Comparison of Richard in Act 1 and Act 4

When first introduced Richard III is portrayed as a sinister and immoral man who did what he needed to do to attain power. Although with all these faults you couldn't help but be in awe at the man's skills as a tactician and a manipulator. Some level of sympathy is felt towards Richard as it is seen that his bitterness and thirst for power spawned from the fact that he was an underdog for his entire life, born deformed and disliked by many he grew into a cunning manipulative and more than a bit sadistic man, but he was also amazingly intelligent. 

In Act 1 when get a good dose of Richard's skills as a manipulator as we read how he smoothly strings together a web of lies in front of his own brother Clarence,convincing him they are on the same side and seek a common goal, promising Clarence his freedom and effortlessly moving blame away from himself and onto the Queen. In scene 2 we read, dumbfounded as he effortlessly sways the heart of woman who not but a scant few moments earlier, Lady Anne, was cursing his very existence and attains her hand in marriage, he is quite the sweet talker, using heavy flattery to swiftly gain her favor. This is a wonderful example of how intricately Richard understand human psychology. 

In Act 4 though Richard is a completely different man. Gone is the sharp-minded, cunning tactician, in his place is a paranoid sycophant. Richard loses whatever little appeal he had towards the reader as he loses his suaveness, he destroys any little thing he sees as a threat now, not like before where he uses cold calculation to be rid of enemies, he now attacks them like a rabid dog.

In Act  scene 2 the now crowned King Richard III gloats of his success openly, the first of contrasts from Act 1 where Richard always gloated silently to himself and relishes his victories in private. His first deed as King to assure his secured throne was to send his right-hand man Buckingham to assassinate his two nephews, sons of the former king and rightful heirs to the throne. Buckingham is hesitant and asks for some time to think it over. Richard seeing this sees it as a weakness and threat to his power and plans to cut ties with Buckingham, which he does later on in Act 4. Richard also is noted pondering a marriage between him and his niece, the young daughter of Elizabeth, this implies that he plans to kill his current wife, Lady Anne.

In Act 4 scene 4 we see the Duchess of York, Richard's own mother cursing him condemning him to a bloody and painful death, this is a precursor to his downfall. As enemy forces invade Britain and Richard's supporters slowly abandon him we see the beginning of the fall of King Richard III.