History of King Richard III

Thomas More's unfinished biography of Richard III emerged from the political turbulence of early Tudor England, where the legitimacy of Henry VII's dynasty depended partly on vilifying the Yorkist king he had defeated at Bosworth Field. Writing between 1513 and 1518, More crafted what would become the definitive portrait of Richard as a physically deformed tyrant who murdered his way to the throne, including the notorious deaths of the Princes in the Tower. Though presented as history, More's account draws heavily on Tudor propaganda and secondhand sources, as he was only five years old when Richard died.

More's central argument rests on the classical notion that physical deformity reflects moral corruption. His Richard is born with teeth and a withered arm, grows into a hunchbacked schemer, and systematically eliminates rivals through manipulation and murder. More structures his narrative around Richard's supposed confession of guilt through increasingly desperate actions, culminating in the killing of his nephews to secure his crown. The work demonstrates More's humanist education through its sophisticated rhetorical techniques, psychological penetration, and dramatic set pieces that read more like literature than chronicle. More presents Richard's reign as a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of unchecked ambition and the divine justice that ultimately destroys tyranny.

This biography's influence extends far beyond its historical accuracy, providing the foundation for Shakespeare's Richard III and cementing popular imagination of the king as English literature's archetypal villain. Modern historians have largely discredited More's account as Tudor propaganda, yet the work remains valuable for understanding how political narratives are constructed and how moral frameworks shape historical interpretation. Who should read this: students of Tudor history and political propaganda, readers interested in the intersection of history and literature, and those exploring how Christian humanist thought approached questions of power and moral responsibility. This is not for readers seeking reliable historical information about the actual Richard III.