<P> Shakespeare's account of the battle was mostly based on chroniclers Edward Hall's and Raphael Holinshed's dramatic versions of history, which were sourced from Vergil's chronicle . However, Shakespeare's attitude towards Richard was shaped by scholar Thomas More, whose writings displayed extreme bias against the Yorkist king . The result of these influences is a script that vilifies the king, and Shakespeare had few qualms about departing from history to incite drama . Margaret of Anjou died in 1482, but Shakespeare had her speak to Richard's mother before the battle to foreshadow Richard's fate and fulfill the prophecy she had given in Henry VI . Shakespeare exaggerated the cause of Richard's restless night before the battle, imagining it as a haunting by the ghosts of those whom the king had murdered, including Buckingham . Richard is portrayed as suffering a pang of conscience, but as he speaks he regains his confidence and asserts that he will be evil, if such needed to retain his crown . </P> <P> The fight between the two armies is simulated by rowdy noises made off - stage (alarums or alarms) while actors walk on - stage, deliver their lines, and exit . To build anticipation for the duel, Shakespeare requests more alarums after Richard's councillor, William Catesby, announces that the king is "(enacting) more wonders than a man". Richard punctuates his entrance with the classic line, "A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!" He refuses to withdraw, continuing to seek to slay Henry's doubles until he has killed his nemesis . There is no documentary evidence that Henry had five decoys at Bosworth Field; the idea was Shakespeare's invention . He drew inspiration from Henry IV's use of them at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403) to amplify the perception of Richard's courage on the battlefield . Similarly, the single combat between Henry and Richard is Shakespeare's creation . The True Tragedy of Richard III, by an unknown playwright, earlier than Shakespeare's, has no signs of staging such an encounter: its stage directions give no hint of visible combat . </P> <P> Despite the dramatic licences taken, Shakespeare's version of the Battle of Bosworth was the model of the event for English textbooks for many years during the 18th and 19th centuries . This glamorised version of history, promulgated in books and paintings and played out on stages across the country, perturbed humorist Gilbert Abbott à Beckett . He voiced his criticism in the form of a poem, equating the romantic view of the battle to watching a "fifth - rate production of Richard III": shabbily costumed actors fight the Battle of Bosworth on - stage while those with lesser roles lounge at the back, showing no interest in the proceedings . </P> <P> In Laurence Olivier's 1955 film adaptation of Richard III, the Battle of Bosworth is represented not by a single duel but a general melee that became the film's most recognised scene and a regular screening at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre . The film depicts the clash between the Yorkist and Lancastrian armies on an open field, focusing on individual characters amidst the savagery of hand - to - hand fighting, and received accolades for the realism portrayed . One reviewer for The Manchester Guardian newspaper, however, was not impressed, finding the number of combatants too sparse for the wide plains and a lack of subtlety in Richard's death scene . The means by which Richard is shown to prepare his army for the battle also earned acclaim . As Richard speaks to his men and draws his plans in the sand using his sword, his units appear on - screen, arraying themselves according to the lines that Richard had drawn . Intimately woven together, the combination of pictorial and narrative elements effectively turns Richard into a storyteller, who acts out the plot he has constructed . Shakespearian critic Herbert Coursen extends that imagery: Richard sets himself up as a creator of men, but dies amongst the savagery of his creations . Coursen finds the depiction a contrast to that of Henry V and his "band of brothers". </P>

When did a challenge lead to a triumph