Class Description
At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play Richard III, Richard, alone on stage states that “I am determinèd to prove a villain.” And so he does—murdering any who stand in his way with abandon. But was the historical Richard really such a villain? During his brother Edward IV’s reign Richard was known for his loyalty and competence. But on his brother’s death in 1483, Richard declared his nephews illegitimate and took the crown. The uncrowned twelve year old Edward V and his younger brother Richard were lodged in the Tower, and not seen again. In 1485 Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth field, where Richard was killed. The new king Henry VII had his followers present Richard as a monster who among those he murdered were the Princes in the Tower. Thus, Henry’s victory saved England. In this class we examine the successes and failures of Richard’s life and reign, how the view of the villainous Richard developed, and then in more recent centuries, was countered by some historians as well as enthusiasts who formed the Richard III society.
Carole Levin, Willa Cather Professor of History Emerita of the University of Nebraska, is the author or editor of over twenty books as well as a playwright and poet, and has won awards for her teaching.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 18
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Instructor-Distributed Materials
First Assignment
- Please read excerpts from William Shakespeare’s Richard III and Thomas Costain’s The Last Plantagenets. After doing the reading, consider all the different reasons for such a wide disparity of beliefs about Richard III’s character.
Cost and Registration
This class is full, but you can still register for the waitlist on Learning Stream.
1 Session, $75 ($67.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($75), Community Supported ($70), and Sponsor ($80). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
Having trouble signing up? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to registration by clicking here.
Register for WaitlistThe views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.
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