One of the things that intrigues me most about this play is how Richard is received among the women. We know that he is deformed, so there must be a pity factor there. He is also eloquent, which is the bane of the female sex. We are so easily convinced... at least in this play we are.
In class, my group talked a little bit about Richard's smooth talking Lady Anne into marrying him, her husband's murderer. As I experience a tendency to veer back toward my main focus of perspective, I like to look at Lady Anne's character. What has she experienced that exposes her and makes her vulnerable to Richard's charms? She seems to be a passionate person, and as we know, passion can go both ways. Perhaps, for all her volatility, she is not as intelligent as she sounds.
I found this clip of the Ian McKellen version that shows one interpretation of Richard's abilities:
So tell me what you think? Is she stupid, or just overwhelmed with grief?
More on this later!
