Richard III Lesson Plan

What is the significance of the scene with the ghosts? Why might Shakespeare want to use supernatural elements in a so-called "history" play?

Some students will find this insertion of supernatural elements surprising; others (probably those who have already read Shakespeare) will know that the ghosts of the murdered or the tragically killed are a trope in many works of fiction, the Bard's included. Such students may also be aware that ghosts commonly exhort other characters to action, as in Hamlet, where the ghost of Hamlet's father tells him to avenge his death. In this case, however, the ghosts play the roles of prophets, bringing the play ever closer to its inexorable...