The Traditional View: Tyrant and Usurper
Much of what the public knows about Richard III comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, written during the reign of the Tudors, who had a vested interest in demonizing the last Yorkist king. In this portrayal, Richard is a deformed villain, manipulative and merciless, willing to kill his own family members to secure power. The disappearance and presumed murder of his nephews, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York — known as the Princes in the Tower — is often cited as the ultimate proof of his cruelty.
The narrative was cemented by Tudor chroniclers like Sir Thomas More and Polydore Vergil, whose works painted Richard as a cruel usurper, justifying Henry VII’s overthrow. For centuries, this view dominated English history, making Richard III synonymous with tyranny and evil. shutdown123