Introduction
In Richard III and Godfather II, one can fully trace the main characters’ history and formation, making it possible to understand their motives in favor of choosing a criminal path. The hero of Shakespeare’s work, Richard the Third, is the main manipulator of the tragedy, who skillfully uses any means to achieve his goal without remorse.
Like the hero of the Godfather, he is renounced from a society that refuses to accept them: Richard is despised for his appearance, and the young Vito Andolini is restricted from society, marking him as a mentally ill person. Nevertheless, for the Godfather, Don Vito Corleone, the family always comes first in his life. He is ready to take the hard path of the mafia in order to ensure a stable position for his family. Although both characters appear to be respected by the people around them, the reader/viewer can follow the story of the two characters and understand that the moral decline of the characters is due to different reasons.
Richard III
A hurricane symbolically accompanied the birth of the protagonist of Shakespeare’s tragedy: it seemed that his parents and the whole world, nature itself, were in horror. The child was born “profane” and “ugly” and became a brand of the family, because of which, he endured humiliation and ridicule all his life; even dogs fell on him (Shakespeare 4, 12). Being the youngest of the brothers, Richard had no chance of ascending the throne; however, angry, he decided to achieve this at any cost (Shakespeare 12).
The future king was born in the era of cruel, bloody internecine wars for the throne. Observing the relentless struggle between the Yorks and the Lancasters, cruelty was embedded in him, reinforced by anger towards his neighbors, from whom he suffered bullying throughout his life. As an adult, it became clear that he was not as simple as his brothers and everyone around him, including the muster men, who later begged him to take the throne (Shakespeare 146). He was endowed with a mighty will, political talent, and serpentine deceit while skillfully owning all the subtleties of court intrigues.
Richard enjoyed all his evil deeds, hiding them behind the mask of a simpleton who did not care about political affairs. However, the reader already sees his real “ugly” face and soul in the first monologue of the hero when he declares that “I am determined to prove a villain” (Shakespeare 5). In fact, if one dives deeper into the situation, one can understand the reason for his choice and anger: from birth, he was deprived of love and acted as the main jester in the kingdom. Richard does not know family affection and love; therefore, he dreams of revenge at any cost, and the hidden struggle for power is his way.
The Godfather, Part Two
Like the protagonist of the Shakespearean tragedy, Vito Andolini, the future Godfather, grew up in harsh conditions. Unlike Richard III, Vito was not surrounded by hateful relatives. He arrived in the US at the age of nine as a refugee from Italy, where his parents were killed (The Godfather). The fate of Vito is inextricably linked with America. Deprived of his family and his past, he took root in a foreign country and adapted to the difficult conditions of life, just as Richard did. Even though Vito does not seek to conquer power, he becomes Don Corleone after a while and takes revenge (The Godfather). It is noteworthy that in the fate of both heroes, Richard and Vito, there is a desire for revenge, with the only difference being that Richard sought revenge on his family, while Vito avenged his family, their death.
When Vito came into direct contact with organized crime, he did not get scared or back down. As a child, he was weak and helpless, but in the fight against Fanucci, he had a chance to prove himself. Vito took advantage of this and single-handedly went against the all-powerful don (The Godfather). Vito Andolini lost his family and past because of Don Chicho. Vito Corleone overthrew Don Fanucci, and according to royal tradition, he inherited his power and became a don himself (The Godfather). His whole life was, one way or another, connected with the mafia, and this time fate presented him with an unexpected gift, which he took full advantage of. After becoming Don Corleone, Vito finally found prosperity for himself and his family.
Unlike Richard, Corleone understands the nature of power differently, and the position of a don is not an end in itself for him. First of all, he wants to help relatives, friends, and good acquaintances. He uses his high position to stand up for the defenseless and disadvantaged. Vito becomes a real leader whom people respect immensely. He does not have to be reminded of respect because not words but actions speak for him. That is his main difference from Shakespeare’s Richard III, who wanted to seize power only for the sake of power.
Conclusion
Although Richard did not pursue noble goals when he staged a coup within the family, the reader may be of the opinion that his behavior was the result of childhood treatment. He was feared and cursed from birth, so he grew up with hatred for the whole world, not just his family. On the other hand, in the film The Godfather, the viewer sees the same difficult life path of the hero, who, however, uses cruelty and power not in relation to his inner circle but in order to protect them. Nevertheless, each of the heroes, in their way, overcame hardships and achieved their dream, which they were trying to take away.
Works Cited
The Godfather, Part II. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Coppola Company, 1974.
Shakespeare, William. King Richard the Third. Global Grey, 2018.