The Power of Women in Richard IIIIn Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Richard III, the historical context of the play is dominated by male figures. As a result, women are relegated to an inferior role. However, they gain verbal power through their own discourse on religion and superstition. In the opening speech of Act 1, Scene 2, Lady Anne's lines 1-30 orient the reader to the crucial political context of the play and the metaphysical issues it contains (Greenblatt, 509). Lady Anne curses her enemies, using strong language to indicate her authority. She speaks in blank verse, through which she uses images to emphasize her emotions and reinforce her supplications. Her speech clearly illustrates the distinction between the submissive female role in the masculine sphere of war and the powerful female voice in the realm of superstition. The language used by Lady Anne is appropriate to the scene that takes place during the funeral procession of King Henry VI. Lady Anne mourns the deaths of King Henry VI, her father-in-law and her son, Prince Edward. Lady Anne told the king that she was "the wife of thy Edward, of thy slain son" (1:2:10), although in the story she was only betrothed to him. As a result, his relationship with his father, King Henry VI, is closer and his sadness is more grounded. This supposed marriage also generates greater shock regarding her marriage to Richard III. Stopped lines are appropriate because they slow down the speech and emphasize the boredom of one who feels pain and grief over the loss of a loved one. Additionally, the ornate verse highlights the drama of her speech and the powerful emotion she exudes. The language supports the sanctity of the king and recalls an elegy or psalm which...... middle of paper ...... She asks that his wife be "more unhappy by his death / Than I am by my young lord and you" (1:2:27-28). The fact that she marries Richard suggests that her curse is somewhat false. Perhaps she intentionally imposes a lenient punishment on his wife, a punishment she has already suffered, knowing that she could become his wife. Lady Anne draws her power from the language she uses to take the oath. Like Lady Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret also recite curses as a form of control over their circumstances. Manipulating a curse for personal gain is the only power a woman has within Shakespeare's male-dominated society. While men gain power from physical force, women can exert some power through verbal force. Works CitedGreenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: WW Norton & Co., 1997.