The tyrant in Richard III and MacbethIn Richard III and Macbeth Shakespeare used the characters of the title to reveal the typical characteristics of the tyrant such as limited foresight, mental instability, paranoia, the alienation of allies and a clearly defined evil character. Both Richard III and Macbeth are nobles who usurp the crown through treachery, deception, and murder. Their rule, however, is short-lived, as they reign with fear and terror. This clearly sets them up as tyrants, however, Shakespeare elaborated on this topic and revealed the typical characteristics of the tyrant through their actions, their rise to power, and the way they ruled. In the first act of Richard III the audience sees that Richard has developed an elaborate plan to become king (1.1.28-35). His plan is well thought out and looks to the future, not just the present. At the end of Act 1 Scene 1 Richard describes his plan and begins to move forward. Then he remembers the plan as a whole and realizes that he must execute it to succeed. "But yet I run before my horse to the market. / Clarence still breathes, Edward still lives and reigns; / When they are gone, then must I count my gains" (1.1.160-163). Through this opening act we see that Richard takes considerable foresight and even acts accordingly. By the end of the show, however, this foresight has disappeared. Richard totally ignores Buckingham and refuses to compensate Buckingham for his help in usurping the throne (4.2.119-122). Richard fails to foresee that this action will cause Buckingham to turn against him. This lack or diminution of foresight is one of the main characteristics of the tyrant. We see in Macbeth that foresight was a quality that Mac...... middle of paper ...... mental instability, paranoia, alienation of allies, and a clearly defined evil character in the title characters of two of his plays most famous, Richard III and Macbeth. Works Cited and Consulted Eccles, Mark. "Richard III on stage and screen." Richard III. New York: Signet Classic, 1988. 265-78.Hallett, Charles A., and Elaine S. Hallett. The madness of the avenger. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1980. (Epigraph) Ornstein, Richard. "Richard III." Richard III. New York: Signet Classic, 1988. 239-264.Shakespeare, William. Richard III. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1997Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1997 Spivack, Charlotte. The comedy of evil on Shakespeare's stage. London: UP Associates, 1978.