Richard Flawed Character

In an age of political correctness, people love to root for the character who doesn’t seem to follow any social confines, a morally flawed character, and a character who is unapologetic in their actions. But what is it within our human nature that is drawn to these morally wrong characters. My intrigue with this led me to put on the production of Richard III. A character who is so clearly immoral, yet we find ourselves almost liking. As a director it was a challenge to create someone who is admirable and trustworthy to the audience, when they are so deceitful and evil in all other aspects.

The idea of the antihero has always fascinated me. These characters are flawed, the likes of Annalise Keatings, Dexter Morgan, Lady MacBeth, Severus Snape,

He grew up within the wealth of his family’s mansion and lived a lavish, easy life. Yet his wealth had a catch, Richard came from a line of drug lords. A position that Richard never stood to inherit, rather one that his younger nephews would. Richard was misunderstood, never truly fitting in with his family, underestimated and overlooked. His physical appearance was such a crucial consideration in his characterisation, because as a director it was my first opportunity to create sympathy for him. Before you have heard him say a word you feel bad for him because of his deformed appearance, you see his physical exclusion from his high society, as he watches the extravagant party from his hallway. It was vital that, upon first glance he is not physically powerful. A trait that he so expertly exploits to manipulate those around him to gain

Within the safety of his home he carefully orchestrated crimes until he found himself in power, protected by his hitman. A carefully constructed idea of security, controlled by his manipulation. He becomes lonely, isolated, and increasingly paranoid. This decent leads to his eventual downfall, a downfall that takes place outside of the safety of his mansion in the rough streets of Mexico. This isolation and loneliness leads you to almost feel genuinely sorry for him when he lays there haunted by his drug induced hallucinations by the ghosts of those he killed.

The costuming was also very important to identifying the context and differentiating between Richards’s alias and enemy’s. The costuming of his nephews are light coloured and almost innocent, but they wear the family’s necklace to show how their fates are predetermined by their power. Most characters are adorned in dark rich tones and lavish materials to further signify their status. As Richard gets more powerful his costuming too gets more corrupt and extreme, wearing leather and more bling. Those who are against Richard or who question his moral wear lighter traditionally ‘good’ colours,