing in depth in this one moment. I think I chose a very important moment in the play because it shows Richard’s emotional side and all of the remorse a normal person would have that he was lacking throughout the play all pile on at this one moment crushing his sanity.
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I will be reciting a monologue from Richard III, act 2, scene 1, line 107, as the character King Edward IV. This scene is full of emotion and reveals a serious moment in the play for King Edward. The monologue captures the instant when he finds out that his brother has died. The scene also encompasses the rage that King Edward feels, learning that the people around him knew of his brother’s death and chose to keep him in the dark about it. The scene should be done with some shock and anger to replicate the rollercoaster of emotions that King Edward must have been feeling. The lines with rhetorical questions should be read with crescendo in volume, starting from a low but enunciated beginning of the line to yelling at the end. The speech crescendos as the emotions grow and the reality of Clarence’s death sets in. King Edward’s lines become more concise and easier to read with power, anger, and speed as the monologue progresses. The wording becomes slightly simpler, which helps prevent any stutter or fault when reading. The tone also increases from King Edward posing rhetorical questions to the people around him to scolding them. This scene describes a turning point for King Edward. The death of Clarence breaks his heart and changes his attitude. The second to last line of the monologue should be read in an exhausted tone as King Edward asks Hastings to help him to his room because he has become too weak from the news to get himself there; the final line should be read without anger but just sadness, because King Edward is completely spent by this line. King Edward’s role for the rest of the play is changed as Clarence’s death causes him to become a character in mourning, full of anger and contempt.
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King Richard III
Gloucester (D)
Act 3, Scene 7, Lines 130-152
This particular excerpt is from the scene in which Gloucester and Buckingham craftily acted out delivering the “new” message to Gloucester that he needed to be crowned king because he was next in line. Unbeknownst to the mayor who was introduced to Gloucester in this scene, Gloucester and Buckingham themselves arranged for the deaths and imprisonments of everyone in Gloucester’s line, and Gloucester and Buckingham were merely acting in front of the mayor. When acting out this scene, I get the impression that I must, within my acting, pretend like everything is a surprise to me and I am uncomfortable with Buckingham’s logic that pointed to me being king. Essentially, I am an acting within an act. I must speak with disguised pomp, as though I am making a visible effort to display my shock at the news that I am next in line for the throne yet am secretly thrilled about all that is transpiring. My speech is also decently long, but it mainly follows the same tone the whole way throughout. I can see the stage as being me pacing back and forth, speaking slowly and methodically. Regarding my nonverbal gestures, I think my performance would be bolstered by stroking my chin and even scratching my head as though contemplating something very important. Pausing periodically in my pacing might also add to the effect of my thoughtful discourse. Yet I must maintain a sinister undertone, one that is just barely noticeable for the crowd. This will foreshadow the sinister intentions of Gloucester throughout the rest of the play.
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The lines from Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, that I will be reciting are from Act 5 Scene 3 lines 235-268 from the character Richmond. This scene proceeds the battle between King Richard III and Richmond for the throne. Richmond’s lines are given as a speech and words of encouragement to his soldiers getting them ready to defeat King Richard in battle. Richmond is portrayed as the character to bring justice and restore England. By understanding the words of this speech I now know what type of emotion I need to invoke in the audience and the soldiers. This speech has to be inspirational. Due to the importance of this speech, I know that when I preform it I will have to speak confidentially and with power. Richmond’s words speak to the pain England has been put through by Richard and points to the bright future that will come from this victory. The beginning of the speech is less fiery, but as the speech moves towards the cruelty of Richard and defeating him it becomes extremely robust and bold. The anger and passion will need to be expressed in lines depicting Richard such as line 244 “A bloody tyrant and a homicide”. Once the speech reaches the end it will need to be preformed with enthusiasm and hopefulness. The most dramatic part of the dialogue will be the last line “God and Saint George! Richmond and victory!” as these exclamation marks indicate the most emphasis. Using the techniques from Hudson Valley Shakespeare I will use power words and gestures throughout the monologue and connect with the feelings Richmond and the rest of England must have built against Richard. My vision for this character helps enhance the rest of this play by showing how important Richmond’s role is to restoring England and taking out the awful murderer that is Richard. Richmond’s role is crucial to the ending of this play and the outcome. This speech shows how fierce Richmond is to be able to take out the man on top.
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For our class monologues, I will be reciting the first 31 lines of William Shakespeare’s Richard III (Act 1, Scene 1) in which Richard, Duke of Gloucester, begins the play with a soliloquy. Richard’s full speech extends 42 lines encompassing roughly four topics: Richard’s discontent with the kingdom’s peace due to their lack of ambition, bitter reflection of his own role, his decision to solve his problems by becoming a villain, and the initial step of his plot to seize the throne. The lines for the recitation will cover all, but the last topic.
Since the speech occurs at the start, the only background given is what is shared during these lines. However, the audiences to which Shakespeare first wrote this for assumingly knew the lineage of their monarchy and therefore were able use their own experiences as a contextual lens for which to view Richard’s motives. According to Waseem Ahmed (writer for shakespeare.org.uk) the real, historical Richard was seen as an enemy to their monarchy:
“Shakespeare wrote… Richard III in the early 1590s, under the reign of Tudor monarch Elizabeth I. Therefore, any criticism of Elizabeth’s grandfather, Henry Tudor, the man who would defeat Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, would be foolish to say the least.”
Thus, it can be understood that Shakespeare intended for this speech to be performed in a vile and wicked tone in order to portray Richard as a villain (one of the lines actually involves Richard self-proclaiming to be villain, (I.i.30)) and therefore praise the contemporary rulers whose family defeated him. I should be malicious in my delivery and place an emphasis on words or lines that attack the king and explain how Richard deserves the throne. My ultimate vision for Richard will cause me to view all his actions in a self-serving, devious manner.
Works Cited:
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/blogs/shakespeares-richard-iii-myth-or-reality/
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I am reciting King Edwards’ monologue is Act 2, scene 1 starting on line 107. This scene revolves around Richard’s twisting of Edward’s perception, making Edward think he was too late to stop the execution of their brother. In reality, Richard had their brother killed, and Edward would have been able to save their brother. Because of this perception, I will have to show sorrow and despair in Edward’s voice and movements. Additionally, he is a sick man so I might incorporate this aspect of his character by coughing a couple times. My understanding of this character won’t play much into the rest of the play because he dies towards the beginning of the play. His main role is to add to the awful image of Richard since he is a victim of Richard’s horrible deeds.
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My monologue will be from Buckingham in Act 3, Scene 7 which is 27 lines long. In my monologue Buckingham is attempting to convince Richard to become king. Obviously, Buckingham is not actually convincing Richard but instead putting on a farce in an attempt to get the common people to like Richard. By making it seem like Richard is hesitant to claim the throne the people will be more willing to accept Richard as king. In my performance I will portray Buckingham with a persuasive, but also deceptive tone. I will use the persuasive voice to highlight the motivation behind Buckingham’s words and a deceptive tone to show his real intentions. By recognizing the situation in which Buckingham gives his monologue will allow me to format my performance in the correct way. I will use visual aids in my performance to highlight to the audience the argument that Buckingham is making. The argument although spoken directly to Richard is actually intended to persuade the people. As a result, I will focus on speaking to Richard while making sure to still incorporate the audience into the monologue. This scene is important as it is the final piece needed to propel Richard into power. I will be able to increase my ability to remember my lines by following the imagery that Buckingham makes in his monologue and then using that imagery to highlight to the audience what is going on.
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In the lines I will be reciting, King Richard III is having what some may characterize as a mental break down, in my opinion. He seems to be confused, fearful and is crying, struggling with who he is and who he has become. With this in mind, I have an idea of how I will portray Richard III in my recitation. He starts off speaking with base in his voice, ordering another horse and to have his wounds bound. This speaks to his courage; however, he quickly falls into an internal crisis where he battles with himself. Swaying for what appears to be self-hatred and guilt to arrogance. To capture this aspect of his character, I plan on using my tone, inflection, and facial expressions to animate how I believe the character is feeling. In order to do this, I need to perform my transitions between emotions as abruptly in person as they are in the play. As previously stated, in my assigned section Richard whirls through a wide variety of emotions, and if I am to accurately depict his, I to need to capture this aspect. While I do not think I will need to “set the stage” I do know for a fact that I will be using my body language yet another way to convey the genuine emotion of the character. In my head, I envision this to be Richard as Being alone, which he travels along this journey of retrospection, and that is why I do not need props. Just myself, my voice, facial expression, and body language. Finally, my interpretation of this scene may play into my larger understanding of the whole play because this allows me to truly grasp who Richard is,, and what he feels, how he thinks. Which will make his other actions easier to understand.
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For my monologue, I will be reciting Richard’s Battle Speech from Richard III, Act V, Scene vi. The scene comes at the beginning of the climax for the play, and contrasts Richard’s character with Richmond’s character, as their speeches are fundamentally different and reflective of their personalities. When giving this war speech, which is a little under forty lines long, I want to have varying levels of emotion. Richard’s character throughout the play is very condescending, clever, and sinister. However, around this point in the play, Richard is starting to realize that his plans are falling apart. As such, there is an additional level of anger and panic added into his character. This added complexity is an important part that I feel needs to be apparent in his speech, as it is the cumulation of all his desperate power grabs over the story. When giving this speech, I want to convey these aspects of his character. To me, it seems that the monologue is split into three distinct sections. The first, where he is simply addresses the nobility and his officers. Here, I believe that it should be subdued and relaxed. During this part of the speech, Richard is not passionate but more cunning. However, when he switches to the oration to his army, my goal is to gradually build up in passion, intensity, and panic in his voice. As Richard becomes increasingly desperate to motivate his men and himself, he states more and more dramatic ideas. Finally, when the enemy drums start playing, I need to reach peak intensity. Here, Richard realizes that his struggle for power is coming to a point, and similarly, my oration of his monologue needs to come a dramatic and intense ending.
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After reviewing Act IV, Scene IV, King Richard is attempting to persuade Queen Elizabeth to let him marry her daughter. He is attempting to make an alliance with Queen Elizabeth, but secretly is attempting to deceive her. He claims that it will prevent war between the two sides, since he killed the heirs to the throne already. After deeply analyzing this monologue, I will be depicting King Richard in a persuasive innocent way, while secretly hiding my devious intentions. He is attempting to justify his reasoning for marrying Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, by listing out and arguing the reasons. He attempts to emotionally connect with Queen Elizabeth by stating attentive words such as “look,” and “Therefore.” He is scheming his way into Queen Elizabeth’s brain, trying to reason with her. He attempts to “make amends” and convince her that her “daughter is made queen,” when they marry. The abuse of semicolons tie into the idea that Richard is simply listing out all the reasons he has for Elizabeth to side with him. He is spitting out everything that would make Elizabeth agree to his terms. When performing this scene, I will read the lines very quickly, to emphasize the confidence Richard possesses, but take breaks to let the idea sink in for Elizabeth. When directing my attention towards Elizabeth, I will be dramatic, sympathizing with her to convince innocence. However, after each pause, I will look away towards the sky, grinning for my devious actions. Overall, this vision of King Richard helps me understand the wickedness of King Richard throughout the whole play, and the drama he produces.
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The monologue I will be performing is from Gloucester in Act III, Scene 7, lines 130-152 (Norton Shakespeare). Within the scene, Richard III ‘humbly’ trying to refuse the crown that Buckingham insists should go to Richard III, upon hearing this, other people present agree with Buckingham’s assortment that Richard III should be crowned king, and that he is the one fit to rule. After some debate, Gloucester finally caves in and reluctantly accepts the crown. Throughout the whole scene, he keeps up the facade that he is piously praying for the guidance of the country, and that nothing could be better than being holy and ordained. In the scene, I feel that Gloucester is trying to keep up a facade of being holy, pious, and extremely humble. So, I feel that I should approach the scene with a humble attitude, where everything seems to be going the way it should, and I couldn’t be asking for anything more from the world. Additionally, I think I should act surprised whenever Buckingham proposes that Gloucester should be king, since he is trying to be humble, and turn down the throne. However, I think the humility aspect should come off as over exaggerated, and almost clearly fake, since he is trying hard to present an image that is not selfish. In order to do this, I will draw out and emphasize certain words in order to display the message that Gloucester is faking being humble. I think this adds to my understanding of Gloucester in the play because it shows the two sides of his personality. We know that he is trying to take the crown and is doing everything he can to get the power, but we also know that on the outside he is placing on the image of a humble and pious individual that reluctantly accepts the seat of power that he apparently does not want.
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I will be playing Richard from Richard III. Specifically, I will be doing the monologue found in Act 5, Scene 3, lines 196-226. In this monologue, Richard wakes up after a foreboding nightmare in a cold sweat. He is trembling and fearful, and searches for the cause of this fear aloud. He realizes himself a murderer, wondering why he doesn’t hate himself. He eventually ends this tormented speech with the message given to him by the ghosts of his nightmare, that he will pay amends for what he has done the next day on the battlefield. The dream Richard just had plays a key role in the fear expressed in the speech, so I intend to begin the monologue suddenly jumping awake. His dialogue is incredibly tormented, questioning everything about himself, jumping from self-reassurance to self-loathing even in the same line. These lines, I want to slow down, to convey the sense of confusion and self-searching in Richard’s head. To finish the speech, I want to read his restatement of the nightmare as a resignation to his fate. It seemed that after this internal dilemma he begins to accept his oncoming death, because he knows he deserves it. This scene really changes my interpretation of the play as, for the first time, we see a hint of a good conscience inside of Richard. Though it is mostly induced from the fear of his fate, he does seem to almost show an ounce of remorse. In my opinion, this makes Richard a far more complicated and dynamic character than the exclusively evil and manipulative one we have seen until this point.
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Richard III, King Edward IV, Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 107-178.
King Edward IV had just received news that his brother, Clarence, had died in the Tower of London where he had him imprisoned only a short time ago. He had also recently sent an order for Clarence to be released, but Richard III had him executed before that order was received. In fact, it was also Richard that informed him of Clarence’s death. In this moment, Edward IV laments the death of his brother and is angry at himself for his large part in it. He also speaks against the others for not pleading for his life to the king. This is a speech that is given both in anger and in sadness. Some parts of this speech will flare louder than others, where Edward IV was angriest. Some will be softer and more remorseful when he shows sadness over Clarence’s death. This is a character driven by grief at the decision he had recently made, an overwhelming emotion that may have contributed to his death later in the play.
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For my monologue of Richard III, I will be reciting King Richard II from act 4 scene 4. Upon first reading this line, it was hard to depict exactly what King Richard is trying to say. I had to go back a couple of lines and read the dialogue between him and Queen Elizabeth to fully grasp what he is saying. The scene starts out with King Richard asking to have a word with Queen Elizabeth. She almost knows exactly what he is going to as of her, and immediately says that her daughters will not be weeping queens. Her daughter’s name is also Elizabeth, so he feels that it is only right if she is crowned as the new queen. It seems as if King Richard is taking ownership of his previous actions and justifying the fact of why he should make Queen Elizabeth’s daughter the new queen. Elizabeth is against her daughter being the queen as she fears for her life because of King Richard’s past, but he tries his hardest to win her trust. He takes ownership of what he has done, and he is using this as a way to repay Queen Elizabeth. For my presentation of this scene, I will have to have a determined, persuasive voice. My emotions must reveal how I am trying gain trust that is hard to get back. While I do not have to be loud, I must show my audience that I am doing this act of kindness to help out Queen Elizabeth.
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Richard III, Gloucester, Act 1, Scene 2, Line 151 to 169.
In terms of background, the monologue by Duke Richard of Gloucester of House York is his attempt to charm the Lady Ann and to deal with -the true- accusations of his role in the death of the previous kings of England partially by explaining that he was justified in his actions. Although this is not necessarily tonal but rather an evaluation of Gloucester, his tone in this speech despite sounding sincere would have his characteristic falseness and cynicism. Something that would be conveyed through asides not in the monologue, so the only part left would be to show sincerity in his part. The overall shape of the speech can be broken into two parts, the first part 151-161, focuses primarily on the justification of Gloucester’s actions. This part extensively paints House York in light as a victim. The second part lines 162-169 return to the present day and focus primarily on Lady Ann in his attempt to charm her into supporting him. It is in this section that there are breaks in the monologue in which Lady Ann uses a sword and threatens to kill Gloucester but fails to steel herself to end him. This is part of Gloucester’s monologue but it also adds dynamic in the sense that it is not merely Gloucester that is conveying ideas to the audience, as Lady Ann despite her lack of words does reveal her inner struggle between her personal desires that Gloucester could fulfill and her sense of revenge to avenge the death of her husband. All in all, this monologue with the proper background emphasizes the falseness that Gloucester conducts himself but also of the moral weakness of those he deems his opponents on the path to rule. As they, being Lady Ann in this case being wooed over by the prospect of returning to power.
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I will be doing the Clarence Monologue in Act 1, Scene 4, Line 2. At this time Clarence is in the tower after Gloucester convinced the King to imprison him, however Clarence is unaware of this. This is apparent as he is talking about having a dream where he has escaped the tower and is with Gloucester. In this dream they are sailing away and Gloucester falls into the ocean and Clarence begins to think about how horrible drowning would be and seems to visit the underworld. From this we can see he is having nightmares which could a result of his situation. Due to this when playing Clarence it would be most appropriate to have him as dreary and sad.Despite this I think that he still has a deep rooted trust in his brother to come and save him which prevents him from completely falling to despair. His role in the play is very tragic as he is betrayed by a brother who he loved and trusted all so he could gain power and based on his views of Gloucester I believe he would never have betrayed his brother making his death unnecessary. In his dream he sees along with vast treasures along with the skulls of men. I believe this is along with the display of Gloucester dying is a foreshadowing of Gloucester’s downfall in his pursuit of power.
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I will be reciting the monologue of Queen Anne from the play, Richard III. Upon reading Lady Anne’s part in Act 1, Scene 2, my initial interpretation and understanding of the scene was that Lady Anne is having a conversation with the guardsmen/pallbearers that are carrying the dead body of King Henry (Her Father-in-law) to be laid to rest. She is sadly mourning the death of her husband, Edward, and now King Henry. Then Gloucester enters and commands the guardsmen/pallbearers (of the body of King Henry) to set down the body. The guardsmen/pallbearers disobey Gloucester’s request which angers Gloucester to threaten to kill the guardsmen/pallbearers. My Character, Lady Anne, becomes enraged and infuriated that Gloucester is still disrespecting and disturbing the body of the deceased King Henry. When I reenact Lady Anne’s lines, the tonal considerations will reflect the emotion Lady Anne is portraying. The best way to represent this is to imagine an angry woman who expresses both the feelings of immense sadness and furry at the same time. I envision in my delivery of Lady Anne; I must master the ability to switch back and forth from the emotions of sorrow and anger. In many of Lady Anne’s lines, she is cursing the person who is responsible for the death of the King. My vision of the “angry and sad” Lady Anne character in this scene plays into the larger context of the understanding of the play. Lady Anne’s part is essential because it displays how evil and vile Gloucester is.
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I will be performing the Duke of Gloucester’s monologue from Act I, Scene 1, of Richard the Third. Richard’s, or the Duke of Gloucester’s, monologue is 31 lines long and are lines 1-31 in the play. I want to take some inspiration from Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Richard the Third, but not totally base my portrayal off of it as I do not want my creativity to be limited to the scope of his performance. I would like to specifically take how he created a dark atmosphere and performance. I want to depict my Richard III as twisted and broken much like his body itself is. This monologue is the very first scene and speech we hear from Richard, it serves not only to provide context to the entire situation (The Yorks getting a hold of the thrown after overthrowing the Lancaster’s) but also to introduce the main character and show the audience his personality for the first time. Richard the Third is very sly and has a twisted personality throughout the entire play, and to portray him as such, I want to create an almost dark and mysterious tone, as he is always scheming and hiding his thoughts from others. In this particular scene he is talking about how he is self loathing and not truly celebrating the rise of the Yorks to power. He is still bitter about his situation and wants to rise to power. I also want to try to include somewhat of a costume for Richard, including his humpback as he discusses his misshapen form in this monologue.
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I will be presenting the scene 7 from third act of the William Shakespeare’s Richard the III. I will be reciting one of the Buckingham’s parts. The scene starts with dialogue between Richard and Buckingham, who reports that the people in London were silent when he announced that Richard should be the king of England. Richard is mad and says that they are “blocks of wood.” However, they are trying to manipulate the mayor, so that he will propose to Richard to become the king by the will of the people. The Buckingham part I will recite is praise for Richard’s virtues and disapproval of King’s Edward conduct. The initial part in which the Buckingham praises Richard, I will recite louder with confidence to emphasize his splendor. Then when he describes that Edward was baseborn “It resulted in this Edward, whom we’re polite enough to call Prince,” I will lower my tone to emphasize contempt for him. In the last part, with pleading voice, I will emphasize how necessary Richard is and beg him to accept the throne by the will of the people. My role is very changeable, so an essential element of my performance will be appropriate facial expressions depicting my intentions.
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Richard III
Act 5, Scene 3, Line 260
In this monologue by Richard, he attempts to motivate and incite a fire within his supporters and people. At this point in the play, they prepare to battle Richmond, yet previous events have dampened their fighting spirit and deteriorated their fervor. At face value, this monologue seems extremely motivating because of Richard’s rhetoric and overall tone. For example, he uses decisive and bold sayings and phrases such as “For me, the ransom of my bold attempt, Shall be this cold corpse on the earth’s cold face.” This obviously shows his determination to fight to the death, and he encourages his supporters to do the same. However, given the context of the scene, he stands at odds against his opponent, Richmond. In fact, he often finds his conscious doubting his ability to win the throne, resulting in tyrannical treatment. This stands as ironic given that he says they are fighting a “bloody tyrant.” In order to express this mindset, I will often hesitate and be at a loss for words in between lines and words, demonstrating his doubt and uncertainty. In addition, body language will play a crucial role in reciting this monologue. Naturally, someone not fully committed to an idea resorts to a desperate facial expression. For this reason, I will often display a worried and desperate countenance, while still holding the stature and position of a strong, determined character. Although the lines seem straightforward at a glance, the background and context of the monologue drastically alter the meaning. As a result, the delivery and recitation of the monologue will express both sides of the coin. Further, this scene alters my interpretation of the play because it introduces Richard as a more neutral character, no longer the protagonist.
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My scene is the first of Richard the Duke of Gloucester in Act 1 scene 1. This monologue sets the overarching theme of the entire play bring Richard’s real motives to light. After his brother Edward ascends to the thrown, Richard voices his disapproval to himself of course and begins to set the stage for his plan to pit his brother’s against each other and take the thrown for himself. Richard is portrayed as a calculating insincere noble who would stop at nothing to attain his goals no matter the cost of blood and pain. The facade which he portrays to others falsely paints him as caring and helpful when in truth his real aim is treacherous. The monologue has been portrayed many times in many different ways but his intentions have transcended all such roles effectively laying the ground work for his motives for the rest of the play. His anger is evident in the lines but it is culminated in such a way as to be an injustice that he means to have corrected. The exact execution of this scene is very important to supporting his position throughout the rest of the play and if not spoken properly could undermine the position he means to take for the rest of his spoken words. There is a reason the play is written with his name as a part of the title as he stands as the focal point of the entire work and he ultimately affects how other characters behave and are affected through his actions. This then can be said to be the most important spoken scene in the entire play, effectively giving the viewer a glimpse into the later parts of the work and how Richard holds all the cards whether it is known to the characters or not.
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For my monologue I will be reciting Queen Margaret from Act I Scene 3. Queen Margaret is very angry because Richard killed her husband. She goes as far as to wish that Queen Elizabeth and her children die before they takes the thrown. The power of Queen Margaret is being stolen from her through the death’s of her family. She prays upon the heavens to kill Elizabeth and her family similarly to how her family was murdered. Her family was murdered just for the throne. When I present my lines I will use some facial expressions and speak quickly to portray Queen Margaret’s anger. Furthermore, I will pause to add emphasis on words and lower my voice. This will come off a little scarier and most intense than to speak at a normal tone. My vision of Margaret is distressed from the losses of her family that feeds into her accusatory tone. This later adds to her anger when she is speaking to the other characters in the play. By understanding Queen Margaret’s role in the play I am able to understand parts of the play that feed into each other and where the vengeance play a role.
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The scene I will be doing is Clearance in the tower of London. In the scene Clearance is extremely depressed because he had a terrible nightmare the night before. He dreamed that he had escaped the tower of London with his brother Richard and they were heading on a boat to France. While on the boat, Richard and Clarence talked about all the terrifying experiences they had while fighting in war. Suddenly the boat began to sway and Richard nearly fell over. Clearance went to save Richard but was suddenly thrown overboard by Richard. In the sea, Clarence sees the hundreds of dead people on the sea floor as he drowns. He reflects on this in the scene and how much it terrifies him. In my interpretation of the scene I will act like a depressed person who is about to meet his death. This scene represents the entire play because it shows how Richard betrays everyone. Throughout the play, many people place their trust in Richard, and he turns his back on them so he can gain power. It also represents the downfall of England. Clearance in this scene symbolizes England because of his downfall. Richard eventually ruins England in the play just like he causes Clearance’s downfall in the scene. This scene is a smaller version of the play as a whole.
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