King Richard III - William Shakespeare

King Richard III is one of Shakespeare's most popular and frequently-performed plays. Janis Lull's introduction to this new edition, based on the First Folio, emphasises the play's tragic themes - individual identity, determinism and choice - and stresses the importance of women's roles in the play. It also underscores the special relationship between Richard III and Macbeth, demonstrating that the later tragedy re-examines issues raised in the earlier one. A thorough performance history of stage and film versions of Richard III shows how the text has been cut, rewritten and re-shaped by directors and actors to enhance the role of Richard at the expense of other parts, especially those of the women. The notes define the play's language and ideas in terms easily accessible to contemporary readers.