Queen Elizabeth Woodville: The Unlikely Heroine of Richard III Puja Harikumar College

Few would likely disagree with Emily Sloan-Pace’s claim about the practically non-existent role of women in Shakespeare’s history plays: “Though women regularly assume starring roles in the comedies and tragedies, the history plays remain largely the purview of men and a warlike masculinity that allots little place for either the feminine or the domestic” (5). Sloan-Pace is not necessarily wrong about how Shakespeare’s histories typically focus on heralding the masculine qualities of men that are exemplified through conflicts like war (which is incidentally what a number of his histories are centered around). Historically, war has been dominated by men, when it comes to the fighting, which leaves little room for any female narratives or opportunities for the few female characters who do get to appear, to showcase any real depth or interesting qualities in comparison to their male counter-parts. However, one woman in Shakespeare’s histories has a disappointing lack of critics who have observed the unusual importance of her character for a history play- Queen Elizabeth in Richard III. Startlingly different from the typical leading lady of Shakespeare’s plays in general, she is a widowed mother who does not end up either remarried...