Winter and Summer
The famous opening lines of Richard III use a metaphor to convey the state of affairs in England at the time of the play. Richard says, "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York" (1.1). Here, Richard compares bad times in England to a brutal winter, stating that better times lay ahead in the form of a "sun." Richard, of course, actually means "son" (Edward), and goes on to explain that he cannot delight in the joy of his fellow Englishmen because of his deformity and isolation.
Richard's Deformity
Throughout the play, Richard is the recipient of many insults, and those insults frequently focus on his physical appearance. In Act One, Lady Anne calls Richard a "lump of foul deformity" as she stands in front of her father-in-law's corpse (1.2). This insult uses a metaphor to denigrate Richard to not just someone "foul" but also something insignificant – a lump. Many of the other insults Richard receives also use figurative language to emphasize both his physical ugliness and his malicious nature.
Richard's Rhetoric
Early on the play, Richard boasts about his rhetorical skill, which he sees as a means by which he can hide his evil intentions. He says, "And thus I clothe my naked villany / With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ" (1.3). Here, Richard compares his malicious plan to a naked body that he then covers with holy robes so as to appear more righteous than he is. This metaphor underscores Richard's sheer delight over the nature of his own evil.
Richmond's Optimism
Toward the end of the play, Richmond (later Henry VII) offers audiences a metaphor about hope, comparing it to a fast-flying bird. He says that "True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; / Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings" (5.2). Here, Richmond showcases his optimism and grace while also suggesting that hope is transformative when deployed for a righteous cause.
Richard's Conscience
At the end of the play, Richard reflects on his actions and personifies his conscience with an extended metaphor. "My conscience hath a thousand several tongues," he says, "And every tongue brings in a several tale, / And every tale condemns me for a villain" (5.3). Here, Richard's image of a conscience with many tongues, all declaring him the villain, emphasizes the sheer amount of destruction Richard has caused over the course of the play. This metaphor also suggests that Richard is aware of how his legacy will be perceived in English history.
