To thee I do commend my watchful soul , Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes : Sleeping and waking , O , defend me still ! ( Act 5 , Scene 3 )
As such , I can say that Richard III , as the coda to the cycle of Shakespeare ’ s History Plays , is more than just a “ political ” play , as God , culture , nature and the supernatural come together to banish Richard , presumably the sum total of all the residual evil , and bring in Richmond the savior , who as King Henry VII will become the founder of the Tudor Dynasty as well as grandfather to Queen Elizabeth . Therefore , to sum up and reiterate my initial point , what is promoted and perpetuated by Shakespeare ’ s History Plays regarding the Matter of England , especially Richard III , is in effect a timeless legend that fares beyond the mere drama of the plays : it is an ideological myth , the Tudor Myth .
Works Cited
Frazer , James George . The Golden Bough : A Study of Magic and Religion . New Zealand : The Floating Press , 2009 . Print .
Williams , Raymond . Marxism and Literature . Oxford and New York : Oxford University Press , 1977 . Print .
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