If I were to point to a single line/speech that exemplified Richard's supermotivation in 3 Henry VI and Richard III, it would be the following:
I cannot weep, for all my body's moisture Scarce serves to quench my furnace-burning heart; Nor can my tongue unload my heart's great burthen, For selfsame wind that I should speak withal Is kindling coals that fires all my breast And burns me up with flames that tears would quench. To weep is to make less the depth of grief; Tears, then, for babes, blows and revenge for me!-- Richard, I bear thy name; I'll venge thy death, Or die renowned by attempting it.
Once Richard Sr. (who Richard Jr. idolized) died, Richard Jr. became wholly focused on getting the York faction permanently into power. I think he sees how easily Edward gets women to fall for him, and when that (the ease in acquisition) doesn't happen for him, he writes it off as impossible.
So Richard Jr. supports Edward because they're all Yorks, and Richard is all about York York York rah rah rah! Until Edward actually takes the throne, and blows it completely (in Richard's mind) with his boozing, whoring, and marrying Woodvilles.
The transition from "rah rah York!" to "rah rah self!" is a tricky one for me to get a handle on, but I think it's because he wants to do right by Richard Sr., and he doesn't think Edward is getting the job done. So he says, "All right, I want to get it done, I have to do it myself," and starts to hack his way into power.
I think all his references to his inability to score with women spring from his comparing himself with Edward -- I love Richard-in-the-OSF-production-Jamie-Newcomb's theory that Richard is a little bit in love with Elizabeth Woodvilel -- and sort of saying "Edward may be really accomplished with women, but it makes him a terrible king; I'm not accomplished at all, but that just means I'll be a better king than he, so nyah nyah nyah *stab*."
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Once Richard Sr. (who Richard Jr. idolized) died, Richard Jr. became wholly focused on getting the York faction permanently into power. I think he sees how easily Edward gets women to fall for him, and when that (the ease in acquisition) doesn't happen for him, he writes it off as impossible.
So Richard Jr. supports Edward because they're all Yorks, and Richard is all about York York York rah rah rah! Until Edward actually takes the throne, and blows it completely (in Richard's mind) with his boozing, whoring, and marrying Woodvilles.
The transition from "rah rah York!" to "rah rah self!" is a tricky one for me to get a handle on, but I think it's because he wants to do right by Richard Sr., and he doesn't think Edward is getting the job done. So he says, "All right, I want to get it done, I have to do it myself," and starts to hack his way into power.
I think all his references to his inability to score with women spring from his comparing himself with Edward -- I love Richard-in-the-OSF-production-Jamie-Newcomb's theory that Richard is a little bit in love with Elizabeth Woodvilel -- and sort of saying "Edward may be really accomplished with women, but it makes him a terrible king; I'm not accomplished at all, but that just means I'll be a better king than he, so nyah nyah nyah *stab*."
In short, it's all about Daddy. :)