The scan that proves Shakespeare's error: Richard III didn't have a hump back after all

Richard III’s famously curved spine was actually 'well balanced' and wouldn't have proven a problem to the king, a new scan has shown.

16:02 30 May 2014

Richard III, dubbed as “bunch-back toad” was one of William Shakespeare’s most ruthless villains. However, it turns out that he was not quite the deformed monster the Bard made him out to be. 

 

Based on new  scans carried out by scientists, Richard III’s spine had a “well balanced curve” and that he would hardly have been affected by his famous deformity. 

 

The scan also revealed that there is no evidence to prove that his head and neck titled to the other side or that he had a limp. 

 

The findings are supported by contemporary accounts describing the king as being “comely enough” and “handsome”.

 

Dr Phil Stone, chairman of the Richard III Society, said: “The Shakespearean description of a ‘bunch-backed toad’ is a complete fabrication - yet more proof that, while the plays are splendid dramas, they are also most certainly fiction.”

 

Research leader Dr Jo Appleby, of the University of Leicester, said: “Although the scoliosis looks dramatic, it probably did not cause a major physical deformity.

 

“His right shoulder would have been slightly higher than the left, but this could have been disguised by custom-made armour and by having a good tailor."