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 is the theme \ego can cloud a persons judgment\ developed in this scene?

king richard believes he can win the battle despite having fewer forces.
king richard heads into battle knowing about lord stanleys betrayal.
king richard is too focused on planning the battle to realize hes been betrayed.
king richard does not believe he can be betrayed until it actually happens.

Explanation:

Analyze the context and character behavior

The introductory text states that Lord Stanley is present in support of Richmond, but King Richard initially believes Lord Stanley is on his own side. Richard's dialogue shows him dismissing Richmond's capabilities ("never trained up in arms") and confidently preparing for battle, demonstrating how his self-importance and overconfidence (ego) blind him to the reality of Stanley's betrayal.

Evaluate the options against the theme

• Option 1: Focuses on force size, which is not the primary blind spot highlighted by the introduction's mention of Lord Stanley's hidden betrayal.
• Option 2: Incorrect, as the text states Richard initially believes Stanley is on his side, meaning he does not head into battle knowing about the betrayal.
• Option 3: Incorrect, as his blindness stems from his supreme self-confidence and belief in his own position, not from being too busy planning.
• Option 4: Correctly aligns with the introduction's setup: Richard's ego makes him believe he is secure and cannot be betrayed, leaving him completely unaware of Stanley's true allegiance until it is too late.

Answer:

• King Richard believes he can win the battle despite having fewer forces.
• King Richard heads into battle knowing about Lord Stanley's betrayal.
• King Richard is too focused on planning the battle to realize he's been betrayed.
• King Richard does not believe he can be betrayed until it actually happens. (Correct answer)