Romney and Richard The 111

Shakespeare

If any of the GOP hopefuls would go see Richard the 111 they might get some fresh ideas about doing their opponents in, so to speak. Gingrich’s maybe dig up Santaurums wife’s birther who was an abortion doctor. Ron Paul might figure out that “Mitt” is short for Mitsva a Jewish word for a gift. Romney could take his wife skiing maybe her binding breaks loose. She goes over a cliff. Romney now gets it on with Nancy Reagan and the White House is in sight. Stuff like that but even that’s very tame stuff compared to Richard's.

Last night we went to see Kevin Spacey as Richard the 111. I have seen a variety of actors play this role it has always confounded me. It doesn’t take much time into this play to realize that this man, Richard the 111 is the essence of evil. By the way, from what I have learned it has not much to do with the real Richard the 111. Writers at the time of Shakespeare assumed that this Richard was written as a competition with Christopher Marlowe. These two writers were in a fierce competition to get their plays performed by the Queens players before Elizabeth. Sensationalism was very much part of the stakes. Maybe,that’s the same as now?

This production had the players wearing suits and ties as well as some television like screens in the background. I have always had trouble with the idea that you can put Shakespeare plays in modern costume to make the point that they are HISTORICALLY UNIVERSAL. Well, yes, no and maybe. Feudalism was in its full glory at the time of this play 400 years ago. The Dukes and Duchesses were huge landowners with an army of peasants who worked the soil and could be called up for battle. This was totally the era of the landed Gentry. Not at all like modern times of Corporate Gentry.

What Shakespeare has to say about human drives, desires, wishes, jealousies, envy, and most of all power, are as relevant today as they were in the 1600s. However what is very different is the context. Looking at the Republican primary the closest we come to skulduggery was hauling out Gingriche’s 2nd wife to squeal about his open marriage proposal. I suppose the so called Arab Spring Dictators might be closer to the plays action. But as I said, the times are quite different. Getting back to the play. It is primarily about power and how a most evil man can achieve it.

Here’s my dilemma. Watching this play I have often felt if this was a silent movie we would be booing and hissing Richard every time he reveals a new murder plot to get him closer to Kingship. He repeatedly turns to the audience for approval. And in our silence we give it to him. So? is the audience part of his evil plot? Yet in the play I am admiring the acting while I hate what it stands for. At the end instead of booing and hissing I’m yelling bravo in celebration of an exciting production. Oh yes I think Spacey was not paying attention to Shakespeare's, instructions to the Players.
“O, it offends me to the soul to hear a --------fellow tear a passion to tatters.” Spacey sure did, Further, “ is to hold, a mirror up to nature,” ---------- and don;t overdue it, Spacey! And yes he sure did.

And of course like so much of everything else in our culture wow em and sock em is essential. I assure you the ending will shock you and the ghost of the Bard would probably say,”Now how’d they do that? I know but I wont tell cause you might want to go see it. And by the way even the ending wouldn't help Romney.