ANALYSE HOW THE CENTRAL VALUES PORTRAYED IN SHAKESPEARES

KING RICHARD III ARE CREATIVELY RESHAPED IN AL PACINOS

LOOKING FOR RICHARD.
Analysis of William Shakespeares play King Richard III (KRIII) and Al Pacinos 1996
docudrama Looking for Richard (LFR) reveals inherent human values within the texts
remain universally relevant despite their differing contextual influences and audiences.
Pacinos LFR draws upon a modern American context to reshape the political, social and
religious values present in KRIII, while introducing further values relevant to a modern
American perspective. Pacino takes advantage of KRIIIs adaptability to create a more
accessible form to relate to this modern American perspective. The concern of the desire for
power is evident in either text in relation to their respective contextual influences. KRIII
explores an individuals pursuit of power through a reflection of the views of a theocentric
Elizabethan society, while LFR draws on modern political crises etc.
The concern of the desire for power is evident in either text in relation to their respective
contextual influences. KRIII explores a Machiavellian desire for power and depicts this as a
catalyst for social chaos and a downfall of the Vice. Characterisation of Richard as the
Vice, an unscrupulous, ruthless, amoral figure, who pursues power relentlessly serves as
royalist propaganda to promote the Tudors right to the throne. Richards determination to
prove a villain and thus his evidential fall into the rotten mouth of death under the force
of God reflects Elizabethan providentialism as his downfall carries the inevitability and
weight of historical fact and divine retribution. Richards overthrow, death and the fact that he
must surrender his power to the workings of divine justice reflect Elizabethan societys
theocentric view that social order is sanctioned by God. Symbolic descriptions of Richard as
a bloody and usurping boar and a foul toad highlight his loss of human qualities and
emphasise his bestial, primitive lust for power.
The relevance of the concern of the desire for power remains constant in LFR. Pacino creates
a visual interpretation of Richards evil, villainous nature through the use of entirely black
costuming, understood by modern audiences to represent wickedness, and the use of
chiaroscuro lighting, in attempt to allow a modern American audience to understand the
values of KRIII. Differing from KRIII, LFR presents the desire for power to be part of human
construct. Pacino draws on modern democratic ideals and current political realities to parallel
Richards situation to further promote the relevance of KRIII to a modern American audience.
Connections between modern Iran-Contra affairs and the scheming between Richard and
Buckingham throughout KRIII are made in LFR by KEVIN SPACEY in attempt to make
Shakespeare more contextually relevant to modern American perspectives and to allow
audiences to understand the nature of the desire for power in KRIII.
The idea of human nature is explored in KRIII and LFR in respect to their contextual
influences. Throughout KRIII, Shakespeare explores humanity and introduces a powerful
deception of what it means to be human. Richards initial assertions of himself as unfinished
and half made up suggests he sees himself as less than human. This is furthered through
symbolic descriptions of Richard as a bloody and usurping boar and a foul toad highlight
his loss of human qualities and his primitiveness. These become recurring motifs within the
play and they serve to raise the question whether someone can become so corrupt with evil
that they cease to be human anymore. KRIII is responsive to existent tension between
Elizabethan societys shift in providentialist viewpoints to the emergence of humanism and
the secular exploration of an individuals free will. This change in thought is evident in the
structure of KRIII as it differs from Shakespeares traditional tragedy structure. KRIII not
only addresses providentialism but also humanism through Richards overthrow and death as

it reflects both Elizabethan societys theocentric view that social order is sanctioned by God
and the humanist view that there are inevitable eternal consequences for human actions.
However, in LFR, Pacino is less concerned with the human condition and instead adopts an
ambiguous interpretation of what it is to be human. Pacino depiction of Richard differs
from that in KRIII as he is presented as psychologically flawed rather than evil. LFRs visual
techniques of fluid movements between performance, rehearsal and street interviews have
blurred the boundaries between Richard and Pacino to the extent that the two seem almost
indistinguishable. This allows modern audiences to understand KRIII as they can relate
Richard to the well-known Hollywood actor. Pacino dismisses the moral scale of
Shakespeares Richard and introduces an isolated and confused Richard we the audience
sympathise for. Pacino places particular emphasis on the battle scene and in doing so
emphasises Richards ability as an effective leader and commander and furthers our human
sympathy towards him.