1. attendance; collect papers; pass out prizes; tonight's showing

a. Richard III first Shakespeare film and one of most popular plays--do they like it? Greenblatt's anecdote...Who is William Conqueror? Norman conquest of Angles and Saxons; British consciousness--pride and resentment of French lineage.

Class structure here--Kings and mayors and commons--all passive victims of royals power game.

Better than Romeo and Juliet? three or four years earlier

Redone in Macbeth--more profound and psychological penetrating; depths of villainous character and ambition; demonic connections more developed; more mythic

2. richard III--history play and tragedy

Tudor history; Richard maligned by authoritative sources--Thomas More,etc.; Richard III society; History as propaganda and storytelling.

Tudor myth; the horrors of civil war; the two tetralogies; peace vs. civil war--the great nightmare--Tudor history

biblical history--emblems; theology--murderers and judgment/Clarence; what is it to be damned

biblical and theological history--God's rule; punishment and revenge; chickens come home to roost; Apocalypse; god's instruments; make sense out of chaos; use people's desire to do that; God on our side; good vs. evil

religion and the state--a machiavell; richards comments about religion

as tragedy: fall of kings; reverse U; five act structure; good triumphant

3. Richard--we love him and hate him--why?

compare him to others; general atmosphere. How does he succeed--appeals to bigotry, interest, fear, his risk taking and violent power; what are his strengths

the bully; the tyrant