The Artistic Links between William Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More: Radically Different Richards

Charles A. Hallett

Approaching the subject from a dramaturgical point of view, this investigation differs from anything that has been written about the relationship between Thomas More and William Shakespeare. Charles A. Hallett and Elaine S. Hallett define, in specific terms, what Shakespeare learned from his study of More’s History and how he exploited that knowledge to heighten the drama in his enduring masterpiece Richard III. “The relevance of More to Richard III is familiar enough, but the script’s transformation of his details has never been so comprehensively reviewed. The book proceeds through the play scene by scene, ingeniously stressing the cumulative effect of Shakespeare’s development of Richard’s perspective as the key to the success of the script. Many of the detailed observations are thoughtful and clarify the exact working of theatrical effects in the scenes, which should be of interest to actors as well as critics. .”-- Hugh Richmond, Professor Emeritus of English, University of California Berkeley and Director of “Shakespeare’s Staging”