How did i do with this essay? "Texts possess the remarkable power of reflecting back to us that which we recognize in ourselves. We interact with them vicariously; seeing our own struggles, desires and aspirations in the characters we engage with. This humanising quality of literature allows us to examine our lives and emotions from a more objective perspective. Moreover, literature is the key to unlocking the countless parallel worlds that exist alongside our own, each brimming with its own unique perspectives and experiences. The idea that texts serve as mirrors through which we better understand ourselves and the world around us is particularly evident in Richard III by William Shakespeare and Looking for Richard by Al Pacino. In Looking for Richard, Pacino includes his rendition of the play, while also granting multiple views on themes of power, ambition and human nature in his other sections. By showing us Shakespeare’s original work alongside his interviews and discussions, we get to see Shakespeare’s own views of those aforementioned themes through the words, and Pacino’s view through the acting and directing of the scene. Shakespeare tells us his view through the content of his writing (what he is saying directly), the format of this writing (the manner in which he says it, including techniques such as metaphors) and the context of his writing (the time period he is writing in and the views and recent events occurring within it). Al Pacino tells us his views directly in conversation in Looking for Richard, his choices for the location to film the play, his choice of cast, and the way he acts when in the role of Richard. The notion of seeing oneself in the text as well as parallels between texts, is exemplified through these two works.

In Richard III, Shakespeare portrays the titular character’s intense ambition and lust for power, as he works his way to the throne by several unsavoury means. This is intentionally done by Shakespeare to mirror our own innate desire for success and recognition, with us often making sacrifices in order to achieve our goals. Like Richard, many compromise their own morals in the process as well.  This allows us to reflect on our own ambitions and thought processes, and gain a better understanding of our own desires and motivations as humans. Similarly, in Looking for Richard, Al Pacino explores Richard III as a character through interviews with scholars and actors, as well as reenactments of scenes from the play. In doing so, Pacino allows us to gain multiple new perspectives on the play, along with the reasons that those interviewed had those views. For example, one person interviewed, for example, was very passionate about Shakespeare, saying “When we speak with no feelings he get nothing out of our society. We should speak like Shakespeare. We should introduce Shakespeare into the academic.”, while another simply said “Yeah, it's boring.” upon being asked his opinion. This allows us to see how our own experiences can influence our interpretation of a text and open our minds to new concepts. This is exemplified through Pacino’s personal reflections and ideas, and how this affected his portrayal of Richard III. Pacino says in the film that “Nobody knows who Richard III is. Nobody!” This shines some light on the reason he decided to create the film in the first place; to inform people on Richard III, both as a play and a person. This is backed up by what he said shortly after: “I think the question is what is the understanding? The understanding is simply can you follow a storyline. We provided this docu-drama type thing to inform some of the scenes, so you know where you are.”  Ultimately, both Richard III and Looking for Richard serve as mirrors which reflect back important truths about ourselves and the world around us. Depending on the author and the time in which they live, the methods used to cause the audience to reflect on themselves may change. This shows that in all cases, the author is actively conscious of the fact that the work that they are writing is made for eyes other than their own, and thus must be presented in a way that is readily digestible by those consuming it to cause the desired effect. 

Both Richard III and Looking for Richard also depict the importance of language in shaping our perception of the world around us. In Shakespeare’s play, Richard, as a Machiavellian villain is expected to, frequently uses language as a tool to manipulate those around him, playing on their weaknesses and doubts to secure his position on the throne. Likewise, in Looking for Richard, Pacino highlights the power of language in shaping our understanding of the world. The very techniques and content of his speech is a method intentionally undertaken to manipulate the audience into sharing his beliefs, though not as maliciously as Richard. In this, we are able to see the creator in his creation and thus connect to them. This is of course just as applicable to Al Pacino in Looking for Richard as it is to Shakespeare in Richard III. We see Shakespeare in Richard III through the themes of deception, power struggle, and justice within the play, which all reflect the actual contemporary politics of his time. For example, Richard’s downfall is reflective of the belief of “Rota Fortuna”, or “the Wheel of Fortune” that was common in the Tudor era and included in other plays written by Shakespeare, such as in Hamlet: “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". The concept holds that those who fortune favours consistently throughout their lives will inevitably face a fall from grace. Belief in Rota Fortuna was influenced by the content of the Bible to a degree, which played into the broader concept of divine justice. This is seen in Ecclesiastes 9:11, which says “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” In Act I, Scene III, Queen Margaret exclaims in an aside (regarding Richard) “Which God revenge!”. This foreshadows Richard’s predestined downfall as a consequence of him forsaking God through his actions. In all this, we see both Shakespeare’s personal and religious beliefs in the very words he has written.

The concept that one can see both themselves and other texts in written works resonates strongly with what is seen within the play Richard III by William Shakespeare and is directly expanded upon in the film Looking for Richard by Al Pacino. Just as life imitates art, art imitates life and all that comes with it, thus, more often than not, we can see aspects of ourselves within the texts we consume. By immersing oneself in various texts, one can recognize our collective struggles, desires and aspirations in the characters that we engage with and consequently, gives them the ability to view themselves objectively. This leads to the audience of the text participating in personal introspection, reflecting on their own traits, opinions and past experiences, while simultaneously engaging with the texts they read more completely. Ultimately, written works serve as a bridge that connects the author and reader. It is through this connection that the audience is able to fully appreciate and understand the text that they are consuming in a way that they might not have been able to had this connection not been made."