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Shakespeare
May 6, 2000
Dr. Suter
The Integral Anne Neville:
Anne's Role in Richard III
In Shakespeare's Richard III, Anne Neville plays an important function. She isn't much of a character in her own right, and much of what we see of her is in relationship to Richard. However, Anne serves as more than one important device in the play.
First of all, she represents an important change in history. The nature of the relationship between Richard and Anne in the play was very different from supposedly in real life. Anne provides an important insight into the character of Richard. In fact, Anne's reaction to Richard is almost the desired reaction of the playwright. Her interaction with Richard makes him look worse than he otherwise would have.
Additionally, Anne plays an important structural role. She has the most monologues of any of the woman in the play, and she has a crucial role in developing Richard's character. As in any monologue, her speeches convey important emotional content that furthers the play's plot. Anne also acts as Richard's anima. She reflects aspects of Richard that perhaps he was born without, or has disowned. She completes Richard, and makes him have access to emotions and behaviors he might not have had otherwise.
Finally, there is the issue of Anne's motivation of being involved with Richard. It appears almost unthinkable that this "angel" would end up with this "devil." However, there is perhaps evidence that this was in Anne's interest, and even her choice.
In this paper, I look at all of the above issues surrounding Anne's function in Richard III. I do a close reading of the two monologues, examine the history, and also Anne's relationship to Richard in the play.
Throughout the play, Anne appears mostly as a mourner. Lady Anne mourns for her husband and her father-in-law and this contributes to her weak and passive roles. We could never imagine Richard expressing these feelings. His sole focus is himself, and he isn't compassionate in any way. Anne possesses a certain amount of humanity that Richard seems to be born without.
These different roles of the King and Queen provide evidence for the claim that Anne functions as an anima for Richard. She is the vehicle for any human emotions that Richard may have sublimated. On the other hand, Richard serves as the dark side of Anne, allowing her to touch raw power, without ever getting her hands dirty.
In many ways, Anne's function places her in a weak, passive role. She loses her power over herself to Richard. However, she fails to kill him when provided with a chance (I, ii, 172-193), and she later tells Elizabeth and the Duchess of York that "Within so small a time, my woman's heart/Grossly grew captive to his honey words" (IV, i, 78-9). This suggests that Anne had some sort of attraction to Richard, and that perhaps her loss of power over herself was possibly a chosen surrender or submission.
There are two main scenes in which Anne plays a prominent role, and also where her two monologues take place. Anne appears first in Act I Scene 2, when she meets Richard for the first time. Her first monologue takes place alone, in mourning to King Henry VI. In line 1-4, there appears to be an element of resentment in Anne's tone. The king is dead, with his honor intact, while Anne must continue on in so much pain. In line 5-7, Anne describes the former ruler now as cold and lifeless, no longer really part of royal blood. She no longer has his protection, or the power that his title gave her. She appeals to him next in line 8 to be there for her even in death. She wants him to protect her, because she knows that the man who killed him and her husband Edward is still out there. She continues to curse the person who murdered Henry and her husband, which any many ways set up the eventual downfall of Richard.
Ironically, she curses the child of Richard, without realizing that one day she will be the mother of any child of the murderer of her husband. She in many ways is cursing herself, especially by saying "May fright the hopeful mother at the view/And that be heir to his unhappiness!" She continues by saying that "If ever he have wife, let her he made/A miserable by the death of him." Eventually, this will be happen, and this wife will be Anne. She ends by saying she while continue to mourn Henry.
After this monologue, Richard enters, and Anne confronts him, pointing out the wounds bleeding in his presence. At this point the mirror image develops: with Richard as a devil, and Anne as an angel. In many ways, her passionate anger towards Richard can be seen as energy that Richard wants to transform into passionate love. Words are his talent, and as long as he can engage Anne, he knows he has a chance.
First, he denies that he killed the king. No matter what, this allows some doubt in Anne's mind. However, he then admits that he killed Henry. At this point, there is a change in direction in the conversation. Richard begins to flirt with Anne, arguing that he wants he in his bed chamber. Anne protests, but now there is less venom in her speech. He then claims that he was the not cause of these men's deaths, but that his attraction to Anne was. She again protests, claiming that she would gladly give up her beauty to rid herself of Richard. Richard asks her not to curse herself, and as in her monologue, she claims that she would curse herself, if only to do revenge on Richard. This again, in a way, reinforces her eventual fate.
At this point, after more insults from Anne directed at Richard, he gives her his sword and challenges her to kill him. In many ways, this is a great move by Richard. The "angel" can not behave in the same way as Richard. She does not possess they murderous rage that a devil has. She is mourning, which reflects a certain amount of acceptance. She is ready to move on, not to sin just as Richard has. Next, Richard appears to regret what he had done. Whether this is true or not, really doesn't matter. This is what Anne wants to believe. Finally, their interaction ends. This sets up the fact that to marry Anne, is to redeem Richard. It seems impossible that she would marry a murderer, being such an angel herself, thus Richard must not be such a devil.
The next monologue takes place in Act 4, Scene 1. All of the main women are in this scene, and here they set up her eventual agreement to marry Anne. She is still doubtful, but the other women point out that she will be safer if she is on Richard's good side. In her monologue, Anne complains that there are lots of reasons not to marry Richard, only one of which being that he killed her former husband. She claims that their marriage will only end in hate, and really she won't be as safe as the other women claim. However, Queen Elizabeth (who in many ways is a counterpart to Richard) dismisses the "angel's" woes.
In many ways, Anne is being set up here. She doesn't really have any true female support, or anyone who empathizes with her fate. In many ways, the other women envy her position, because she is being romanced by the most powerful man in the country. In many ways, kings appear to be interchangeable to them, so that they can't understand Anne's loyalty to Edward.
It is important to note that much of the interaction of Anne and Edward is an exaggerated fiction created by Shakespeare. Anne and Edward were childhood friends in real life. In fact, many of the problems between Anne and Edward were caused by the other people in the kingdom. Although this marriage did give Richard more power, the affection between them was also a factor in their decision to marry. However, Shakespeare changed this, making Anne's role a very different one. Anne becomes a device, rather than a historical figure by making these changes.
However, despite the historical changes made by Shakespeare, Anne surfaces as an interesting character who in the end is much more powerful and independent than otherwise thought. First of all, Anne has the power of speech in the plays. She can develop her thoughts, and express them to other people. In the monologues, she examines her choices; in many ways, is the most honest character in the play. She is willing to say that the "Emperor has no clothes" when no one else does. Although Anne dies, you can see this as the result of her own cursing. The angel's possession of any hate leads to her own downfall.
With all of the good characteristics, it is easy to question Anne's eventual decision to marry Edward. In many ways, you can see this as an acceptance of her own fate. She is destined to be in the royal house, even though she isn't of royal blood. She really, once her father-in-law, and husband dies, has nowhere to go. She never changes her mind about Richard, nor is there any evidence that she loves him, or denies her earlier curses. Anne is independent of spirit; in the end, it is her soul that is untouched.
Bibliography
Kendall, Paul Murray, Richard the Third, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY 1956
Murph, Roxanne C. Richard III: The Making of a Legend, Metuchen, NJ, Scarecrow Press, 1984
Saccio, Peter, Shakepeare's English Kings, Oxford University Press, New York, NY 2000
Wells, Stanley, Gary Taylor, The Complete Oxford Shakespeare, Vol. I, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1987