In this excerpt from act i, scene i, of shakespeare's richard iii, what two purposes does richard's soliloquy appear to serve?

richard iii (duke of gloucester): now is the winter of our discontent
made glorious summer by this sun of york;
and all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
in the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;