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The Bitter End: The Use of Death Scenes in Richard III - Online Term Paper

The Bitter End: The Use of Death Scenes in Richard III

Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most bloody plays and the film adaptation starring Ian McKellen as the brutal monarch is no different. Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, demonstrates a keen talent for subtle deception in his rise of power, but is always swift to take violent action to advance his interests. These death scenes were often drawn out affairs in Shakespeare’s material, with both victim and assailant deep in introspective dialogue. However, in the film adaptation, many of these soliloquies and dialogue that gave depth and passion to the act of murder were removed. This decision, although understandable for a feature length film, diminished some of the most profound sections of ...

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on screen. His lamentations under a stormy sky of “the tempest to my soul” (I.4.44) are chilling. However, Clarence’s dialog with the murderers, as well as their discussion amongst themselves, is greatly shortened. In the play, the characters “first and second murderer” have many lines in which they debate the value of their deeds against notions of morality and conscience. Monetary gain is portrayed against undeserved slaughter and eternal damnation. Yet, every man has a price, for when the first murderer (Tyrell in the film) asks “Where's your conscience now?” his partner responds “In the Duke of Gloucester's purse.” (I.4.128-130) This examination of material morality is preserved in the film adaption, but missing notably is the discussion of conscience. Conscience, the second murderer says, “makes a man a coward…mutinies in a man's bosom…and every man that means to live well endeavors to trust to himself and to live without it.” (I.4.136-146) This interesting observation quite ...

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The Bitter End: The Use of Death Scenes in Richard III. (2011, March 29). Retrieved May 28, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Bitter-End-Use-Death-Scenes-Richard/97142

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/29/2011 11:46:21 PM
Submitted By: kgable10
Category: Shakespeare
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1084
Pages: 4

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