“It_Is_How_Individuals_React_to_the_World_Around_Them_That_Reveals_the_Most_Interesting_Connections_Between_Texts.”

The individuals in King Richard III and Looking for Richard create strong connections between the texts. It is how the composers, William Shakespeare and Al Pacino, react to the world around them that creates connections between the texts. These connections show how the texts, regardless of the vast differences in context, are interconnected and occupy each other. Through the characters, the composers portray themes such as morality, conscience and fate. Al Pacino explores context, audience and purpose to make connections between the texts and inevitably becomes so immersed in the docu-drama that he can be seen by the audience as one with Richard. The composers are connected through their endeavours to tell the complex story of King Richard III. Shakespeare and Al Pacino aim to present the characters and plot in an artistic way that is both entertaining and evokes contemplation of the themes such as morality and consequence. However, truly valued art has a social significance behind its outward appearance and its composer has a strong purpose. Shakespeare and Al Pacino have underlying contextual aims when presenting Richard’s story. Shakespeare alludes to the War of the Roses in attempt glorify the Tudors struggle for the crown. Richard is an exaggeration of a Machiavellian politician and the evils the Tudors overcame to win their position. Similarly, Al Pacino aims to create connections to the between Shakespeare and the American audience that appears to have lost touch with classical literature. “It has always been a dream of mine to communicate how I feel about Shakespeare to other people.”-Al Pacino Pacino’s motive is to reawaken the American audience to Shakespeare by adapting the play to fit a modern context and making the audience connect to the themes that are still relevant to modern society. These motives demonstrate how texts can be used to enlighten audiences to the world around them despite the time and context. Al Pacino illuminates Shakespeare’s text and allows for a new appreciation and understanding of Richard. In Elizabethan times theatre and art were central to society. Only the wealthy could afford history books and women were not allowed to attend school so plays were not only written and viewed for their entertainment purposes but also for education. Shakespeare’s characterisation I King Richard III reflects this as the characters he incorporates in the play such as Richard and Richmond represent current and previous nobles. “Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York,” Act I, Scene I, Line 1-2 An Elizabethan audience associates this to the War of Roses. As they valued plays that reflected current events the audience would appreciate this connection. Contextually much has changed since these times, in particular the way we view texts. Live acting and the theatre has fallen since the rise of technology and more accessible entertainment. Al Pacino’s representation of Shakespeare’s text reflects current trends in film and television. Drama and documentary forms appeal to a modern audience. The drama part of the text engages the audience and connects to the original text through its themes. The documentary part of the text gives the audience educational insight into every aspect of the play such as rehearsals, characterisation and locations while illuminating King Richard III. There is a compelling relationship between the role of Richard in the play and the role of Al Pacino in the docu-drama. From the very beginning of the play Richard has enormous power. Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing in Richard’s opening soliloquy expresses this domineering direction over the events that follow. This foreshadowing is evident in the lines: “I am determined to prove a villain” Act I, Scene I, Line 30 This power balance is reflected in the docu-drama. Just as Richard’s determination and his cunning prowess allow him to direct the events of the play, Al Pacino uses his passion for acting and skills as an experienced director to implement his ideas and direction to the docu-drama. He asserts his role as director and uses the actors and everyday people around him to create his vision. The themes discussed in King Richard III are still relevant to a modern audience. The timeless ideas and values Shakespeare discusses such as human nature and justice are significant themes in both texts . Although Shakespeare was commissioned to write for a political purpose he philosophically discusses values such as what it is to be truly human. Richard is portrayed as being on the edge of humanity by Shakespeare’s use of animal imagery such as a ‘dog’, ‘toad’, ‘hedgehog’, ‘rooting hog’ and a ‘demon’. This is also a major theme in Pacino’s text as human nature and moral empathy continue to be important parts of society. Richard is conveyed in a different way in the modern text as the paradigms have changed since Shakespeare’s play script was produced. However, the values of human society and human nature have remained and therefore the themes of this Shakespearian play remain relevant to audiences over 400 years later. The variation is how we perceive these themes and the shifting accepted views and context of society. Morals and conscience are strong themes that run through both texts. Richard confronts the consequences of what he has done as he finally, although briefly considers the fate of his victims and his own conscience. The short sharp sentences used by Richard in his soliloquy in Act V represent his inability to comprehend strong human feelings and come to terms with the effects of what he has done. “My conscience hath a thousand several tongue, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain.” Act V, Scene III, lines 196-199 In Looking for Richard ……… discusses this lack of emotion but conveys his opinions through the use of powerful emotive language such as: ‘We have no feelings… That’s why it’s easy for us to get a gun and shoot each other. We don’t feel for each other.’ The themes of ethics and conscience link the texts as they have remained important throughout society since Shakespearian times. Conscience and integrity help define what it is to be human and Richards acts demonstrate the extremes of personality. Richard is seen to have several personalities throughout the text. His various reactions reveal the depth of his inner personality and the facade he creates to fool the other characters. In Shakespeare’s text Richard’s manifestations are shown by his constant use of asides. When playing his role as the manipulator Richard uses asides to hint at the fate of Prince Edward. “So wise so young, they say, do never live long.” Act III, Scene I, Line 79 These asides remind us of Richard’s skilful deception and his many appearances. Al Pacino integrates this fascinating duplicity to his docu-drama with the effective use of editing. He fluently composes the text in a way that allows a modern audience to experience the diverse complexity of Richard. This is a result of his use of short scenes and frequent cuts. This composition makes the responder see Richards personality in a more positive way. We see his deception as less of a corrupted battle for personal glory and more of a ingeniously acted out plan. Richard is an exceptionally talented actor and he easily works his way through any situation. This is reflected by Al Pacino’s involvement in the docu-drama and his passionate acting. His acting is so involved and his techniques such as method acting are so immersive that at times he becomes Richard. Richard’s deformity is seen sympathetically by a modern audience as they not only understand more about disabilities but are more accepting of diversity and people feel moral empathy. It is viewed as a physical deformity not a feature of his evil distorted mind. Pacino describes Shakespeare use of Richards deformity as: “Shakespeare has exaggerated his deformity in order to body forth dramatically, visually, metaphorically the corruption of his mind. ” -Al Pacino However, in Looking for Richard his physical deformity is not a product of his malice, it is part of his motive to become an evil character. In the 16th century Richard’s defects would have been thought to have arisen from a deformity of his soul. Richards deformity reflected his inner corruption and helps justify his evil deeds. “And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain” Act I, Scene I, Line 28-30 Pacino establishes connections to the locations in King Richard III to assist not only the audience that may not relate to the scenes in the English text but the American actors. He makes these links by researching and visiting some of the main settings of the play. “Fredric and I decided to go to the actual theatre where Richard III was performed some years ago… We thought we’d rehearse and see if we could get a sense of those old sprits. Method acting-type stuff..” -Al Pacino Various members of the cast visit locations such as the Tower of London and Shakespeare’s birthplace. This helps the audience gain greater understanding of the play by introducing them to the vastly different context in which the play takes place. The use of method acting also assists the actors in coming to terms with Shakespearian acting. This is vital as Kimball voices: “Actors truly are the possessors of a tradition, the proud inheritors of the understanding of Shakespeare.” -Fredric Kimball For the actors to truly connect to King Richard III¬ they must grasp more then how to act the play, they must have a strong understanding of the meaning behind the text. This is essential as the actors are the individuals who divulge the play to the public and it is their perspectives and ideas that are communicated. The individuals in King Richard III and Looking for Richard reveal deep connections between the two texts. Al Pacino plays a substantial role in connecting the texts through exploring the context, audience and purpose of the text and the themes it encompasses. Through his endeavours to shed light on the text he immerses himself in both Shakespeare and Richard and to some extent becomes Richard. What is most interesting about the connections between these texts is that despite their individual purpose, context and audience that shape the way they are presented they show how the texts illuminate each other as they become one in the mind of the responder.