Jacob Abbott's Richard III: An Analysis

Shakespeare portrayed John of Gaunt and King Richard III the way he did because of the political issues and constraints presented to him during his time period. When writing Queen Margaret of Anjou’s role in Richard III, however, Shakespeare degraded her political influence and public figure because of the social norms and superstitions that confined women under during the Elizabethan era. Yet, according to modern-day historian Jacob Abbott, there was more to Margaret than Shakespeare told his readers. Abbott defends the Queen and says, “Margaret was not a victim, but a heroine; not a traditional heroine of romance and fiction, but of a stern and terrible reality” (Abbott).
Abbott defends his position and points out how, during the War of
Roses, Margaret “displayed the extraordinary military heroism for which she became so renowned” and had a bigger role in the War of Roses and Lancastrian England politics than Shakespeare wrote about in his play (Abbott). Queen Margaret was chosen by Cardinal Beaufort to wed the king because Henry VI refused to address the progressing feud between the Cardinal and Henry VI’s uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Because Cardinal Beaufort had chosen Margaret of Anjou to marry Henry VI, the Duke of Gloucester very much opposed her because he knew that she would side with the Cardinal’s side of the feud. Queen Margaret grew to hate Gloucester more and more, and she encouraged her husband to “take the government of [England] into [his] own passive hands” (Abbott). She continued to scold Henry VI, saying that it was “unworthy… of him to allow all the power of such a realm to be wielded by his uncle [Gloucester], instead of assuming command… himself” (Abbott). With her constant scolding and advice, she seemed the more powerful in the relationship and diminished Henry IV’s dominant image. King Henry IV initially dismissed her advice, saying he could not take away his uncle’s power when he had been so faithful throughout the years. Henry IV was so dedicated to his uncle that Margaret eventually had to make up situations that made Gloucester look bad in front of him, or had other members of court tell Henry of Gloucester’s bad deeds that they had “witnessed” themselves. Even Gloucester's new wife, Anne Neville, testified against him. However, Henry VI would not budge.
Eventually, Margaret quit appealing to the King and took matters into her own hand. She employed Somerset, Anne Neville’s lover, to increase the party against Gloucester, “turning as many as possible of his friends… against him… and eventually bring charges against him in Parliament” (Abbott). Together, Somerset, Anne, and Margaret faked numerous charge against Gloucester with the king present. Margaret was the one who “called for the Great Council that excluded the Yorkist faction headed by Richard of York, Richard III” (Abbott). The Duke was sent to the Two Towers. As the Duke of York, Richard Plantagenet, Gloucester’s kin, claimed to be the next rightful sovereign of England, Margaret watched him very closely. Eventually, Henry IV’s health took over, and Queen Margaret was essentially ruling in his place. Then, the Duke of York advanced across London with out the crown’s approval and eventually led to a rebellion between the Lancaster and York houses, and the two rivals– Margaret and Gloucester– met face to face on the battlefield (Kingsford). Therefore, Margaret inadvertently sparked the civil war that lasted almost thirty years, wiped out the previous authoritative structure in England, and caused thousands of men to die because of her political oppressions in England from the Duke of Gloucester and his family of York. Ruling in the king’s stead, she took the reigns of the country, and eventually led that country to war.