In Shakespeare's Richard III, Richard Gloucester is portrayed as a crooked, calculating, and conniving individual who will stop at nothing to obtain the crown. From betraying his brother George to wooing the widowed Lady Anne, Richard is highly unscrupulous in his quest for the throne. Although his villainy is obvious, his careful scheming allows his plans to unfold unnoticed, hinting at his intellectual grace. Although Richard often laments his physical ugliness and deformity, his skillful manipulation of those around him demonstrates a sensitivity toward their weaknesses, masked by his unwavering charisma. Richard succeeds in eliminating each of his political opponents, whether through flattery, treachery or deception, and ultimately claims his place on the throne; these are his Three “Graces”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay In Greek mythology, the Three Graces referred to a trio of sister goddesses, known to be “the givers of charm and of beauty” (“Grace”). As evidenced by the following selected passages from Scenes 1-3 of the first act of Richard III, Richard hides his true intentions by feigning a harmless and charming persona, slyly influencing those around him to continue his plot. The first iteration of "grace" occurs after Richard's opening monologue, after he divulges his plans at the end of the Civil War. In the passage, Richard hastily reminds himself to return to his honest facade as his brother, called Clarence, approaches: “Dive down, thoughts, to my soul: here comes Clarence. / Brother, have a good day. What does this armed guard mean / Who awaits your grace? (1.1.41-43). In this quote, "grace" is used "as a speech title, representing Richard's awareness of the social expectations imposed on him as Duke of Gloucester." The smooth transition from his bitter monologue to polite greeting, as well as the consistency of iambic pentameter, also demonstrate Richard's astute judgment and deft mind, as he nimbly juggles two characters. In doing so, Richard not only avoids suspicion regarding his involvement in Clarence's imprisonment, but also sets the stage for further deception as Richard plots his brother's eventual murder. In the next scene, Richard says a slightly different variation of "grace" in order to persuade Lady Anne to marry him. The two engage in a bitter battle of wits, as the sad Lady Anne chastises Richard for murdering her husband, Prince Edward, and her father-in-law, the late King Henry VI. After dissipating Lady Anne's anger with showers of compliments, Richard slips his ring on her finger and asks her to let him complete the funeral arrangements for King Henry VI: "And if your poor devoted servant can / But beg a favor from your gracious hand, / You confirm his happiness forever” (1.2.191-196). The use of the word "gracious" in this passage refers to the qualities of kindness, courtesy and charity ("Gracious") and serves to illustrate the extent to which Richard's tact and charm can influence even the most reluctant people . In this case, Richard's successful wooing of Lady Anne allows him to avoid the "hand" of justice and obtain her "hand" in marriage, thus showing how Richard's silver flattery paved the way for the achievement of its political objectives, one after the other. another. Finally, "grace" appears once more as Richard goes after Queen Elizabeth and her parents to proclaim.