There is no evidence for Shakespeare’s depiction of King Richard III as a murdering psychopath but he may have been a control freak, UK psychologists claim.
Researchers from the University of Leicester, which recently discovered the remains of the 15th century King under a car park, have made an analysis of the monarch’s character based on the consensus among historians relating to his experiences and actions.
Professor Mark Lansdale, Head of the University’s School of Psychology, and forensic psychologist Dr Julian Boon found that, while there was no evidence for Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III as a psychopath, he may have had “intolerance to uncertainty syndrome” — which may have manifested in control freak tendencies.
The analysis aims to humanise Richard — to flesh out the bones and get to the character of the man who became one of the most controversial kings in English history.
Firstly, researchers examined one of the most persistent and critical depictions of Richard’s personality — the suggestion that he was a murdering psychopath.
This reputation — portrayed most famously in William Shakespeare’s play — does not seem to have any basis in the facts available about his life.
He showed little signs of the traits psychologists would use to identify psychopaths today - including narcissism, deviousness, callousness, recklessness and lack of empathy in close relationships.