Ratcliffe and Catesby are two of Richard’s lackeys among the nobility. Unlike Stanley and Buckingham, they remain loyal to Richard and do not question or betray him. They assist him in carrying out his schemes, follow all his orders, and perform various errands for him. They lead Grey, Rivers and Vaughan to their execution, report on Hastings’s political stance, fool the Lord Mayor and Citizens into wanting Richard to become king as well as deliver news to Richard.
Despite being accomplices to Richard and Buckingham’s machinations, Ratcliffe and Catesby both survive the events of the play – possibly because they only played assisting roles unlike Richard and Buckingham who were the main masterminds.
