Abstract

The purpose of this article is to offer an historical reading of the character Richard/Gloucester in the plays Richard III and Henry VI part two and three, with particular focus upon Shakespeare’s presentation of Disability. It suggests that, regulated through the theatrical and literary tools of new historicism and Brecht’s historicisation, Shakespeare’s work is able to demonstrate the process of achieving social justice in relation to Disability, by illuminating the significance of the differences between past and present. The overarching provocation for practice is that by illuminating the historical context that underpins the plays, participants are better placed to see the content of things- its appropriateness and the success or failure of it- so that social justice can be considered.