"King Richard III" by William Shakespeare is a play written c. 1592–1594 that depicts the ruthless rise to power of Richard of Gloucester. Determined to seize the throne despite being unloved and physically deformed, Richard manipulates, deceives, and murders his way through the English court. He eliminates rivals, woos enemies, and betrays allies in his Machiavellian quest for the crown. This dark tale of ambition and villainy culminates in a final reckoning at Bosworth Field, where Richard's past victims return to haunt him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)