Today in Theatre and Film History
+ The Details Your College Professor Left Out
June 26, 1483
1/6
Richard III is coronated King of England.
+ The Details Your College Professor Left Out
June 26, 1483
1/6
Richard III is coronated King of England.
2/6
Richard III had mild scoliosis, but was famously depicted by Shakespeare as an ugly hunchback, "rudely stamp'd", "deformed, unfinish'd." Correspondingly, The Bard depeicted his soul as that of a "child killer," "murderer," "usurper." His hunch was an easy signifier of his
Richard III had mild scoliosis, but was famously depicted by Shakespeare as an ugly hunchback, "rudely stamp'd", "deformed, unfinish'd." Correspondingly, The Bard depeicted his soul as that of a "child killer," "murderer," "usurper." His hunch was an easy signifier of his
3/6 rotten soul in Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare's political depiction of Richard was false and harsh in order to appease and ingratiate himself to the current Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I whose grandfather was responsible for Richard's defeat, and Shakespeare's false physical
4/6 depiction helped to dramaturgically solidify this.
To this day, the “twisted body, twisted mind” trope serves as a shortcut to character and narrative. Disability performance scholar Victoria Anne Lewis writes in “The Dramaturgy of Disability,” that the stereotype of
To this day, the “twisted body, twisted mind” trope serves as a shortcut to character and narrative. Disability performance scholar Victoria Anne Lewis writes in “The Dramaturgy of Disability,” that the stereotype of
5/6 physical difference as a signifier of evil is so ingrained, that screenwriting manuals suggest rookie writers give their villains a limp or amputated limb as a way to instantly signify their dangerousness.
6/6 If you are curious to know more, Victoria Lewis' "The Dramaturgy of Disability" is a great starting point http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.act2080.0037.318