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Following the recent discovery of the skeletal remains of Richard III in England, The Christian Science Monitor turned to Peter Saccio, the Leon D. Black Professor of Shakespearean Studies and professor emeritus of English, for his insights about Shakespeare’s depiction of the English king as a villain in his play Richard III.

Saccio, author of Shakespeare’s English Kings: History, Chronicle, and Drama, tells the Monitor, “In Richard III, he’s writing the last play in a series of four about the Wars of the Roses. Richard III is the evilest man in the lot. They have been killing each other, deposing each other, and Shakespeare makes Richard wickeder than all of them, so that after his death there does not need to be further retribution. It will wipe the slate clean.”

Read the full story, published 2/6/13 in The Christian Science Monitor.