In the wake of Richard III's remains being discovered, take a look at some of the thespians who have brought the historical character to life. In this photograph: Kevin Spacey in "Richard III" for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, 2012.
(CNN) -- In this winter of his disinterment, we pause to ponder if Richard III, the last Plantaganet king of England, was a victim of a pen poisoned by history controlled by his Tudor successors.
As archeologists sort through a skull and bones found under an English parking lot and with DNA tests confirming the remains were Richard's, there is a call for a re-examination of his legacy -- which has mostly been shaped by Shakespeare's play Richard III.
Shakespeare's Richard III is a "rudely stamp'd," "deformed, unfinish'd" villain who ordered the deaths of anyone who stood between him and the throne, including his two young nephews.
British scientists announced Monday they are convinced "beyond reasonable doubt" that a skeleton found during an archaeological dig in Leicester, central England, last August is that of the former king, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The skull shows a wound to the right cheek.
The remains of King Richard III
Skeletal remains are of Richard III
The king in the parking lot
The king in the parking lot
Richard III: The mystery of the king and the car parking lot
"So wise so young, they say, do never live long," Richard III says in a sinister aside as he dispatches Crown Prince Edward, 12, and brother Richard, 9, to their deaths in the Tower of London.
"Off with his head!" Richard shouts in Act III, sending Lord Hastings to the chopping block.
Shakespeare's story evolved from a history penned by Sir Thomas More more than two decades after Richard died in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. It was the last fight in the War of the Roses, which ended with the ascension of Henry VII and the Tudors.
The Tudors, who controlled More's world, had a vested interest in disparaging Richard and bolstering their family's claim to the throne.
The Richard III Society has "been working since 1924 to secure a more balanced assessment of the king and to support research into his life and times," according to the society's website.
The recent excavation of the burial site that once was a church "has raised the king's profile and provided us with new opportunities to make the case for 'Good King Richard,'" the society said.
Opinion: Richard still the criminal king
Richard III Society Chairman Dr. Phil Stone opined in a piece for CNN.com that a "cursory reading of the known facts will show that the Tudor representation of Richard III, especially that in Shakespeare's well known play, just doesn't stand up."
As Queen Elizabeth advised Richard III in Shakespeare's Act VI: "An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told."
"It would make such a difference if people would start to look into the history of this much maligned monarch without the old prejudices," Stone wrote. "Perhaps, then, they will see past the myth and innuendo that has blackened his name and find the truth."
You may not find a saint, "but neither was he a criminal," Stone said. "All but one of the so-called crimes laid at his door can be refuted by the facts." That crime was the killing of the rival nephews, known in history as the "Princes in the Tower," he said.
And there are other suspects, including Henry VII or other Tudors.
Radiocarbon dating, radiological evidence, DNA and bone analysis and archaeological result confirmed the remains found under the parking lot, the former site of Grey Friars church, were those of Richard III, researchers at University of Leicester told reporters Monday.
Clues coaxed from the skeleton may shed "a new light" on the physical description of Richard III as a humpbacked man with a "withered arm," which was used to support history's evil image of him, Professor Lin Foxhall, head of the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History, said.
"Our archaeological research does not tell us anything about the character of Richard III, and of course his physical condition and appearance were not a manifestation of his character, Foxhall said. Comparing the new archeological finds to history texts "could end up re-writing a little bit of history in a big way."
One immediate discovery is that his skeleton does not have a "withered arm" as depicted by Shakespeare, the researchers said.
While not humpbacked, he did suffer from "severe scoliosis" that appeared to start around the time of puberty, they said.
The confirmation of Richard's remains may make no difference in the royal world, but it does mean the king will finally get a proper burial. His body will be reinterred in the Leicester Cathedral early next year.
"A hearse, a hearse, my kingdom for a hearse," more than a few punsters tweeted upon that news.
The rehabilitation of Richard III moves ahead Tuesday when the Richard III Society unveils a "new" face for their hero based on facial reconstruction using the newly-found skull.
To poach a phrase from Hamlet's mouth, spoken as he held the jester Yorick's skull: Alas, poor Richard!
Uncovering the story behind the bones
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Sir Ian McKellen in the film "Richard III," 1995.
The Monty Python comedy team gave us a whole room of Richard III's in the skit "Hospital for Overactors."
Peter Sellers took the throne as Richard III for his rendition of a "Hard Day's Night" in 1965 for the television special "The Music of Lennon & McCartney."
Paul Daneman as Richard III with Eileen Atkins as Lady Anne in Richard III at the Old Vic Theatre, 1962.
Donald Wolfit as Richard III, 1941.
French actor Denis Podalydes as Richard III in "The Life and Death of Richard the Third," 2010.
Madge Compton as Lady Anne Neville and Balliol Holloway as Richard III, 1930.
Laurence Olivier as Richard III in the film "Richard III," 1955.
Paul Daneman as Richard III, 1962.
George Hayes as Richard III during a Shakespeare Festival at Stratford-Upon-Avon, circa 1925.
John Barrymore as Richard III in "Henry VI Part III," 1929.
Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones was matched to Michael Ibsen, a Canadian cabinetmaker and direct descendant of Richard III's sister, Anne of York.
The skeleton was discovered buried among the remains of what was once the city's Greyfriars friary, but is now a council car park. The skull was found in the first trench of the Grey Friars dig.
The skeleton being excavated, shows the curve in the spine and the way the head had been squashed into the grave. The hands may also have been tied.
Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the project, said the unusual position of the skeleton's arms and hands suggested the king may have been buried with his hands tied.
Archaeologists say the man they found appears to have met a violent death. The skull shows a wound to the right cheek.
The base of the skull shows the larger of two potentially fatal injuries. This shows clearly how a section of the skull had been sliced off.
Archaeologists say it appears Richard's corpse may also have been mistreated. The image shows a cut mark on the right rib.
Two vertebrae showing some abnormal features relating to the scoliosis. The spinous processes of the vertebrae (pointing down), which should be straight, are twisted to one side. The joints between vertebrae show signs of osteoarthritis.
The lower jaw shows a cut mark caused by a knife or dagger.
The image shows a blade wound to the pelvis, which has penetrated all the way through the bone.
A wound to the cheek, possibly caused by a square-bladed dagger. The front part of the skull has separated naturally along the line of a suture (a joint between the skull bones), which is why it is not present in this picture. This would have fused as Richard became older had he lived.
Looking through the hole left by the largest skull injury, two flaps of bone can clearly be seen on the interior of the skull. These are associated with the penetrating injury to the top of the head.
The penetrating injury to the top of the head. "The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information," said Jo Appleby, a lecturer in human bioarchaeology at the university who led the exhumation of the remains last year.
The complete spine. The width of the curve is correct, but the gaps between vertebrae have been increased so that they do not touch each other and get damaged. This makes this spine look longer than it would have been in life.
The complete skeleton showing the curve of the spine. Supporters of the infamous king, including members of the Richard III Society, hoped the discovery would force academics to rewrite history, which they say has been tainted by exaggerations and false claims.
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