I thought that the interaction between Richard III and what we have been learning in class was really interesting. It’s fascinating that what Shakespeare wrote about so long is still valid. The idea of charismatic leadership and toxic charisma is something that impacted life to the extent that there were plays about it and it is still relevant today. Throughout the different class periods, we have learned about the impacts of toxic charisma and tyranny. I would classify Richard III as having toxic charisma and being a tyrant. He was able to fool people into following him with promises of a better life and land. Basically he was manipulating his right-hand man by telling him that he was gonna get land if he helped Richard. His right hand man never ended up getting the land he was promised.
I believe that he is a tyrant because he used his toxic charisma to gain a place of power. He is also willing to do anything in his power to get that crown. He killed so many people both directly and by influencing other people to do it. He only has regard for himself and his goals which is one of the clear requirements for being a tyrant. He is a clear narcissist who only cares about reaching his goals and doesnt care who he hurts to get there.
I completely agree with the idea that Richard III is a tyrant, specifically in the ways through which he manipulated his audience. In the same way that Richard III killed people to reach power, Trump used toxic charisma to influence and persuade his followers. Even though Trump has not gone to the extremes of Richard III, his manipulative behavior is alarming and society needs to be careful about how much power he obtains.
I completely agree that Richard III was both a tyrant and a toxic leader. His ability to manipulate his followers and those who looked up to him characterize him as a bad leader. I also like the part that you mentioned about him being a narcissist, it emphasizes the fact that he only cared about what benefitted him.
You brought up a fundamentally important point when it comes to talking about tyrants. It helped me distinguish tyrants from dictators or other toxic leaders better, when we discussed that tyrants must be completely self-motivated. It is a really interesting caveat that sets tyrants apart.
I agree with Leah’s comment very strongly. It is a very significant distinction between those who act in many tyrannical and aggressive manners frequently and those whose tyrannical behaviors are solely for personal gain.
I really like you point about how even though Shakespeare wrote his play so long ago that it is still relevant today. I think that just goes to show how important the study of leadership and ultimately learning for history really is. Bezio mentions in her piece that even though parallels can be drawn between Richard and Trump being manipulative and tyrannical in their own time, it is really important to have these women standing up to a greater extent than Elizabeth or other members of Richard’s circle.