56 pages 1 hour read

William Shakespeare

Richard III

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1597

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Historical Context: The Wars of the Roses

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses ableist language common during the Elizabethan era to describe Richard’s curvature of the spine.

The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil conflicts fought in England from 1455 to 1487. During this period, the royal Plantagenet family was divided into two factions: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The House of Lancaster were the descendants of John of Gaunt, the third eldest son of King Edward III. John of Gaunt’s son, Henry, usurped the throne from Edward III’s grandson and direct heir, Richard II, becoming King Henry IV.

This began a period of instability in England’s royal politics. King Henry IV’s son, Henry V, was a popular and successful monarch, but died young, leaving his infant son, Henry VI, to inherit the throne. Henry VI’s reign was a troubled period, as regents and advisors struggled for control over the monarchy. Once he became an adult, Henry VI was prone to periods of mental instability that further eroded his influence over the English nobility. His wife, Queen Margaret, became an effective but controversial figure in English politics when her husband was beset by episodes of mental illness.

Related Titles

By William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

All's Well That Ends Well

William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well

William Shakespeare

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE

logo

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Antony and Cleopatra

William Shakespeare

Antony and Cleopatra

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Coriolanus

William Shakespeare

Coriolanus

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Cymbeline

William Shakespeare

Cymbeline

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Hamlet

William Shakespeare

Hamlet

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Henry IV, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry IV, Part 2

William Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 2

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Henry V

William Shakespeare

Henry V

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VIII

William Shakespeare

Henry VIII

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VI, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

Henry VI, Part 3

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3

William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

logo

King John

William Shakespeare

King John

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Love's Labour's Lost

William Shakespeare

Love's Labour's Lost

William Shakespeare

Study Guide

logo

Measure For Measure

William Shakespeare

Measure For Measure

William Shakespeare