Richard III Lesson Plan

Why do you think the pangs of conscience only begin to strike Buckingham once Richard asks him to kill children? Why didn't this happen sooner, and what larger messages does this send about the importance of having a conscience?

Upon reading of Buckingham's newfound reticence, many students will probably point out that his timing is arbitrarily chosen. There have already been a number of opportunities for Buckingham to do the right thing—so why now? The teacher should point out, however, that this may be the point that Shakespeare wants to make. Although Buckingham is one of the more prominent examples, there are quite a few other characters in Richard III (such as...