Explore some of the ways in which Shakespeare vividly portrays the dishonesty and immorality of Buckingham and Hastings.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2010). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Shakespeare portrays Buckingham, Hastings, Stanley and Rivers as a truly dreadful bunch and through them strikingly shows why the kingdom has suffered from decades of turmoil.
2. Jockeying for personal power is mainly what they are about and they will murder to achieve it.
3. Occasionally they do have qualms about what they are doing, or being asked to do, but these moments are rare.
4. It is one of the reasons why we are almost sympathetic to Richard.
5. At least he is not a hypocrite and not for one moment thinks his conduct morally defensible.
6. The key word here is vividly.
7. Examiners should not give high reward to answers, however detailed in content, which do not engage with the dramatic power of Shakespeare's creations.