Women's Roles in Richard III

Women have many different roles in this play, but they are mostly defined by their relationships with the men. The women repeatedly voice their frustration with the men in the play, yet they have no tangible control over the plot. The only women who have any form of control in the play are those who have lost their male relatives. In the beginning it is only Margaret who possesses this power, but when Richard kills his brothers and the princes, Queen Elizabeth and the duchess become like Margaret.

Margaret is a one-dimensional character that seems to wander aimlessly around the castle cursing under her breath to herself. She is a metaphor for the struggles of women in England who had to completely rely on men to survive. Since she has no male relative to take care of her, she relies on the charity of the royals who murdered her family. She appears to be helpless and irrelevant, but in reality she is one of the more powerful characters in the play. At the beginning of the play she puts on Richard and his family foreshadow the coming tragedies. It is her pain and suffering that give power to her curses.

The younger women in the play seem to be more reliant on the male characters to obtain power. They are used as pawns so the men can remain in power. Lady Anne promises to marry Richard shortly after Richard killed her husband. She hates Richard for her husband’s death, but by marrying him, she will become queen. Young Elizabeth is promised to Richmond so the houses of York and Lancaster could unite. She has no power over her future, like many women of the time.

The women’s roles in the play are directly related to their relationships with the men. They possess no power until they have lost all of their male relatives. Their power comes from their grief and pain, but it is the only way they can be free.