Final Thoughts on Richard III

So it’s time to move on. I can say most definitively that despite the swing-and-a-miss that was the 1995 movie version of this play, Richard III is high on my list of favorites (the top perhaps?). Some final musings:

• One of the longest plays in the canon, the depth and breadth of this one is at times overwhelming. It’s also problematic in that, as a sequel to all of the Henry VI plays, it references them all over the place, causing confusion if you are unfamiliar with the predecessor plays. Lots of characters to keep straight too…staging this thing must be a bitch.
• It’s strange that I disliked Al Pacino as Shylock in the movie version of The Merchant of Venice but absolutely loved him as Richard III (see my previous post). Was it the character that made the difference? Or the actor playing the character? Or my state of mind at the time? Or all of these things?
• I am hereby vowing to memorize the opening lines of the play. They are just too good not to. This play easily has some of the most brilliant and memorable lines ever produced by Shakespeare. So there!