Cultural depictions of Richard III of England of Tudor England, Ben Jonson wrote a play about Richard entitled "Richard Crookback". His portrayal of the king is unknown, as it was never published. However, it is unlikely to have departed from the negative portrayal of Richard, and probably followed the same pattern as Jonson's only other tragedies, written at the same period, "Catiline His Conspiracy" and "Sejanus His Fall", both of which are about ruthless usurpers who finally receive just retribution. Several ballads about the battle of Bosworth also survive from this period, some of which may date back to the immediate aftermath of the battle. Perhaps the
Richard III of England in England. The anonymous play "The True Tragedy of Richard III" (c. 1590), performed in the same decade as Shakespeare's work, was probably an influence on Shakespeare. Neither of the two plays places any emphasis on Richard's physical appearance, though the "True Tragedy" briefly mentions that he is "A man ill shaped, crooked backed, lame armed" adding that he is "valiantly minded, but tyrannous in authority". Both portray him as a man motivated by personal ambition, who uses everyone around him to get his way. Ben Jonson is also known to have written a play "Richard Crookback" in 1602, but