A Comedic Environment, Making Light of Murder

In Shakespeare's Richard III, two men are depicted as "First Murderer" and "Second Murderer," as they are sent to fulfill Richard's wish to assassinate his trusting brother, Clarence. Throughout the two murderer's dialogue, Shakespeare injects several thought provoking statements dealing with damnation, greed, and morality. Shakespeare's employment of dark humor to dissect these subjects proves ironic in itself as the murderers sway back and forth in their decision to assassinate Clarence.

Soon after the two murderers enter in Act I Scene IV and begin their dialogue, the second is struck by the sound of the word, "judgement," and declares, "The urging of that word 'judgement' / hath bred a kind of remorse in me" (I.iv.104-103). The initial jolt of morality expressed by the second murderer shifts the scene into a humorous one, as the audience is unexpectedly introduced to a murderer speaking of questioning his morality instead of his absence of morality. 

In this particular scene, one particular example of "dark humor" is expressed in the laughability the second murderer's ability to swallow his morality in the face of greed. David Ellis, in his critical opinion essay, "Black Comedy in Shakespeare," (pertaining to the second murderer's surge back to immorality) explains, "What also provokes laughter is the speed which misgivings disappear once money is mentioned" (Ellis). Shakespeare may be employing laughter at the dark trait, greed, to underline its place on the human condition or highlight its grip on morality.