Richard III: Myth versus Fact

We're going on a field trip!!

During your virtual field trip, you will be keeping a travel journal in which you write your reactions to the trip and answer the questions I give you after each part of the field trip.

**To begin your virtual field trip, you will first be going on a tour throughout England to explore some of the historic landmarks that served as locations for many important events that occurred in Shakespeare's play Richard III as well as in real life.

(1) Click on the link below to begin your tour!

https://tourbuilder.withgoogle.com/builder#play/ahJzfmd3ZWItdG91cmJ1aWxkZXJyEQsSBFRvdXIYgICAsset_gsM

After you complete your tour, answer this question in your travel journal:
How are the events in Shakespeare's play, Richard III, connected to the historical sites that you went to during your tour?

Scroll down to continue...

**Now that you have taken your tour, you will become experts on how historical fiction, in general, and Shakespeare's Richard III, in particular, relate to real history.

(2) Read the following article BEGINNING AT "The Problem of 'Truth': Historical Fiction or Fictional History?" and through the conclusion.

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/fall98/brown.html

After reading this source, answer this question in your travel journal:

What difficulties do authors of fiction have when basing their works on a historical person, event, or period?

(3) Go to the website below. Once there, look on the lefthand side of the page and click the link under "The controversies" that reads "Richard & that play!"

http://www.richardiii.net/2_5_0_riii_controversy.php#play

(4) Watch this video discussing Richard III and Shakespeare's portrayal of the king:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nExmaclO8ZY

After reading the above source and viewing the video, answer this question in your travel journal:

Why is Shakespeare's Richard III often viewed as being largely based on myth or propaganda?

Continue on to the next post...

** It is important to remember that literature can be influenced by myth just as myth can be perpetuated by literature and, thanks to technology, the adaptations of literary works (i.e. films). Look at the following images and watch the video clip to determine whether this may be the case for Richard III and Shakespeare's portrayal of the king.

(5) View these photos of Richard III, which include his portrayal on canvas as well as in film.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132089757@N07/

(6) Watch this short video:

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/medieval-masters-of-spin/20686

After you finish viewing the photos and the video, answer these questions in your travel journal:
1. Knowing how Shakespeare describes Richard in the play, could these paintings be the basis for that description? What are the similarities? Are there any differences?
2. Do the features that Shakespeare gives Richard III in the play make it into film adaptations as well? How?