Richard III
Richard III; Tragic, but Not Tragedy “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament…enacted by the persons themselves and not presented through narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions. ... In Shakespeare’s Richard III each of these aspects of tragedy is presented with the exception of the last; the audience feels neither pity nor fear at Richard’s death. Were it not for Richard’s inhumane cruelty and his inability to feel compassion for other human beings, the audience would be able to connect with the protagonist and share in his suffering.