William Shakespeare, Richard III

For introductory, background and other resources, try Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Age . For links to other plays, try the Shakespeare Main Page.

60-Second Shakespeare
On this page, a tabloid-style summary of the play from the BBC. Follow links to learn how your students can produce something similar.

Impressionist Jim Meskimen Does Shakespeare in Celebrity Voices
Jim Meskimen performs Clarence's speech from Richard III as a number of different celebrities: Ricky Gervais, Craig Ferguson, Morgan Freeman, and more.

Lecture on Shakespeare's Transformation of Medieval Tragedy and an Introduction to Richard III
Text of a lecture prepared by Ian Johnston of Malaspina University-College.

Richard III
Plot summary, themes, historical background, more.

Richard III
Text of the play.

A Teacher's Guide to Richard III
Scene-by-scene synopsis, online sources of background information, characteristics of history plays, themes, language, discussion questions, activities, and more. This 19-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

The Tragedy of King Richard III
A synopsis of the play in colorful graphic novel format. This 1-page handout requires Adobe Reader for access.

The Tragedy of Richard III
Introduction and practice with 5-act struture; conflict; themes, symbols, and motifs; the tragic hero, vocabulary, more. Note: sponsored link.