Hellish Discourses: Shakespeare’s Richard III and Greene’s Selimus*

The early modern period in England produced a great number of plays dealing with history. Chronicles published during this period played a significant role in the appearances of these plays as they provided playwrights with necessary materials. The aim of these chronicles was partly to legitimize Tudor power and stir up nationalistic feelings among the English nation. Following the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth and the defeat of the Spanish Armada there appeared an interest in the writing of history plays which seems to have met the popular demand on part of the public for the satisfaction of their nationalistic feelings. Written by the majority of the playwrights of the period, histories were not confined to English history plays alone but included plays dealing with the orient and mainly the Ottoman Empire. Written to justify Tudor ascension to English throne, early modern historiography provided Shakespeare with sufficient materials to bring on stage one of his most famous villains, Richard III. The character of Richard, both in Henry VI Part 3 and Richard III plays is drawn as such that his defeat by the earl of Richmond, later Henry VII at the end of the battle of Bosworth, is welcomed by the Elizabethan audience. Similarly, Selimus, in Robert Greene’s play Selimus