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Essay / The representation of the people in Richard III
Shakespeare's “Richard III” mainly concerns the royal court under the reign of the Yorks; However, Shakespeare sometimes takes a break from his depiction of the lives of nobles. These window scenes give the audience a glimpse into what ordinary people think about the drama that ensues in court, which gives a better perspective on the play as a whole. One such scene occurs in Act Two, Scene Three, where three citizens discuss the death of Edward IV and the ensuing power struggle over who should be the next king. After careful analysis of the language of this scene, it becomes evident that this scene contributes to the play's idea that through their general knowledge and intuition, the citizens know that danger is imminent with the death of Edward IV and the struggle for power of which Richard III was part. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe first lines of this scene involve relaying the news of Edward IV's death. After the first citizen tells the second citizen that the king is dead, the second citizen immediately responds with "it rarely happens better" (2.3.4). The footnote explains that this means times are bad and will likely get worse. Basically, it's a premonition of bad things to come. Since this is the first thing the Second Citizen says after hearing of Edward IV's death, the audience knows that the citizens are fully aware of the danger that accompanies the fight for the next candidate for the throne. The Second Citizen goes on to say, “I fear, I fear, that it will become a dizzying world” (2.3.5). Not only does he develop his intuition that peril is coming, but his repetition of the phrase "I fear" directly underlines the extent to which he and, through the representation, the other citizens, are actually afraid of what is future. Furthermore, the Third Citizen goes on to repeat the word "world" when he states "look to see a troubled world", emphasizing the danger this death poses to all of humanity. After once again relaying the news of the king's death, the Second Citizen continues by appealing to God, saying "May God help us for the moment" (2.3.8). He uses this form of apostrophe not only to give an idea of the seriousness of the situation, but also to call for help to the only being in the universe left to help him and his fellow citizens in this situation perilous. This entire section of this scene illustrates that immediately after the death of Edward IV, the citizens intuitively know that danger is coming. As the scene unfolds, the citizens realize that next in line to become king is Edward IV's son, Richard, the Duke. of York, called York in this edition of the play. Therefore, the Third Citizen declares: “Woe to this country ruled by a child,” lamenting his country because, in his opinion, York is too young to govern (2.3.11). Because of this statement, a debate about Henry XI ensues. The Second Citizen argues that the country may not be doomed, given that York's council can rule until it is old enough to take over (2.3.12-15). The First Citizen agrees because “So was the State when Henry VI was crowned in Paris but at the age of nine months” (2.3.16-17). The Third Citizen goes on to argue that this is not the only contribution to Henry XI's good reign, but that in addition "the king had virtuous uncles to protect his grace" (2.3.20-21). This historical allusion to Henry XI gives the audience insight into the people. First, it shows that theOrdinary people have a vast knowledge of the political world. In fact, they have enough knowledge to think about past leaders and what made them great and apply those tactics to current or future leaders. This allows them to formulate opinions and arguments not only about their leaders but also about the situation in their country. This proves that citizens can know that danger is about to arrive in their country not only through their intuition but also thanks to their general knowledge. Moreover, this historical allusion shows how ordinary people perceive future success in court. If the ruler himself fails, or fails yet to succeed in York's case, ordinary people still have two opportunities to hope that they will be governed benevolently. The first of these hopes is the royal council, and the second is the sovereign's family. Although the citizens have some hope for the future, these feelings quickly disappear when they think of the prominent power struggle between York's mother, Queen Elizabeth and her family as well as Richard III and his allies . The Third Citizen emphasizes this when he says: “It is better that they all came by his father,/Or by his father there were none at all” (2.3.23-24). By this the Third Citizen means that it would be better if all of York's uncles were on his father's side or if he had no uncles on his father's side, because then there wouldn't be this intense power struggle. His use of anastrophe, or phrase inversion, emphasizes the depth and wisdom of these words, because if this were true, there would be no problem with future leaders or the future of the country. The use of anastrophe is used again when the third citizen says: “O, the Duke of Gloucester [Richard] is full of danger” (2.3.27). This once again highlights the wisdom of ordinary people, because the third citizen says this out of pure intuition; however, as the audience knows, he is correct that Richard is a villain and unfit for the throne. The weight of this line is also emphasized by the use of an "O" interjection, which draws attention to what is being said and emphasizes the impending peril that accompanies Richard III. Much like the first part of this scene, this section demonstrates the citizens' instinctive knowledge that peril is coming if this struggle for power is to continue and if Richard III is granted power. The citizens know that there is danger ahead with Edward's death. IV and the resulting power struggle, not because they were told to but because of their general sense of knowledge and intuition. In order to prove to his fellow citizens that there is a problem, the Third Citizen declares: When clouds appear, the wise put on their cloaks; When the large leaves fall, then winter is near; When the sun sets, who does not seek out the night? Untimely storms bring hope of famine. Everything may be fine, but if God makes it this way, it's more than we deserve or what I expect. (2.3.32-37) Through this use of multiple metaphors, the Third Citizen is essentially saying that when there are certain signs, men should not ignore them. This is an allusion to their intuition that their country is in danger because of the eminent power struggle. If everything goes well as the First Citizen declares, then this is more than the people expect because, at this rate, the country will be in danger. An example of this intuition can be seen when the Second Citizen states: "Verily the hearts of men are full of fear:/ One can hardly reason with a man/ Who does not look heavy and full of 'dread' (2.3.38-40). ). Every citizen knows that something serious is about..