Glorifying the Tudor Dynasty Shakespeares Richard III...

Arts in England flourished and prospered during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Furthermore, â€Å"The Golden Age† was characterized by the Queen’s patronizing of theatre, which lead it to gain popularity among England. The sixteenth and early seventeenth century witnessed a period of English nationalism, evidently shown through diffused texts in the English language, rather than in Latin. Additionally, the Queen supported playwrights such as William Shakespeare, which lead to depictions of Elizabethan society in his plays. Consequently, influences from London and the royal family influenced plays such as Richard III. Specifically, the play affected the glorification of the Tudors, leading to the villanization of former king Richard III. This†¦show more content†¦Therefore if a prince wants to maintain his rule, he must be prepared not to be virtuous, and to make use of this or not according to need† (â€Å"The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeareâ₠¬ ). Shakespeare adapts these tenants to construct a power thirsty character. Consequently, while the London elite was introduced to these ideals, Shakespeare shaped the overall plot of the play to exemplify the discussed the power quest introduced by Machiavelli. This results in Richard’s actions that lead him to kill his brother and manipulate his family into getting the throne. Additionally, the plot of the play portrays a turning point for English history, the rise of the Tudor dynasty. In combination with Machiavelli’s tenants, the fact that Elizabeth was the patron of the arts also influenced Shakespeare’s piece. Shakespeare evidently courts the Queen with the twisted characterization of Richard that leads to her current role as Queen of England. For example, in Act V scene V Richmond exclaims, â€Å"God and your arms be praised, victorious friends, the day is ours, the bloody dog is dead† (Shakespeare 353). Here, Shakespeare clearly presents the death of Richard III as a victory for the successors while dehumanizing the character by referring to him as a dog. In the history of England, the power struggle within ruling families is not a new theme. However, by