Richard III of England has long existed less as a historical figure and more as a theatrical creation. The image most people recognize comes from William Shakespeare. In Richard III, he appears as physically deformed, morally corrupted, and gleefully villainous — a king whose body mirrors his supposed wickedness. But Shakespeare wrote under the Tudor dynasty, whose founder, Henry VII of England, defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard was the last Yorkist king. Henry was the vi