"El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe
El año de Ricardo (The Year of Richard) is the title of Angelica Liddell’s take on William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The irreverent Spanish playwright and performer depicts Shakespeare’s infamous character as what he is: a prototype of an overambitious, ruthlessly cynical monster, a foul, appallin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Jaén
2016-07-01
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| Series: | The Grove |
| Online Access: | http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2590 |
| _version_ | 1811209193676341248 |
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| author | Remedios Perni Llorente |
| author_facet | Remedios Perni Llorente |
| author_sort | Remedios Perni Llorente |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
El año de Ricardo (The Year of Richard) is the title of Angelica Liddell’s take on William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The irreverent Spanish playwright and performer depicts Shakespeare’s infamous character as what he is: a prototype of an overambitious, ruthlessly cynical monster, a foul, appalling brute. Ricardo stands for Hitler and for all the villains. (S)he is a baroque spectre, an anamorphic presence which pushes the limits and transforms across time, evolving from a top executive to a president; from a wannabe writer to a doctorate honoris causa. Ricardo’s body undergoes a degenerative process and so does his/her cynical behaviour. Perverse capitalism speaks through Ricardo, a clear embodiment of the corrupted. In this sense, the villainy of Richard III, via Liddell, has been compared to corruption scandals occurred in Spain. As a matter of fact, premiered in 2005, the play has been repeatedly onstage since the financial crisis was announced, probably because it provides an opportunity to criticise the people and policies at the heart of the meltdown. This paper focuses on the Shakespearean motifs that build Liddell’s play, paying special attention to the anachronistic twists that serve the purpose of revealing Richard/Ricardo’s degeneration in a degenerate Europe.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:35:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-26c27e3a17bb4f1fbbb56248a968a8a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1137-005X 2386-5431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:35:26Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Jaén |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Grove |
| spelling | doaj.art-26c27e3a17bb4f1fbbb56248a968a8a62022-12-22T03:47:49ZengUniversidad de JaénThe Grove1137-005X2386-54312016-07-0122"El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of EuropeRemedios Perni Llorente0Universidad de Murcia El año de Ricardo (The Year of Richard) is the title of Angelica Liddell’s take on William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The irreverent Spanish playwright and performer depicts Shakespeare’s infamous character as what he is: a prototype of an overambitious, ruthlessly cynical monster, a foul, appalling brute. Ricardo stands for Hitler and for all the villains. (S)he is a baroque spectre, an anamorphic presence which pushes the limits and transforms across time, evolving from a top executive to a president; from a wannabe writer to a doctorate honoris causa. Ricardo’s body undergoes a degenerative process and so does his/her cynical behaviour. Perverse capitalism speaks through Ricardo, a clear embodiment of the corrupted. In this sense, the villainy of Richard III, via Liddell, has been compared to corruption scandals occurred in Spain. As a matter of fact, premiered in 2005, the play has been repeatedly onstage since the financial crisis was announced, probably because it provides an opportunity to criticise the people and policies at the heart of the meltdown. This paper focuses on the Shakespearean motifs that build Liddell’s play, paying special attention to the anachronistic twists that serve the purpose of revealing Richard/Ricardo’s degeneration in a degenerate Europe. http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2590 |
| spellingShingle | Remedios Perni Llorente "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe The Grove |
| title | "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe |
| title_full | "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe |
| title_fullStr | "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe |
| title_short | "El año de Ricardo" and the Degeneration of Europe |
| title_sort | el ano de ricardo and the degeneration of europe |
| url | http://revistaselectronicas.ujaen.es/index.php/grove/article/view/2590 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT remediospernillorente elanodericardoandthedegenerationofeurope |