Reining over Reality: Power and Performance in Shakespeare's Henry VIII and Richard III

Plots. Hidden motives. Subtlety, falseness, treachery: Richard III, Wolsey—each of these leaders engage in the craft of deception, in subtle avenues of power-wielding, to preserve authority. Wolsey flatters, double deals, and eliminates other favorites with King Henry VIII in his desire to achieve the papacy. Similarly, Richard III lies, betrays, kills, and flatters his way to the throne. William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII and Richard III each, in following its respective monarch, examine performance as it’s used to gain, maintain, and wield power.

As the term “performance” carries with it many definitions and connotations, I will define it here as deliberate behaviors by some characters to manipulate the way others perceive reality; fiction-making. My argument will often use the terms “performance” and “deception” interchangeably, on the basis of my categorization of deceit as a type of performance. I have done so to emphasize Shakespeare’s consciousness of the theatricality of power, to accentuate both the performative and ambitious elements of the behaviors I’m examining.

With an exploration of performance’s capacity to influence audience, this piece focuses on the thoughts, emotions, and circumstances of characters—their “realities.” Again, the broadness and complexity of the term “reality” necessitates a more concrete definition. Here, reality means “existence” or “truth.” It’s an aspect or version of truth; possibility. My definition of reality therefore includes the existence of ideas, including the concept of ideas as potential. With this in mind, my argument demonstrates that control over a person’s realities represents the ultimate control over that individual