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Richard III Is Alive and Well and Living on Melrose Place

Part A. Through the course of the play, Richard schemes and plots his way to the throne, performing one horrifying deed after another. In fact, early in the play he says, "I am determined to prove a villain." Think of a few men or women from this century, in real life or contemporary fiction, who, like Richard, achieve much but then, through their notorious actions, self-destruct. In the space provided, list each person and tell what he or she has done to achieve prominence before self-destructing. Use Richard as your first example.

Character	Deeds Done	Self-destructive Behavior
1. Richard III
2.
3.

Part B. Read over what you have written about Richard and your other two choices. Does a pattern emerge? Are certain character traits shared by all, regardless of when and where they live? Now place one of the people you have chosen in a Shakespearean drama. Write a brief soliloquy that highlights his or her most outstanding personality traits. You might want to review Richard III's opening soliloquy, "Now is the winter of our discontent," before you begin.

Soliloquy:

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