OE


The first sentence describes Richard III, at least in Shakespeare, as murderous. Clearly we need a word that implies condemnation of some sort. Mendicant won't work; it simply means beggar, which a king is unlikely to be in any case. An iconoclast is a person who attacks traditional beliefs or institutions, and the passage gives us no reason to suspect Richard of subversive activities; regardless of whether or not he killed his nephews, he presumably did not attack the monarchy as an institution. Reprobate (a depraved or unprincipled person) is the correct answer.
Moving on to the next blank, we know from the use of however that the historians mentioned in the sentence must doubt Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard; they presumably believe that the evidence against him is weak. Whimsical means fanciful or given to fanciful notions; it is not normally used in the context of something as serious as evidence. Quotidian means ordinary or commonplace - something that would presumably have no effect on the veracity of the evidence. Tenuous means thin or unsubstantiated and is the best answer.
Finally, in order to fill in the last blank, we need to find a word that deals with Shakespeare's handling of Richard's character. Renovating will obviously not work; someone who renovates a person's reputation would be restoring it to good condition. Commemorating also has connotations that are too positive for this context; to commemorate means to honor the memory of. Maligning (slandering or speaking ill of) is the correct answer.