The definition of a character that is masterless in Shakespeare’s Richard III is someone who lacks a role of the great chain of power descending from God. By this definition, power, then, must fall from God. Therefore, anyone who believes power flows from man is automatically masterless. Using this argument, Richard is masterless from his opening soliloquy to his death. This fact also helps justify Richmond claim to the throne. Richmond becoming king restores the great chain. This is also supported by the fact that the ghost or the supernatural support Richmond not Richard. Besides just Richard, many smaller characters such as James Tyrrel are masterless. In addition, Hasting became a huge threat to Richard because he is, as well as Richard,
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The key examples of this are Hastings and Stanley being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Hasting was dangerous to Richard merely because he, along with Stanley, posses agency. From the beginning of the play to Act three, Hastings has the freedom to side with whomever he wants making him a wild card for kings Henry, Richard, and Richmond. Richard executes Hastings because Hastings has the potential to betray him. Hastings is easy to exterminate because he is a lose end for both side diving for control of England. Besides that, Hastings unknowingly submits himself to Richard by taking a Mistress. Professor Ann Kaegi hints at this in her literary criticism of the play, ‘What say the citizens’ in Shakespeare’s Richard III, “as a Machiavellian rhetorician Richard aims solely at success, so although he too scorns Hastings’ demeaning adoption of the posture of a ‘humble suppliant’ to Mistress Shore” ‘What say the citizens’ in Shakespeare’s Richard III (Kaegi. 95). All Richard needed to do to kill Hastings was to play along with the rumors. During this section of the play, Richard fully becomes the tyrant of England. He begins the process to destroy the lose ends such as Hastings, Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Margaret, Buckingham, and the princes. Richard gains almost total control for a short period because he is executing all of his opposition. Kaegi also mentions this in her criticism “The success of Richard’s murderous enterprise is critically reliant on its speedy dispatch” (Kaegi. 104). This quote explain how it is necessary for Richard to cut the lose ends. Scholar F. Meltem Gürle agrees with this in her literary criticism, Reasoning with the Murderer: The Killing of Clarence in Richard III,“Unlike the other kings, Richard does not kill out of necessity; on the contrary, he seems to be enjoying the pain and suffering he inflicts on other
The key examples of this are Hastings and Stanley being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Hasting was dangerous to Richard merely because he, along with Stanley, posses agency. From the beginning of the play to Act three, Hastings has the freedom to side with whomever he wants making him a wild card for kings Henry, Richard, and Richmond. Richard executes Hastings because Hastings has the potential to betray him. Hastings is easy to exterminate because he is a lose end for both side diving for control of England. Besides that, Hastings unknowingly submits himself to Richard by taking a Mistress. Professor Ann Kaegi hints at this in her literary criticism of the play, ‘What say the citizens’ in Shakespeare’s Richard III, “as a Machiavellian rhetorician Richard aims solely at success, so although he too scorns Hastings’ demeaning adoption of the posture of a ‘humble suppliant’ to Mistress Shore” ‘What say the citizens’ in Shakespeare’s Richard III (Kaegi. 95). All Richard needed to do to kill Hastings was to play along with the rumors. During this section of the play, Richard fully becomes the tyrant of England. He begins the process to destroy the lose ends such as Hastings, Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Margaret, Buckingham, and the princes. Richard gains almost total control for a short period because he is executing all of his opposition. Kaegi also mentions this in her criticism “The success of Richard’s murderous enterprise is critically reliant on its speedy dispatch” (Kaegi. 104). This quote explain how it is necessary for Richard to cut the lose ends. Scholar F. Meltem Gürle agrees with this in her literary criticism, Reasoning with the Murderer: The Killing of Clarence in Richard III,“Unlike the other kings, Richard does not kill out of necessity; on the contrary, he seems to be enjoying the pain and suffering he inflicts on other