8/12/2019 Neither Saint Nor Devil _ the Hindu
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Opinion Editorial
Published: March 16, 2013 01:00 IST | Updated: March 16, 2013
01:00 IST
Neither saint nor devil
As in his life, s in his death, and n! e"en in his redisc"er#,
$ichard III %enerates speculatin, in"esti%atin, andcntr"ers#& A
research tea' c'prisin% histrians, %eneticists, and archael%ists at
the Uni"ersit# f (eicesterhas annunced that a s)eletn fund n the
site f !hat used t be *re#friars Prir# in (eicester is that f the
lastPlanta%enet)in% f +n%land and the last +n%lish )in% s far t die
in battle, in $ichard III-s case at .s!rth/ield in 1& That
$ichard III is, perhaps deliberatel#, "ilified thru%hut illia'
Sha)espeare-s epn#'ustra%ed# is !ell enu%h )n!n, and the s)eletn
sh!s the sclisis fr !hich he !as nted, thu%h the cnditin
!as less serius than the pla# and ther dcu'ents su%%est it
!as& This Planta%enet, h!e"er, certainl# attractedcnsiderable
pprbriu' in his insecure and bld4sa)ed ti'es, and !as all but
accused f usurpin% the cr!nafter the death f his elder brther,
+d!ard I5& In additin, he prbabl# 'ade #et 're ene'ies b# bein%
a capablead'inistratr and la!%i"er !h tried t clean up fficial
crruptin&
$ichard III !as )illed b# a "ilent halberd bl! behind his left
ear, and his bd# !as treated !ith cnte'pt b# thear'# f enr# Tudr,
the "ictr at .s!rth, !h then beca'e 7in% enr# 5II8 b# s'e accunts,
$ichard !as
stripped na)ed& The bnes als re"eal !unds inflicted after
his death, ne a stab in his buttc)s8 his hands and feet!ere tied,
and, 9sprin)led in 'ire and bld, he !as thr!n acrss the bac) f a
hrse fr transprtatin t hisburial& Althu%h he !as interred in a
prir#, the hu'iliatins cntinued8 there is si%n neither f cffin nr
shrud,and he 'a# ha"e been buried na)ed& +"en his %ra"e !as nt
ln% enu%h, and his head !as frced side!a#s a%ainstne end f it&
The cntr"ers# arund hi', ne"ertheless, des nt cease& (eicester
;uncil has pened an e
