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Literary Problems in More's Richard III

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

Leonard F. Dean*
Affiliation:
The Tulane University

Extract

Sir Thomas More's History of Richard III has been adequately studied as an historical document, but not as a work of literature; and yet since the time of Ascham it has been praised chiefly and properly for its literary qualities. It is the purpose of this article, therefore, to discuss some of the important literary problems presented by Richard III. An attempt will be made to show how closely More's narrative conforms to classical theory and to what extent it is imitative of classical histories. Of chief concern, however, will be More's use of irony. It will be evident throughout that his approach to history writing was that of a Christian humanist.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1943

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