Tyler Carson
Professor Matthew Sergi
ENG331
13 February 2014
“Diffused
Infection”: The Performance of Disease in Richard
III
In regards to
Shakespeare’s Richard III, much
discussion has been made on the point of Richard’s physically deformed body. In
her article, “Performing Disability and Theorizing Deformity,” Katherine Schaap
Williams argues that while Richard’s body is frequently kept in focus by
characters of the play, it is deliberately kept ambiguous in its description
(758). Richard’s opening monologue features “vocabulary of scorn” (762), as he
decries his body for its apparent disability. “Richard wants his audience to
believe that his deformed body is his identity, and that his body is disabling
within his social setting” (762). His body acts as one of his defining characteristics,
however, as Williams argues, he never provides any concrete examples of his
disability. Instead he only offers vague details about his physical appearance.
Richard explains what his body is unable to do, rather than what it is capable
of. Williams argues that Richard is able to use his ambiguous form to his
advantage, as he is able to play up the extent of his limitations. That is, he
is able to perform the role of a severely crippled individual, seemingly benign
in his intentions. This grants him the element of surprise when he begins to
move towards his endgame. With Williams’ concept of an ambiguous form in mind,
Richard’s performance becomes analogous to a disease. Shakespeare’s use of
language brings to mind the idea of Richard’s fluid body as infection, wherein
one cannot physically see it with their own eyes, but they feel the brutal
effects of it all the same. As a disease, Richard is able to invade the healthy
bodies of the other characters, forcing them to act in ways that are unnatural
to them.
To
a culture absent modern medical knowledge, the concept of disease would have
been a complete and terrifying mystery. Disease would have been a hidden menace
to the body. Like disease, Shakespeare depicts Richard as always in hiding. The
word “hide” acts in a duel capacity as both the verb and the noun. Meaning both
an act of concealment as well as a synonym for skin, the two meanings are subtly
connected to establish Richard’s deceptive character. The act of hiding is an
important element of the play. In one instance, Richard speaks of being
“cheated of feature by dissembling Nature” (1.1.19). While an obvious critical comment
on his physical state of being, Shakespeare’s choice of words also brings
forward the question of Richard’s own nature. It is established that his nature
is one of dissemblance. As a synonym for hiding, “dissembling Nature” implies
that Richard’s body is in fact designed to be hidden from view.
Williams
argues that Richard grows to accept the body that he once decried when he comes
to realize what he is able to accomplish with it (763). As an example of
meta-theatricality, Richard’s ability is connected to the idea of performance.
Having no true form, Richard is able to shape his own body in the eyes of the
other characters and is therefore able to shape his performance. While the idea
of the adaptability of infections would have been lost on the original
audience, Richard’s almost Darwinian ability to assume a new form to further
his survival is reminiscent of many of the diseases still plaguing humanity
today. However, Richard’s infection is not of a physical nature. Richard corrupts
the moral being of the other characters. Through Richard, Shakespeare establishes
disease and corruption as one and the same.
In
order for an infection to thrive, it requires a host’s body through which it
can spread. If Richard is the infection, the other characters act as the
healthy bodies that he will consume and destroy. Because Richard makes a point
of setting his “deformed [and] unfinished” (1.1.20) body against those of the
other characters, it can be assumed that they possess bodies that are more
typically developed. Shakespeare establishes the other characters as lacking the
deceptive abilities of Richard. It is their difference to Richard that sets
them up as representations of the healthy human body. For example, The Duchess
of York denies any responsibility in Richard’s behaviour, despite being the
woman who created him. She insists that “from [her] dugs he drew not this
deceit” (2.2.30). In other words, she is using her own body to argue that she
is incapable of performing the acts that Richard has committed, as it lacks the
qualities to do so.
Furthermore,
Shakespeare establishes that the ability to deceive is not only a quality that
the other characters lack, but it is something that goes against the natural
order. Addressing Hastings and Rivers, King Edward puts forth the following
instruction, “dissemble not your hatred, swear your love” (2.1.8). The word “dissemblance”
appears again, this time being set up as something that is against the divine order
of The King. Shakespeare demonstrates that a morally healthy person is not only
unable to deceive, but that they are divinely commanded to behave in a moral
fashion. Therefore the supporting characters become representations of the body
in its intended, natural form. By being unable to perform these acts, an
external force must invade these characters and force them to behave immorally.
Williams
focuses her article on Richard’s own ability to perform, but what is similarly
intriguing is how he is able to convince others to perform. Richard uses his
ability to influence others to perform violent acts that they would not
otherwise consider. In this way, the acts that Richard’s victims perform serve
as the symptoms of his disease. Although their business is murder, the two
murderers sent to kill Clarence are the first example of Richard’s ability, as
they are moved to act in such a way by his hand. However, Clarence invokes
Christ’s name to argue that performing an act of murder is against the laws of
nature (1.4.192). At this point, Richard is only in the early stages of his
outbreak, thus the fact that the second murderer is able to overcome Richard’s
infection suggests that his power over the human body has not quite reached
maximum virulence.
It
is his interactions with Anne that best exemplifies Richard as infectious disease.
“Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes” (1.2.148). Anne is able to see
Richard for what he is. Yet despite her clarity of vision even her body is powerless
against disease. Through his masterful manipulation, Richard is able to successfully
woo Anne, despite possessing a body that is “not shaped for such sportive
tricks” (1.1.14). Richard is correct in his assertion that he is “not shaped,”
and it is precisely because of this that he is able to trick Anne into letting
him in. With her submission to Richard, Anne’s body is forced to perform an act
that is against her nature. In the end Richard literally poisons Anne, but she
was poisoned the moment he was able to successfully take over her body. And
once his disease had fully ravaged her body, once her usefulness ran out, he disposed
of her and he moved to the next host.
Shakespeare
shows his audience the ease in which the human body can be manipulated. Richard
acts as a type of infection, that can force the human body to participate in actions
that are in direct opposition of its own nature. Williams reasons that this
ability is derived from his formless body. Despite characters’ comments to the
contrary, Richard’s handicapped body is actually shown to be without much in
the way of limitation. Since his body is in direct contrast to the other
characters, and it is shown to be without disability, it can then be argued
that it is in fact the other characters who are at a physical disadvantage. Shakespeare
highlights the vulnerabilities and disabilities that we as human beings face.
Our bodies are all too susceptible to disease and corruption. Through Richard
we see just how crippled the human race really is.
Works Cited
Shakespeare,
William. Richard III. Ed. Peter
Holland. Penguin Books: London, 2000. Print.
Williams,
Katherine Schaap. “Performing Disability and Theorizing Deformity.” English Studies
94.7 (2013): 757-772. Scholars Portal Journals. Web. 19 Jan.
2014.
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