Shakespeare's Play, Richard III.
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According to William Shakespeare's presentation, Richard III in the eponymous play is a man driven by vengeance, ambition, and a thirst for power. He is willing to do anything and go to any length to realize his ambition. This ambition of gaining power and authority over others makes him similar to Doctor Faustus in Marlowe's play, who also sold his soul only to have power for 24 years. Richard is the main character in Shakespeare's play; the author presents him as a villain who does wicked things intentionally to satisfy his selfish desires and achieve his goals. Throughout the play, Richard manipulates other characters to meet his self-interest. He manages to fool them through his presumed innocence. The readers get aware of Richard's intentions early in the play, and they can witness how cunningly and secretly he executes his plans until the end of the play. .
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Apart from his ill intention, the villainous nature of Richard is also revealed through his physical deformities, making him look extremely unattractive. His physical appearance is suggestive of the idea that his character is as bad and ugly as his appearance. He is also seen as being cunning, manipulative, anti-social, brutal, and threateningly humorous. This dreadful physical appearance of Richard is somewhat similar to Dr Faustus' one in Marlowe's play, as his appearance is devilish and he used dragons in his activities. The unattractive physique used by Shakespeare makes Richard III look like an anti-hero, and as a result, other characters and the audience repelled him. The author mentions that he is deformed, unfinished, and sent before his time, and that dogs bark at him because of his ugly appearance (1.1. 20-23). In the opening soliloquy, Richard III is shown as an anti-hero, and he reveals his determination to prove himself as a villain (1.1.30).This is different when compared to the case of Faustus who was presented as a brilliant man of science who had studied several disciplines and was an outright academic hero, very knowledgeable, and, thus, attractive.
