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Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—Blasted Sapling:
Richard professes to Hastings that he believes that Queen Elizabeth has cursed him. He uses tactile imagery and a simile comparing his arm to a withered tree to paint a picture of weakness and rot:
Look how I am bewitched; behold, mine arm
Is like a blasted sapling withered up.
Richard's description of his arm as "withered" provides tactile imagery that is central to this passage. The word "withered" suggests a sensation of dryness, fragility, and a lack of vitality. The audience can almost feel the torsion and weakness of the arm, as Shakespeare intends. This perceived physical decay deepens the audience's understanding of Richard's sense of personal plight and misfortune. He’s not a very sympathetic character, but this is a moment of physical delicacy and vulnerability where the audience is invited to feel empathy for him.
Further, Richard uses a simile here, likening his arm to a "blasted sapling." This comparison invokes a vivid image of his arm as a young tree, meant to grow tall and robust, now stunted and damaged. It also extends beyond his arm: this simile serves as a metaphor for Richard himself. He is the youngest son, perceived as the weakest and least consequential among his taller, handsomer, more powerful brothers. He’s like a "blasted sapling" among towering trees, unable to grow to his full potential. Richard's life and ambitions, much like the sapling's growth, seem initially thwarted and "blasted” by his circumstances.
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