Richard III Man and the Natural World Quotes

Here Richard compares the seasons to the well-being of England. On the surface, the line suggests that Richard is celebrating his brother Edward's ascension to the throne, as though his coronation had transformed winter to summer. Actually though, if we read carefully, the construction of the line belies Richard's happiness for his brother. The opening line of a play often sets the tone. Richard's first words, "Now is the winter of our discontent" probably more aptly sum up the play than any other line. They refer to the here and now, which Richard intends to make miserable. The play is really about the darkest of dark times, and only with Richard's death will England's long winter end, to be followed by a summer rebirth with the union of Richmond and young Elizabeth.

Richard speaks of himself as unnatural, brought into the world before he was fully formed. He's referring to his body (remember, he was thought to have a hunchback), but he segues into talking about how he is morally underdeveloped as well. With the line "I am determined to prove a villain," Richard has essentially made the link between his underdevelopment and his wickedness. Had he been better formed, he would have human kindness, but just as his body was not perfectly formed, morality did not form in him either. It seems that Richard lacks human goodness and kindness by his very nature, not by choice.

Richard is constantly compared to animals in this play.  Here, however, he deftly maneuvers around it.  Anne claims even beasts know pity, and Richard claims that because he knows no pity, then he must not be a beast.

Shakespeare does some of his best writing when echoing the beauty of nature. Clarence's dreams extol both the wonder and dread of the ocean. It's rich with the goods of jewels and profit of men, which represent the inevitability of death. All the stuff we amass in life turns into nothing but food for the fish, or the worms (as in Hamlet). Human mortality is contrasted with boundless, unconcerned nature. A man's life amounts to nothing but what he was. Clarence fears death, and Richard has yet to face it. This poetic passage is a precursor to Shakespeare's later writing. The mortality theme is reminiscent of the "full fathoms give thy father lies" speech of The Tempest, and the richness of the imagery suggests the scene where Cleopatra descends down the Nile in Antony and Cleopatra.

The toils of man are contrasted with nature, which creeps steadily along, night and day, regardless of whether man lives or dies. Men are nothing special to the natural world. Their status in society may lead to nothing but heartache. Their titles mean nothing when faced with the great equalizer, death.

The citizens make sense of the political events of the play with reference to the predictable events of nature. Men are just a part of nature, no more impenetrable than the simplest facts of the natural world. In the end, nature is the mysterious work of God. No matter what the men fear or hope, God will decide how things turn out, both for nature and men.

Translation: Those who die young are often precocious, like these young princes whom Richard will murder.  Richard looks at the child he plans to murder and is able to equate his intended evil with the natural cycle of the seasons. It's as if he's justifying his evil as part of the natural cycle. 

Hastings does not make much of Stanley's dream, but he should catch himself here. Like a beast, Richard seems to lack reasonableness. The tiniest thing will set him off to pursue, sensibly or not, whomever he perceives to be his enemy. The boar is a beastly animal, and nothing more should be expected from it than beastliness. Richard will chase after the lives of both Stanley and Hastings, even if they did not know they were inviting him to pursuit.

Richard is unnatural, and his effects on the natural happiness of a kingdom under God have been understandably horrifying. Richard has presided over a long winter in England, and he rules like a beastly and unnatural thing. The implication is that Richmond, the babe of summer, will restore the natural order of justice and goodness to England.

A beautiful new day is dawning on the battlefield. It's no coincidence that it's a new dawn for England too, as Richard will not last past the sunset.

Richmond's camp has actually already begun to see the dawn breaking – they've been preparing for this morning for quite some time. Richard comforts himself by thinking that if he can't see the sun, Richmond can't either. He doesn't think about the fact that he has reveled in being unnatural for the whole play. The bounty of nature's days will not shine on him as it will on Richmond, a wholly natural creature in alignment with all that's good and right. Richmond will righteously go out to greet the sun, both literally and metaphorically in battle. (And also in the sense that he will unite with the daughter of Edward IV, whose family symbol was the sun.)