I have to write an essay on Richard III. The topic is Richard's ability to manipulate language. How's this:
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Language is the basis for all communication. Without language, we would be like our Neanderthal ancestors, grunting and moaning to each other. Though, without mastering language, it amounts to the same thing. One of the greatest masters of language that has ever lived is the character of Richard, Duke of Gloucester in the literary work Richard III written by William Shakespeare. Richard was born into a noble family and is granted a certain amount of political power, but without his ability to manipulate others and to deftly deflect blame onto the innocent, Richard would not have as much power as he is granted.
Richard is able to manipulate other people to gain power over them. When Richard was devising his plan to become the king of England, Richard went to Lady Anne to convince her to marry him. Even though Anne hated Richard, he was able to come out on top:
Was ever woman in this humor wooed?
Was ever woman in this humor won?
I'll have her, but I will not keep her long.
What, I killed her husband and his father,
To take her in her heart's extremest hate (Shakespeare 1.2, 247 ~ 252)
Richard is gloating about his recent capture of Lady Anne. He wonders if there “was ever a woman in this humor won?” He says, proudly that he was able to woo a woman in mourning. After this, Richard plots further. He says the “he'll[I'll] have her, but he[I] will not keep her long.” Which escalates the level of his crude manipulative ability. The final three lines recount Lady Anne's hatred for Richard. Richard joyfully tells of the fact that he murdered her husband and father-in-law(at the Battle of Tewkesbury). The final line, re affirms Anne's contempt for Richard, and Richard's joy in wooing her while she was still reeling from the murder of her family. In his courting of his future bride, Lady Anne, Richard shows his absolute ruthless ability to manipulate others into doing what he wishes.
Richard knows that to be successful his his game he needs to avoid being the centre of attention. To do this, Richard often deflects blame that should lie on him onto others. Richard shows how far he is will to go with his plan when he blames Queen Elizabeth for the death of his brother, George, Duke of Clarence:
...Marked you not
How that the guilty kindred of the Queen
Looked pale when they did hear of Clarence' death?
O, they did urge it still unto the King.
God will revenge it... (2.2, 138 ~ 142)
Richard is asking the noble men left in the room if they noticed that when Richard brought the news of George's demise, the Queen's family paled. The most likely situation is that the family felt saddened or scared by this event, but, the sly Richard saw this as an opportunity to turn some people against them. Richard says that the Queen and her family are guilty of George's imprisonment and murder, that “...they did urge it still unto the King.” Richard has now filled the minds of his close friends and relatives with thoughts of the Queen's family being dirty traitors, wishing ill upon their own family. Richard is able to flex his brain and move another one of his pieces in his game, by making his supporters believe the Queen's family is out to get people associated with Richard.
Richard is one of the most cunning and manipulative characters ever conjured. He has complete and total disregard for what will happen to other people because of his actions. Richard acts based on logic, not emotions. If Richard wasn't able to manipulate language and the others around him, he would not be in the position he is in currently, as evidenced by his manipulation of Lady Anne and his ability to make people believe what he wants them to.
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