Cecily+Neville-+Duchess+of+York

= __The Duchess of York- Mother of Two Kings__  = =By Ray Hardwick =

The Duchess of York was a historic figure during the late Middle Ages, most notably for giving birth to the infamous King Richard III and his brother, King Edward IV. Born on May 3, 1415 as Cecily Neville to a duke father and a Flemish herald’s daughter, she was known for her fiery temper and pride when she was older, gaining the nickname “Proud Cis.”

In the play Richard III, she is portrayed as a widow but is still mother of Edward IV and Richard III. The Duchess is characterized as a resentful and highly suspicious individual; she wishes that Richard’s birth had been aborted and always suspects (rightly) an ulterior motive behind what Richard says he will do. She is also displayed as protective, attempting to shield Queen Elizabeth and her children when she can.

As with most characters in a play, the Duchess has a purpose in the play instead of being, say, a decoration, like a lawn gnome. She acts as one of the attack dogs in a group consisting of Anne, Queen Elizabeth, and to a lesser extent, Queen Margaret. Speaking metaphorically, they are loosed on Richard whenever they are within speaking proximity of each other. While frosty at first, the Duchess' speech becomes a tirade of insults, though nowhere near those of Queen Margaret. This eventually culminates in a curse directed at Richard Obviously, though her dialogue with Richard, the Duchess is not on good terms with Richard, made all the more dramatic by the fact Richard is her son. However, she seems to be on fairly good terms with the other characters, especially the other women wronged by Richard (Queen Margaret excluded).

Though she constantly bids Richard ill will, both to his face and behind his back, she poses no threat to Richard's reign and left alive and free to do what she pleases. She puts in her final appearance in Act 4 Scene 4 where her final words before she leaves are a curse for Richard to die on the battlefield. Though she is not seen or heard again, Richard III finally feels the wrath of her curse as well as the curses of others on the battlefield as he dies; a final, bitter taste of the venom of others, his empire swept away as an ocean will do to a weak shore.