Richard III--Clips and Context

Hi class,

I hope you have enjoyed reading Richard III (Acts IV and V), which you were assigned to read for this evening. Please highlight scenes which you would like to discuss. We will be screening (roughly) the second half of the 1995 adaptation of the film. Click on the link for Sir Ian McKellen's excellent website about the adaptation:

Ian McKellen/Cinema/Richard III

Our discussion will continue to focus on some of the major themes, ideas, and topics that we discussed last week, including: 

• Fate v. free will
• Corruption of power
• Divine right
• Destiny
• Conscience
• Dreams (and ghosts, prophecies, curses, and omens)
• The attraction to anti-heroes and/or villains

If you click on the YouTube clips below, you can watch a couple of actor Kevin Spacey's discussions on Richard III as a character and as a theatrical work.

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Also, there was a story online today about Richard III's death--click on the link:

King Richard III's final moments were quick & brutal

I also want to continue talking about the persistence of Shakespeare in our era. How do modern adaptations of Shakespearean works serve to assist in making Shakespeare relevant in the 21st century? 

Best,

Prof. Williams