Cultural depictions of Richard III of England Cultural depictions of Richard III of England Richard III of England has been depicted in literature and popular culture many times. In the Tudor period he was invariably portrayed as a villain, most famously in Shakespeare's play "Richard III", but also in other literature of the period. Richard's life was not much depicted again until the 20th century when the "Ricardian" movement sought to restore his reputation. Much of more recent creative literature has portrayed him in a positive light. However his reputation as a hunchbacked villain has remained a familiar historical cliché within popular culture. The foremost work of
Richard III of England was executed by Henry VII in 1499. The only extant direct male line of Plantagenets is the House of Beaufort, headed today by Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort, but the Beaufort line was barred from the succession by Henry IV. There are numerous contemporary, or near-contemporary, sources of information about the reign of Richard III. These include the "Croyland Chronicle", Commines' "Mémoires", the report of Dominic Mancini, the Paston Letters, the Chronicles of Robert Fabyan and numerous court and official records, including a few letters by Richard himself. However, the debate about Richard's true character and motives continues, both