Richard: Revenge and Empathy Alissa Grams 12th Grade

It is not uncommon to observe individuals that seek the validation their psyche demands from external sources in order to achieve their personal desires. More often than not, it is this undeterred resilience to achieve that seeks to confiscate empathy. Feeding resiliency with empathy, in this way, creates an aspect of control that flawed individuals hoard internally, protecting it with lies and manipulation in order to seek revenge from those that they originally sought empathy from in the first place. Exampled in William Shakespeare's Richard III, "[empathy] provides the pleasure particular to desire", for it is seen that Richard himself is guilty of attaining his resiliency through the empathy he manipulates out of his victims such as Lady Anne (by way of romancing), and Queen Margaret (by way of repent). In this running theme, Richard's own revenge lastly attacks his own lack of self-empathy, by way of self-destruction. Demonstrated in Richard III, the eponymous character reveals that his use of manipulation, displayed in various attempts to seek empathy for his disadvantaged condition and status, is a means of securing revenge and resiliency in society.

In order to gain security as a respected figure of importance, Richard...