The True Tragedy of Richard III
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''The True Tragedy of Richard III'' is an anonymous
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
history play on the subject of
Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
. It has attracted the attention of scholars of English Renaissance drama principally for the question of its relationship with
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''. The title spelling that appears on the cover page of the quarto is ''The True Tragedie of Richard the third''. ''The True Tragedy of Richard III'' should not be confused with '' The True Tragedy of Richard, Duke of York''; the latter is the early alternative version of Shakespeare's ''
Henry VI, Part 3 ''Henry VI, Part 3'' (often written as ''3 Henry VI'') is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591 and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas '' 1 Henry VI'' deals with the loss of Eng ...
''.


Publication

The play was entered into the
Stationers' Register The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London. The company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including print ...
on 19 June
1594 Events January–June * March 21 – Henry IV enters his capital of Paris for the first time. * April 17 – Hyacinth of Poland is canonized. * May ** Uprising in Banat of Serbs against Ottoman rule ends with the public ...
; it appeared in print later that year, in a
quarto Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...
printed and published by
Thomas Creede Thomas Creede ( fl. 1593 – 1617) was a printer of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, rated as "one of the best of his time." Based in London, he conducted his business under the sign of the Catherine Wheel in Thames Street from 1593 to 160 ...
and sold by the
stationer Stationery refers to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter paper) ...
William Barley William Barley (1565?–1614) was an English bookseller and publisher. He completed an apprenticeship as a draper in 1587, but was soon working in the London book trade. As a freeman of the Drapers' Company, he was embroiled in a dispute betwe ...
, "at his shop in Newgate Market, near Christ Church door." In addition to Creede's 1594 quarto, another edition of the play was "Printed at London by W.W. for Thomas Millington and are to be sold at his shoppe under Saint Peters Church in Cornewall, 1600." This is likely Cornhill; "under' meaning below, since it is on a hill. No further editions are known prior to the nineteenth century. Only three copies of the play are known to have survived, all of which are now in the US. One copy can be found in the Carl Pforzheimer library at the
Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...
at the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, one is at the
Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare material ...
in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and the third can be found in the
Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Mar ...
in California.
W. W. Greg Sir Walter Wilson Greg (9 July 1875 – 4 March 1959), known professionally as W. W. Greg, was one of the leading bibliographers and Shakespeare scholars of the 20th century. Family and education Greg was born at Wimbledon Common in 1875. H ...
prepared a modern edition of the play for
the Malone Society The Malone Society is a British-based text publication and general scholarly society devoted to the study of 16th- and early 17th-century drama. It publishes editions of plays from manuscript, facsimile editions of printed and manuscript plays of ...
; it was published in 1929 primarily from the Pforzheimer copy.


Date

"The question of date is confused and unsettled." Most scholars and critics, relying on internal clues in the text, have estimated a date of authorship within a year or two of 1590, though dates as early as c. 1585 have also been posited. The title page of the 1594 quarto states that the play was acted by
The Queen Majesties Players ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
. The title page of the 1600 quarto states that the play was acted "sundry" times by the "Right Honourable the Earle of Pembrooke his servantes". Any date of authorship for ''The True Tragedy'' in the mid-to-late 1580s to the early 1590s would be compatible with performance by the Queen's Men. Critics generally judge the author of ''The True Tragedy'' to have been influenced by
Thomas Legge Thomas Legge (; 1535 – 12 July 1607) was an English playwright, prominently known for his play ''Richardus Tertius'', which is considered to be the first history play written in England. Biography Legge was the second of three sons born to S ...
's
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
play ''
Richardus Tertius '' Richardus Tertius'' is a play written in Latin about King Richard III by Thomas Legge. The play was acted by the students of St. John's College, Cambridge in 1579. It was possibly seen by two of the University Wits in Cambridge at the time: Ch ...
'' (c. 1580) – though that relationship is of little help in dating the ''True Tragedy''.


Sources and Genre

Apart from the question of ''Richardus Tertius'', the author of ''The True Tragedy'' relied upon the standard historical sources of his generation for the story of Richard – principally
Edward Hall Edward Hall ( – ) was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his ''The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke''—commonly known as ''Hall's Chronicle''—first published in 1548. He was also sever ...
's chronicle on the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
, and the chronicle by
John Hardyng John Hardyng (or Harding; 1378–1465) was an English chronicler. He was born in Northern England. Biography As a boy Hardyng entered the service of Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur), with whom he was present at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403). He the ...
later continued by
Richard Grafton Richard Grafton (c. 1506/7 or 1511 – 1573) was King's Printer under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He was a member of the Grocers' Company and MP for Coventry elected 1562-63. Under Henry VIII With Edward Whitchurch, a member of the Haberdashers ...
. While ''The True Tragedy'' clearly belongs to the genre of the Elizabethan history play, some critics have also pointed out its relationship with the
revenge tragedy Revenge tragedy (sometimes referred to as revenge drama, revenge play, or tragedy of blood) is a theoretical genre in which the principal theme is revenge and revenge's fatal consequences. Formally established by American educator Ashley H. Thorn ...
.


Authorship

There is no external attribution of authorship for ''The True Tragedy''; and the question of authorship is complicated by the fact that the single text of the play, the 1594 quarto, is notably inferior. Modern critics have tended to treat it as a
bad quarto A bad quarto, in Shakespearean scholarship, is a quarto-sized printed edition of one of Shakespeare's plays that is considered to be unauthorised, and is theorised to have been pirated from a theatrical performance without permission by someone in ...
and a "reported text." Individual commentators have nominated
Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...
,
Thomas Lodge Thomas Lodge (c. 1558September 1625) was an English writer and medical practitioner whose life spanned the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Biography Thomas Lodge was born about 1558 in West Ham, the second son of Sir Thomas Lodge, Lo ...
,
George Peele George Peele (baptised 25 July 1556 – buried 9 November 1596) was an English translator, poet, and dramatist, who is most noted for his supposed but not universally accepted collaboration with William Shakespeare on the play ''Titus Andronicus' ...
, and
Thomas Kyd Thomas Kyd (baptised 6 November 1558; buried 15 August 1594) was an English playwright, the author of ''The Spanish Tragedy'', and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama. Although well known in his own time, ...
, among other writers of their generation, as possible authors or revisers of the play; but no scholarly consensus in favour of any single candidate or hypothesis has evolved.


Characters

*Truth *Poetry *The Ghost of George,
Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...
*
King Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
*
Lord Hastings Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in ...
*Thomas Grey, Lord Marquess Dorset, son of the Queen *
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, daughter of Edward IV * Shore's Wife, mistress of Edward IV *Hursly, Shore's Wife's maid *Lodowick, servant to
Lord Hastings Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in ...
*Morton, a serving man *Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard the Third *
Sir William Catesby William Catesby (1450 – 25 August 1485) was one of Richard III of England's principal councillors. He also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Speaker of the House of Commons during Richard's reign. The son of Sir William Catesby o ...
, Richard's follower *Percival, a messenger from
Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...
*Edward, Prince of Wales, briefly
King Edward V Edward V (2 November 1470 – mid-1483)R. F. Walker, "Princes in the Tower", in S. H. Steinberg et al, ''A New Dictionary of British History'', St. Martin's Press, New York, 1963, p. 286. was ''de jure'' King of England and Lord of Ireland f ...
* Richard, Duke of York, brother of Edward V *Anthony Woodville,
Earl Rivers Earl Rivers was an English title, which has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was held in succession by the families of Woodville (or Wydeville), Darcy and Savage. History The first creation was made for Richard Woodville, 1s ...
, brother to Queen Elizabeth * Lord Grey, brother to Queen Elizabeth *Sir Richard Haute * Sir Thomas Vaughan *Elizabeth Woodville, the Mother Queen, widow of
Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
*
The Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. H ...
* Sir Robert Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the
Tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
*James Tyrrell, a follower of Richard III *Myles Forrest, a keeper in the Tower *Will Slaughter, a murderer *Jack Denton, a murderer *Ralph Banistre, servant to Buckingham *
Lord Stanley Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end ...
, stepfather of Richmond *
George Stanley Colonel George Francis Gillman Stanley (July 6, 1907September 13, 2002) was a Canadian historian, author, soldier, teacher, public servant, and designer of the Canadian flag. Early life and education George F.G. Stanley was born in Calgary, Alb ...
, son of Lord Stanley *Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lord Lovell *Henry, Earl of Richmond, later
King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufo ...
*
Pierre Landais Pierre Landais (1430-1485) was a Breton politician who became the principal adviser and chief minister to Francis II, Duke of Brittany. Francis left Landais in control of the affairs of the duchy, producing resentment among local barons, who final ...
, treasurer to the Duke of Brittany *Captain Blunt


And Shakespeare

''The True Tragedy'' bears a general resemblance to Shakespeare's ''Richard III'', as any play on the same subject would. Critics are not unanimous on the view that Shakespeare used ''The True Tragedy'' as a source for his play, though the majority tend to favour this judgement. Geoffrey Bullough treats ''The True Tragedy'' as a "probable source" for ''Richard III'', citing several commonalities (as when, in both plays, Richard calls for a horse on
Bosworth Field The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Augu ...
(1485), yet refuses to flee the battle) – though Bullough admits that the nature of the plays' relationship is "not clear." The uncertainty in dating has allowed a few commentators to propose a reversed priority, and to argue that the author (or reviser) of ''The True Tragedy'' may have borrowed from Shakespeare's play. Shakespeare appears to have known of ''The True Tragedy'', since he paraphrases it in ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'', III,ii,254, "the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge." Line 1892 in ''The True Tragedy'' reads "The screeking raven sits croking for revenge." Unlike Shakespeare, "The True Tragedy" has no act or scene division.


In Performance

In 2021 the Beyond Shakespeare Company released on line a play-reading and discussion of The True Tragedy of Richard III


References


External links


The text online
{{DEFAULTSORT:True Tragedy of Richard III, The English Renaissance plays 1580s plays 1590s plays 1594 plays Richard III of England Works of unknown authorship Plays about English royalty Plays set in the 15th century Fiction set in the 1480s