Question

richard iii
by william shakespeare (excerpt)
act v, scene 3

shakespeare based this play on the real-life king richard of england. the play centers on his quest for power as richard uses manipulation, deceit, and murder to ascend to the throne of england. in this excerpt, the duke of richmond has arrived nearby to challenge richard in battle. richmonds stepfather, lord stanley, is also present in support of richmond, though richard at first believes him to be on his own side. richard and his companions, ratliff and norfolk, decide how to respond to both richmond and lord stanley.

(re-enter king richard, ratcliff, attendants and forces)
king richard iii: what said northumberland as touching richmond?
ratcliff: that he was never trained up in arms.
king richard iii: he said the truth; and what said surrey then?
ratcliff: he smiled and said the better for our purpose.
king richard iii: he was in the right; and so indeed it is.
(clock striketh)
tell the clock there. give me a calendar.
who saw the sun to-day?

select the correct answer.
how does the order of events create tension or surprise in the passage?

• by waiting until king richard is ready for battle to learn of lord stanleys betrayal
• by placing king richards speech to his army after norfolk shares the warning note
• by having king richard describe his battle plans to ratcliff and norfolk
• by making king richard wait until after the battle to kill lord stanleys son

Explanation:

Analyze the dramatic context and plot sequence

In Shakespeare's Richard III, Act V, Scene 3, King Richard is preparing for the Battle of Bosworth Field. He has long counted on the support of Lord Stanley, despite Stanley being the stepfather of his rival, Richmond. The dramatic tension is heightened because the revelation of Stanley's ultimate refusal to fight for Richard (and his active betrayal) is withheld until the very last moments when battle preparations are fully underway, maximizing the suspense and stakes for Richard's impending downfall.

Evaluate the given multiple-choice options

• Option 1: "by waiting until King Richard is ready for battle to learn of Lord Stanley's betrayal" directly addresses how delaying this critical piece of information until the brink of battle maximizes dramatic tension.
• Option 2: Placing the speech after Norfolk's warning note is a standard sequence of military preparation but does not serve as the primary engine of structural surprise or tension compared to the betrayal.
• Option 3: Describing battle plans is a routine expositional event rather than a source of sudden tension or surprise.
• Option 4: The order of events regarding Stanley's son (George Stanley) is a consequence of the betrayal, but the primary structural tension is built on the timing of learning about Stanley's defection itself.

Answer:

• (A) by waiting until King Richard is ready for battle to learn of Lord Stanley's betrayal (Correct answer)
• (B) by placing King Richard's speech to his army after Norfolk shares the warning note
• (C) by having King Richard describe his battle plans to Ratcliff and Norfolk
• (D) by making King Richard wait until after the battle to kill Lord Stanley's son