THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD III

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, who later becomes KING RICHARD III.
LADY ANNE, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VI.; later married to the Duke of Gloucester.

KING EDWARD THE FOURTH, brother to Richard
QUEEN ELIZABETH, wife of King Edward IV.
Sons of the king:
EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, later KING EDWARD V.
RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

GEORGE, DUKE OF CLARENCE, brother to Edward and Richard
BOY, son of Clarence
GIRL, daughter of Clarence

DUCHESS OF YORK, mother of King Edward IV, Clarence, and Gloucester
QUEEN MARGARET, widow of King Henry VI
DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM
LORD HASTINGS, the Lord Chamberlain
LORD STANLEY, the Earl of Derby
EARL RIVERS, brother of Queen Elizabeth
LORD GREY, son of Queen Elizabeth from her previous marriage
MARQUESS OF DORSET, son of Queen Elizabeth from her previous marriage
SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN

SIR WILLIAM CATESBY
SIR RICHARD RATCLIFFE
LORD LOVELL
DUKE OF NORFOLK
EARL OF SURREY

HENRY, EARL OF RICHMOND, later KING HENRY VII.
EARL OF OXFORD
SIR JAMES BLUNT
SIR WALTER HERBERT
SIR WILLIAM BRANDON
CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a priest
THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK
CARDINAL BOURCHIER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
John Morton, BISHOP OF ELY
SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower
SIR JAMES TYRREL
Another Priest
LORD MAYOR OF LONDON
SHERIFF OF WILTSHIRE

Lords and other attendants; two gentlemen, a herald, a scribe, citizens, murderers, messengers, ghosts, soldiers, etc.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, solo.

RICHARD.
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that hung over our house
Are buried deep in the ocean.
Now our heads are crowned with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms are displayed as monuments,
Our harsh alarms have turned into joyful gatherings,
Our terrible marches into delightful dances.
Grim-faced war has smoothed his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of riding fierce steeds
To scare the souls of trembling enemies,
He prances lightly in a lady’s room
To the seductive melodies of a lute.
But I, who am not made for playful tricks,
Nor shaped to admire a lovey-dovey reflection;
I, who am roughly molded, and lack love’s grace
To strut before a flirtatious young woman;
I, who am robbed of this fine figure,
Cheated of beauty by deceptive nature,
Deformed, unfinished, sent too soon
Into this living world barely made up,
And in such a clumsy and unfashionable way
That dogs bark at me as I walk past them—
Well, I, in this weak, peaceful time,
Have no joy in passing the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun,
And reflect on my own ugliness.
And so, since I cannot act like a lover
To enjoy these lovely, well-spoken days,
I’m determined to be a villain,
And detest the lazy pleasures of these days.
I have laid out plots, dangerous plans,
Driven by drunken prophecies, slanders, and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate towards each other;
And if King Edward is as true and just
As I am cunning, false, and treacherous,
This day should see Clarence locked away
Because of a prophecy that says “G”
Shall be the murderer of Edward’s heirs.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here comes Clarence.

Enter Clarence, cautious and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day. What’s with this armed guard
That stands by your side?

CLARENCE.
The King,
Concerned for my safety, has arranged
These guards to take me to the Tower.

RICHARD.
Why?

CLARENCE.
Because my name's George.

RICHARD.
Oh no, my lord, that fault isn't yours.
He should, for that, blame your godfathers.
Oh, maybe his Majesty plans
For you to be re-christened in the Tower.
But what's going on, Clarence? Can I know?

CLARENCE.
Yeah, Richard, when I know, because I swear
I still don’t. But, from what I hear,
He listens for prophecies and dreams,
And from the alphabet picks the letter G,
And says a wizard told him that by “G”
His child should be disinherited.
And since my name, George, starts with G,
He thinks I'm the one.
These things, as I understand, and other silly stuff like this,
Have caused His Highness to imprison me now.

RICHARD.
This is what happens when men are controlled by women.
It’s not the King who sends you to the Tower;
It’s Lady Grey, his wife, Clarence, it’s her
That pushes him to this point.
Wasn’t it her and that honorable man,
Antony Woodville, her brother,
Who convinced him to send Lord Hastings to the Tower,
From which he’s finally been released today?
We’re not safe, Clarence; we’re not safe.

CLARENCE.
I swear, I don't think anyone is safe
Except for the Queen's relatives and those night-time messengers
Who shuffle between the King and Mistress Shore.
Did you hear how humbly Lord Hastings begged her for his release?

RICHARD.
Humbly expressing my concerns to her deity
Got my Lord Chamberlain his freedom.
Let me tell you: I believe it's our path,
If we want to stay in the King's good graces,
To be her followers and wear her uniform.
The envious, worn-out widow and herself,
Ever since our brother called them gentlewomen,
Have become fierce gossips in our kingdom.

BRAKENBURY.
I beg both of you to forgive me.
The King has strictly ordered
That no one is allowed to have a private meeting,
No matter their status, with your brother.

RICHARD.
Still, if it pleases you, Brakenbury,
You can join in on what we’re discussing.
We’re not saying anything treasonous, man. We’re saying the King
Is wise and virtuous, and his noble Queen
Is of a mature age, beautiful, and not jealous.
We’re saying that Shore’s wife has a nice foot,
A cherry-red lip, an attractive eye, and a charming tongue;
And that the Queen’s relatives have become gentlemen.
What do you think, sir? Can you argue against any of this?

BRAKENBURY.
With this, my lord, I have nothing to do with it.

RICHARD.
Nothing to do with Mistress Shore? Listen, buddy,
Anyone who doesn't mess around with her, except one,
Should probably keep it a secret and do it alone.

BRAKENBURY.
Which one, my lord?

RICHARD.
Her husband, you scoundrel! Are you going to betray me?

BRAKENBURY.
I sincerely ask for your Grace's forgiveness and, at the same time, Please hold off on your meeting with the noble Duke.

CLARENCE.
We understand your order, Brakenbury, and we will follow it.

RICHARD.
We are at the Queen's mercy and must follow her orders.
Brother, goodbye. I’m going to see the King,
And whatever you need me to do,
Even if it means calling King Edward’s widow “sister,”
I’ll do it to set you free.
In the meantime, this deep dishonor in our brotherhood
Affects me more than you can imagine.

CLARENCE.
I know neither of us is happy about it.

RICHARD.
Well, you won't be stuck here for much longer.
I'll make sure you're freed or I'll take the fall for you.
In the meantime, just hang in there.

I have to. Goodbye.

[Exit Clarence, Brakenbury and guard.]

RICHARD.
Go walk the path from which you’ll never return.
Simple, plain Clarence, I love you so much
That I will soon send your soul to heaven,
If heaven will accept the offering from us.
But who is this? The newly freed Hastings?

Enter Lord Hastings.

HASTINGS.
Good day to my gracious lord.

RICHARD.
I extend my greetings to my good Lord Chamberlain.
You are very welcome to the open air.
How have you handled being locked up?

HASTINGS.
With patience, my lord, like prisoners do;
But I will live, my lord, to thank those
Who caused my imprisonment.

RICHARD.
No doubt, no doubt; and Clarence will face the same,
Because those who were your enemies are also his,
And they've had as much influence on him as they had on you.

HASTINGS.
It's such a shame that the eagles are caged,
While the kites and buzzards hunt freely.

RICHARD.
What's the news from abroad?

HASTINGS.
No news from abroad is as bad as this at home:
The King is unwell, weak, and depressed,
And his doctors are very concerned about him.

RICHARD.
Honestly, that news is really bad.
Oh, he's been on a terrible diet for a long time,
And he's really overdone it with his royal self.
It's really upsetting to even think about.
Where is he, in his bed?

HASTINGS.
He is.

RICHARD.
You go ahead, and I'll follow you.

[Leave Hastings.]

He can’t live, I hope, and must not die
Until George is sent off to heaven by post-horse.
I’ll go in to push his hatred even more towards Clarence
With lies well backed by solid arguments;
And if I don’t fail in my deep plan,
Clarence won’t have another day to live;
Once that's done, may God have mercy on King Edward,
And leave the world for me to navigate.
Then I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter.
So what if I killed her husband and her father?
The quickest way to make it up to her
Is to become her husband and her father;
Which I will do, not so much for love
But for another hidden motive,
By marrying her, which I must achieve.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Clarence is still alive; Edward is still living and ruling.
When they’re gone, then I’ll tally my gains.

[Log out.]

Enter the body of King Henry VI, with Halberds to guard it, Lady Anne, serving as the mourner, Tressel and Berkeley and other gentlemen.

ANNE.
Put down, put down your noble burden,
If honor can be hidden in a coffin,
While I briefly mourn
The untimely death of virtuous Lancaster.
Poor cold body of a holy king,
Pale remnants of the house of Lancaster.
You bloodless remnant of that royal blood,
Is it okay if I call upon your ghost
To hear the sorrows of poor Anne,
Wife to your Edward, to your slaughtered son,
Stabbed by the same hand that inflicted these wounds.
Look, in these windows that released your life
I pour the helpless balm of my sorrowful eyes.
O, cursed be the hand that made these wounds;
Cursed the heart that had the heart to do it;
Cursed the blood that spilled this blood.
May a worse fate befall that hated wretch
Who makes us miserable by your death
Than I can wish for adders, spiders, toads,
Or any creeping venomous thing that lives.
If he ever has a child, let it be stillborn,
Abnormal, and born before its time,
Whose ugly and unnatural appearance
May scare the hopeful mother at the sight,
And that be heir to his unhappiness.
If he ever has a wife, let her suffer
More misery from his death
Than I am made to suffer by my young lord and you.
Now come towards Chertsey with your holy burden,
Taken from Paul’s to be buried there;
And rest, as you are weary of this weight,
While I mourn King Henry’s body.

They carry the casket.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

RICHARD.
Wait, you who are carrying the body, and put it down.

ANNE.
What dark sorcerer brings this evil creature
To interrupt selfless acts of kindness?

RICHARD.
You villains, put down the body or, I swear by Saint Paul,
I'll turn anyone who disobeys into a corpse!

GENTLEMAN.
My lord, step back and let the coffin through.

RICHARD.
Rude dog, stand when I tell you to!
Hold your halberd higher than my chest,
Or by Saint Paul, I'll knock you down to my feet
And kick you, beggar, for your audacity.

They set down the coffin.

ANNE.
What, are you shaking? Are you all scared?
I can't blame you, because you're human,
And human eyes can't stand the devil.
Get out of here, you horrible servant of hell!
You only had power over his mortal body;
You can't have his soul; so go away.

RICHARD.
Sweet saint, please, don't be so harsh.

ANNE.
Foul devil, for God’s sake, go away and stop bothering us;
You’ve made this beautiful earth your hell,
Filled it with curses and deep cries.
If you enjoy seeing your terrible actions,
Look at this example of your massacres.
Oh, gentlemen, see, see the wounds on dead Henry
Open their frozen mouths and bleed again!
Blush, blush, you ugly deformity,
It’s your presence that makes this blood
Flow from cold and empty veins that hold no blood.
Your actions, inhumane and unnatural,
Cause this most unnatural flood.
Oh God, who created this blood, avenge his death!
Oh earth, that drinks this blood, avenge his death!
Either let heaven strike the murderer dead with lightning,
Or let the earth open wide and swallow him whole,
Just as it swallows up this good King’s blood,
Which his hellish hand has spilled.

RICHARD.
Lady, you don’t understand the rules of kindness,
That turn wrongs into rights and curses into blessings.

ANNE.
Villain, you know neither the law of God nor man.
No beast so fierce that it doesn't have some sense of pity.

RICHARD.
But I don't know any, so I'm not an animal.

ANNE.
Oh, how amazing it is when demons speak the truth!

RICHARD.
Even more amazing when angels are so furious.
Please, perfect goddess of a woman,
Of these supposed crimes, allow me,
By circumstance, to clear my name.

ANNE.
Please, spread your infectious charm,
Of these known troubles, just give me permission,
By circumstance, to blame your cursed self.

RICHARD.
You're more beautiful than words can describe; please allow me some time to explain myself.

ANNE.
Worse than anyone could imagine, you have
No justification that would be acceptable except to take your own life.

RICHARD.
With this despair, I should blame myself.

ANNE.
And by feeling desperate, you’ll have a reason
For taking justified revenge on yourself
After you did something horrible to others.

RICHARD.
Am I supposed to say that I didn't kill them?

ANNE.
Then say they weren't killed.
But they are dead, and, wicked servant, because of you.

RICHARD.
I didn't murder your husband.

ANNE.
Why is he alive then?

RICHARD.
No, he's dead, and killed by Edward's hand.

ANNE.
In your nasty throat, you lie. Queen Margaret saw
Your bloody sword steaming in his blood,
The very one you once aimed at her chest,
If only your brothers hadn’t deflected the blade.

RICHARD.
I was triggered by her slanderous words,
That placed their blame on my innocent shoulders.

ANNE.
You were driven by your violent thoughts,
That only ever think about slaughter.
Did you not kill this King?

RICHARD.
I agree.

ANNE.
Do you really want to, hedgehog? Then, God help me too
You might be condemned for that evil act.
Oh, he was kind, gentle, and good.

RICHARD.
It's better for the King of Heaven to have him.

ANNE.
He's in heaven, and you’ll never get there.

RICHARD.
He should be grateful to me for helping to send him there,
Because he was better suited for that place than for this world.

ANNE.
And you're only suited for hell.

RICHARD.
Yes, there’s one other place, if you’ll let me mention it.

ANNE.
A dungeon.

RICHARD.
Your bedroom.

ANNE.
May peace rest upon the room where you are!

RICHARD.
It will be that way, ma'am, until I’m with you.

ANNE.
I really hope so.

RICHARD.
I agree. But, kind Lady Anne,
Let’s step away from this sharp exchange of our words,
And take things down a notch:
Isn’t the one responsible for the endless deaths
Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward,
Just as guilty as the one who carries out the executions?

ANNE.
You were the reason and the most cursed outcome.

RICHARD.
Your beauty was the reason for that feeling:
Your beauty, which haunted me in my dreams,
Made me willing to end the world's life,
Just so I could spend one hour in your sweet embrace.

ANNE.
If I believed that, I swear, I would scratch that beauty off my cheeks with these nails.

RICHARD.
These eyes can't handle the destruction of that beauty;
You shouldn't tarnish it while I'm here.
Just as the whole world is brightened by the sun,
I am brightened by that; it is my day, my life.

ANNE.
A dark night covers your day, and death overshadows your life.

RICHARD.
Don’t curse yourself, beautiful one; you are both.

ANNE.
I wish I were someone else, just to get back at you.

RICHARD.
It's a strange fight,
To take revenge on someone who loves you.

ANNE.
It's a fair and just reason,
To get revenge on the one who killed my husband.

RICHARD.
The one who took away your husband, lady,
Did it to lead you to a better one.

ANNE.
No one better exists on this Earth.

RICHARD.
He loves you more than he ever could.

Name him.

RICHARD.
Plantagenet.

ANNE.
That was him.

RICHARD.
The same name, but with a better character.

ANNE.
Where is he now?

RICHARD.
Present.

She spits on him.

Why are you spitting at me?

ANNE.
I wish it were deadly poison, for your sake.

RICHARD.
Poison has never come from such a sweet place.

ANNE.
Never hung poison on a nastier toad.
Get out of my sight! You disgust me.

RICHARD.
Your eyes, sweet lady, have captivated mine.

ANNE.
I wish they were basilisks to kill you!

RICHARD.
I wish they were dead so I could die right now;
Because right now they’re killing me with a living death.
Your eyes have drawn salt tears from mine,
Shaming them with a flood of childish drops.
These eyes, which never shed a remorseful tear,
No, not when my father York and Edward cried
To hear the pitiful moans that Rutland made
When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him;
Nor when your warrior father, like a child,
Told the sad story of my father’s death,
And paused twenty times to sob and weep,
Until all the bystanders had wet their cheeks
Like trees splashed with rain. In that sad moment,
My manly eyes looked down on a humble tear;
And what these sorrows couldn’t make me exhale,
Your beauty has, and made me blind with weeping.
I’ve never begged from friend or foe;
My tongue could never learn sweet, flattering words;
But now your beauty is the price I pay,
My proud heart begs, and pushes my tongue to speak.

She gives him a scornful look.

Teach not your lips such scorn; they were made
For kissing, lady, not for such contempt.
If your revengeful heart cannot forgive,
Look, here I offer you this sharp sword,
Which if you want to hide in this true heart
And let out the soul that adores you,
I lay it bare to the deadly blow,
And humbly ask for death on my knees,

[He kneels and exposes his chest; she aims the sword at him.]

No, don’t stop, because I did kill King Henry—
But it was your beauty that pushed me to it.
No, hurry up; it was I who stabbed young Edward—
But it was your angelic face that made me do it.

She drops the sword.

Take up the sword again, or take up with me.

ANNE.
Get up, impersonator. Even though I want you dead,
I won't be the one to kill you.

RICHARD.
Then tell me to take my own life, and I will do it.

ANNE.
I've already done that.

RICHARD.
That was in your anger.
Say it again, and with that word,
This hand, which killed what I loved for your love,
Will, for your love, end a much truer love.
You will be complicit in both their deaths.

ANNE.
I wish I knew what was in your heart.

RICHARD.
It's figured in my tongue.

ANNE.
I’m afraid both of them are lying.

RICHARD.
Then no man was ever true.

ANNE.
Alright, alright, put away your sword.

RICHARD.
So, my mind is at peace.

ANNE.
You will know that later.

RICHARD.
But should I hold onto hope?

ANNE.
I hope all men live like that.

RICHARD.
Please wear this ring.

ANNE.
Taking isn't the same as giving.

He puts the ring on her hand.

RICHARD.
Look how my ring fits on your finger;
Just like your heart holds my poor heart;
Wear both of them, because they both belong to you.
And if your loyal servant could
Just ask one favor from your kind hand,
You would make him happy forever.

ANNE.
What’s up?

RICHARD.
I hope you'll let go of these gloomy plans
And leave them to the one who has the most reason to mourn.
Please go directly to Crosby Place;
After I’ve properly buried this noble King
At Chertsey monastery and shed my repentant tears
On his grave, I will see you as soon as I can.
For several unknown reasons, I kindly ask you,
To grant me this favor.

ANNE.
I truly feel glad, and it makes me happy to see you are so remorseful.
Tressel and Berkeley, come with me.

RICHARD.
Say goodbye to me.

ANNE.
It's more than you deserve;
But since you’re showing me how to flatter you,
Just picture that I've already said goodbye.

[Exit Lady Anne, Tressel and Berkeley.]

RICHARD.
Gentlemen, lift the corpse.

SIR.
Towards Chertsey, my lord?

RICHARD.
No, to White Friars; wait for my arrival there.

[Exit Halberds and Gentlemen with body.]

Was any woman ever pursued like this?
Was any woman ever won over like this?
I’ll have her, but I won’t keep her for long.
What, me who killed her husband and his father,
To take her while she hates me the most,
With curses on her lips, tears in her eyes,
The bloody proof of her hatred right there,
Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me,
And I have no friends backing me at all,
Just the plain devil and fake smiles?
And yet to win her, it’s worth everything!
Ha!
Has she already forgotten that brave prince,
Edward, her lord, whom I, a few months ago,
Stabbed in my rage at Tewksbury?
A sweeter and lovelier gentleman,
Created by nature’s generosity,
Young, brave, wise, and surely royal,
The wide world can’t offer another like him.
And will she lower her gaze to me,
Who cut down the golden prime of this sweet prince,
And made her a widow in a sad bed?
On me, whose worth doesn’t match Edward’s half?
On me, who limps and looks like this?
My dukedom to a poor penny,
I’ve been mistaking myself all this time!
I swear, she thinks, even if I don’t,
That I’m a truly handsome man.
I’ll pay for a mirror,
And hire a few tailors
To design outfits to make me look good.
Since I’ve come to like myself,
I’ll keep it up with some little spending.
But first I’ll turn that guy in his grave,
And then come back mourning to my love.
Shine on, bright sun, until I buy a mirror,
So I can see my reflection as I pass.

[Log out.]

Enter Queen Elizabeth, the Marquess of Dorset, Lord Rivers and Lord Gray.

RIVERS.
Please be patient, ma'am. There's no doubt the King
Will soon get back to his usual health.

GREY.
If you can't tolerate it, it just makes him feel worse.
So, for God’s sake, try to stay positive,
And brighten his mood with lively and cheerful eyes.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
If he were dead, what would happen to me?

GREY.
The only harm is the loss of such a lord.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Losing such a lord brings all kinds of suffering.

GREY.
The heavens have gifted you with a great son
To be your comfort when he is gone.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Oh, he’s young, and his childhood
Is under the care of Richard Gloucester,
A man who doesn’t love me, or any of you.

RIVERS.
Is it decided that he will be the Protector?

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
It’s decided, but not finalized yet;
But it definitely has to be, if the King fails.

Enter Buckingham and Stanley, Earl of Derby.

GREY.
Here come the Lords of Buckingham and Derby.

BUCKINGHAM.
Good day to your royal Grace.

STANLEY.
May God keep your Majesty as happy as you have been.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
The Countess Richmond, my dear Lord of Derby,
Will hardly agree to your kind request.
Still, Derby, even though she’s your wife,
And doesn’t care for me, rest assured,
I don’t hate you for her proud arrogance.

STANLEY.
I urge you, either don’t believe
The jealous lies from her false accusers,
Or if she is accused based on true claims,
Have patience with her weakness, which I believe comes
From an unpredictable illness, not from any real malice.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Did you see the King today, my Lord of Derby?

STANLEY.
But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
Have just come back from visiting his Majesty.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
What are the chances of him getting better, my lords?

BUCKINGHAM.
Ma'am, good news; his Grace is in good spirits.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
God grant him health! Did you talk to him?

BUCKINGHAM.
Yes, ma'am; he wants to reconcile
the Duke of Gloucester with your brothers,
and also with my Lord Chamberlain;
and he sent to summon them to his royal presence.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
I wish everything were okay—but it never will be.
I'm afraid our happiness has reached its peak.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Hastings.

RICHARD.
They’re treating me unjustly, and I won’t put up with it!
Who’s telling the King
That I’m harsh and don’t care about them?
By holy Paul, they hardly love his Grace
When they fill his ears with such divisive rumors.
Just because I can’t flatter and be nice,
Smile in people’s faces, deceive, and lie,
Bow with fake nods and ridiculous courtesy,
I have to be seen as a bitter enemy.
Can’t a straightforward person live and have no ill intentions,
But his honest nature has to be twisted
By sly, smooth-talking tricksters?

GREY.
To whom in all this company does your Grace speak?

RICHARD.
To you, who have neither honesty nor grace.
When have I harmed you? When have I wronged you?
Or you? Or you? Or any of your group?
A pox on all of you! His royal Highness,
Whom God protect better than you would like,
Can hardly get a moment of peace
Without you bothering him with disgusting complaints.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Brother of Gloucester, you’ve misunderstood the situation.
The King, acting on his own royal judgment,
And not influenced by anyone else,
Seems, perhaps, to target the resentment you harbor
That reveals itself in your behavior
Towards my children, my brothers, and me,
He decides to send for you, so he can understand
The reasons behind your ill will and find a way to resolve it.

RICHARD.
I can’t say. The world has gotten so terrible
That small birds hunt where eagles won’t even land.
Now that every Jack thinks he’s a gentleman,
There are plenty of gentlemen who act like Jacks.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Come on, we know what you’re getting at, brother Gloucester.
You’re jealous of my success and my friends’.
I hope we never have to rely on you.

RICHARD.
In the meantime, I hope we truly need you.
Our brother is in prison because of you,
I am shamed, and the nobles
Are looked down upon, while significant rewards
Are given every day to elevate those
Who just a couple of days ago weren’t worth a dime.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
By the one who brought me to this important position
From the happy life I once had,
I never did provoke his Majesty
Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
A sincere supporter advocating for him.
My lord, you are doing me a terrible injustice
By falsely involving me in these awful suspicions.

RICHARD.
You might claim that you weren't the reason
For my Lord Hastings’ recent imprisonment.

Rivers.
She might, my lord; for—

RICHARD.
She might, Lord Rivers; after all, who doesn’t know that?
She can offer you many great opportunities,
And then refuse to take any credit for it,
And give all the praise to your remarkable talents.
What can’t she do? She might, oh yes, marry, might she—

RIVERS.
What, marry, might she?

RICHARD.
What, marry, can she? Marry a king,
A single guy, and a good-looking young man too.
I’m sure your grandma had a worse match.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
My lord of Gloucester, I've put up with
Your harsh criticisms and your cruel jokes for too long.
I swear, I’ll inform his Majesty
About those terrible insults I've had to tolerate.
I’d rather be a simple country servant
Than a powerful queen under these circumstances,
To be constantly attacked, mocked, and berated.

Enter old Queen Margaret from behind.

Small joy do I have in being England’s queen.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] And may that little bit decrease, God, I ask of Him!
Your honor, position, and place belong to me.

RICHARD.
What, are you threatening me by mentioning the King?
Go ahead, tell him. I stand by what I've said.
I'll back it up in front of the King;
I'm willing to risk being sent to the Tower.
It’s time to speak. I've completely forgotten my troubles.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] Get out, devil! I remember them all too clearly:
You killed my husband Henry in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewksbury.

RICHARD.
Before you were queen, or your husband king,
I was just a workhorse in his big plans;
A person who got rid of his proud enemies,
And generously rewarded his friends.
To elevate his status, I sacrificed my own blood.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] Yes, and a much better lineage than his or yours.

RICHARD.
During all that time, you and your husband Grey
Were loyal to the house of Lancaster.
And, Rivers, you were too. Wasn’t your husband
Killed in Margaret’s battle at Saint Albans?
Let me remind you, if you've forgotten,
What you've been in the past, and what you are now;
Along with what I have been, and what I am.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] A murderous villain, and that's still who you are.

RICHARD.
Poor Clarence left his father Warwick,
Yeah, and betrayed himself—which Jesus forgive!—

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] May God avenge!

RICHARD.
To fight for Edward's side for the crown;
And as for his reward, sadly, he is locked away.
I wish my heart was as hard as Edward's,
Or Edward's soft and compassionate, like mine.
I'm too naive and foolish for this world.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] Go to hell for shame, and leave this world,
You evil spirit! That’s where your kingdom is.

RIVERS.
My lord of Gloucester, during those hectic days
Which you mention to show that we're enemies,
We followed our lord, our sovereign king then.
We would do the same for you, if you were our king.

RICHARD.
If I had to be! I would rather be a peddler.
That thought is far from my heart.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
As little joy, my lord, as you think
You would have if you were the king of this country,
Just as little joy you might think I have
In being its Queen.

QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] The Queen finds little joy in it,
Because I am she, and completely joyless.
I can’t stay patient any longer.

Stepping up.

Hear me, you bickering pirates, who argue over
What you’ve taken from me!
Which of you doesn’t tremble when you see me?
If it’s not because I’m Queen, you bow down like subjects,
But since you've deposed me, you shake like rebels.
Ah, kind villain, don’t turn away.

RICHARD.
Gross, wrinkled witch, what are you doing here in front of me?

QUEEN MARGARET.
But repeating what you've ruined.
I will do that before I let you go.

RICHARD.
Weren't you banished under the threat of death?

QUEEN MARGARET.
I was, but I find more pain in being exiled
Than the death I could face here at home.
You owe me a husband and a son;
And you owe me a kingdom; all of you owe me loyalty.
The sorrow I feel is rightfully yours;
And all the pleasures you take for yourselves belong to me.

RICHARD.
The curse my noble father put on you
When you crowned his battle-ready head with paper,
And with your insults made him cry rivers,
And then to dry his tears, you handed the Duke a cloth
Soaked in the innocent blood of sweet Rutland—
His curses, born from deep bitterness
Directed at you, have all come back to you,
And God, not us, has punished you for your bloody actions.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
God is just, defending the innocent.

HASTINGS.
Oh, it was the cruelest act to kill that baby,
And the most heartless that has ever been reported.

RIVERS.
Even tyrants cried when they heard the news.

DORSET.
No one predicted anything but revenge for it.

BUCKINGHAM.
Northumberland, who was there, cried when he saw it.

QUEEN MARGARET.
What, were you all growling before I showed up,
Ready to grab each other by the throat,
And now turning all your anger on me?
Did York’s terrible curse work so strongly with heaven
That Henry’s death, my beautiful Edward’s death,
Their kingdom's loss, my sorrowful exile,
Should all be blamed on that annoying brat?
Can curses really reach the clouds and enter heaven?
Well then, let my quick curses through, dull clouds!
Though not by war, let your King die of excess,
As ours did by murder, to put him on the throne.
Edward, your son, who is now Prince of Wales,
For Edward, our son, who was Prince of Wales,
Let him die young by similar untimely violence.
You a queen, while I was a queen,
Outlive your glory, just like my miserable self.
May you live long to mourn your children’s deaths,
And see another, just as I see you now,
Decked in your rights, as you have taken mine;
May your happy days end long before your death,
And, after many drawn-out hours of grief,
Die neither mother, wife, nor England’s Queen.
Rivers and Dorset, you were bystanders,
And so were you, Lord Hastings, when my son
Was stabbed with bloody daggers. God, I pray Him,
That none of you may live to a natural age,
But may be cut off by some unexpected accident.

RICHARD.
Stop your magic, you nasty, old witch.

QUEEN MARGARET.
And leave you out? Wait, dog, because you need to hear me.
If heaven has any terrible plague in store
Worse than what I can wish on you,
Oh, let them hold on to it until your sins are ripe,
And then unleash their fury
On you, the troublemaker of this poor world’s peace.
May the worm of guilt always gnaw at your soul;
Your friends will suspect you as a traitor while you live,
And take real traitors as your closest friends;
No sleep will ever close those deadly eyes of yours,
Unless it’s during some tormenting dream
That scares you with a hell of ugly devils.
You marked by fairies, unwanted, rooting hog,
You who were branded at birth
The slave of nature and the son of hell;
You slander of your mother’s heavy womb,
You despised result of your father’s loins,
You rag of honor, you hated—

RICHARD.
Margaret.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Richard!

RICHARD.
Huh?

QUEEN MARGARET.
I'm not calling you.

RICHARD.
I apologize, then, because I thought
You were calling me all these harsh names.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Yeah, I did, but I wasn't expecting an answer.
Oh, let me bring an end to my curse!

RICHARD.
It's done by me, and ends with "Margaret."

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
So you've placed a curse on yourself.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Poor painted queen, shallow show of my luck,
Why are you sprinkling sugar on that bottled spider,
Whose deadly web is trapping you?
Fool, fool; you’re sharpening a knife to harm yourself.
The day will come when you’ll wish for me
To help you curse this poisonous, hunchbacked toad.

HASTINGS.
Troubling woman, stop your frantic cursing,
Before you push us to the edge of our patience.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Shame on you, you have all offended me.

RIVERS.
If you were treated properly, you would learn your responsibilities.

QUEEN MARGARET.
To serve me well, you all need to fulfill your responsibilities:
Teach me how to be your queen, and you my subjects.
Oh, serve me well, and make sure you understand your duties!

DORSET.
Don't argue with her; she's crazy.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Calm down, Master Marquess, you're being rude.
Your shiny new title isn’t really worth much.
Oh, if only your young nobility could understand
What it means to lose that title and be unhappy!
Those in high places face many challenges,
And if they fall, they crash down hard.

RICHARD.
Good advice, for sure. Take it to heart, Marquess.

DORSET.
It affects you, my lord, just as much as it does me.

RICHARD.
Yeah, and a lot more; but I was born so high.
Our nest is built at the top of the cedar,
And plays with the wind, and looks down on the sun.

QUEEN MARGARET.
And turns the sun into darkness, oh no, oh no!
Look at my son, now in the shadows of death,
Whose bright shining light your angry clouds
Have wrapped in eternal darkness.
Your spirit builds within our sorrowful home.
O God, who sees this, do not allow it!
As it is gained with blood, let it be lost that way.

BUCKINGHAM.
Calm down, calm down, for shame, if not for compassion.

QUEEN MARGARET.
Don't push me with either pity or shame.
You've treated me unkindly,
And my hopes have been cruelly destroyed by you.
My compassion feels like a betrayal, my life is full of shame,
And in that shame, my sorrow’s fury continues to live.

BUCKINGHAM.
Enough, enough.

QUEEN MARGARET.
O noble Buckingham, I’ll kiss your hand
As a sign of alliance and friendship with you.
May good fortune come to you and your esteemed family!
Your clothes are not stained with our blood,
And you’re not within the reach of my curse.

BUCKINGHAM.
And no one here either, because curses never leave
The lips of those who speak them into the air.

QUEEN MARGARET.
I won't believe anything other than that they rise to the heavens,
And there awaken God’s gentle, peaceful slumber.
Oh Buckingham, be careful of that dog over there!
Notice when he flatters, he attacks; and when he attacks,
His poisonous bite will linger until death.
Do not associate with him; watch out for him;
Sin, death, and hell have marked him,
And all their servants are with him.

RICHARD.
What does she say, my lord of Buckingham?

BUCKINGHAM.
Nothing that I hold in high regard, my esteemed lord.

QUEEN MARGARET.
What, do you scorn me for my kind advice,
And calm the devil I’m warning you about?
Oh, but remember this on another day,
When he breaks your heart with sorrow,
And people say, poor Margaret was a prophetess.
Each of you will be subjects of his hate,
And he to yours, and all of you to God’s!

[Log out.]

BUCKINGHAM.
My hair stands on end to hear her curses.

RIVERS.
And so does mine. I wonder why she’s free.

RICHARD.
I can't blame her. By God's holy mother,
She has been wronged too much; and I regret
My role in what I've done to her.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
I never did anything to her, as far as I know.

RICHARD.
But you have all the advantage from what she did wrong.
I was too eager to help someone
Who now seems too detached when I think about it.
As for Clarence, he got what he deserved;
He's being taken care of for his trouble.
May God forgive those who are responsible for this.

RIVERS.
A good and Christian conclusion,
To pray for those who have harmed us.

RICHARD.
I totally agree—(Talking to himself) getting good advice;
Because if I had cursed just now, I would have cursed myself.

Enter Catesby.

CATESBY.
Ma'am, the King is requesting your presence,
And for your Grace, and you, my honorable lords.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Catesby, I'm coming. Lords, will you join me?

Rivers. We await your grace.

[Everyone leaves except Richard.]

RICHARD.
I do wrong, and I’m the one who starts the fights.
The secret plots that I initiate
I blame on others’ shoulders.
Clarence, whom I have truly cast into darkness,
I mourn to many unsuspecting fools,
Specifically, to Derby, Hastings, and Buckingham;
And I tell them it’s the Queen and her supporters
Who are turning the King against my brother, the Duke.
Now they believe it, and they’re spurring me
To take revenge on Rivers, Dorset, and Grey.
But then I sigh, and, quoting the Bible,
I remind them that God tells us to do good in response to evil;
And so I disguise my naked wickedness
With random old lines taken from the Scriptures,
And I appear holy when I'm really being a devil.

Enter two Killers.

But wait, here come my executioners.
So, my brave, strong, determined friends;
Are you all ready to finish this?

FIRST MURDERER.
We're here, my lord, and we've come for the warrant,
So we can be allowed in to see him.

RICHARD.
Good point; I’ve got it right here with me.

[Gives the warrant.]

When you're done, head over to Crosby Place.
But, gentlemen, act quickly,
And stay resolute, don’t listen to his pleas;
For Clarence is articulate, and he might
Touch your hearts with pity, if you pay attention to him.

SECOND MURDERER.
Come on, my lord, we won't just stand around talking.
Talkers don't get anything done. Trust me,
We're here to take action, not to chatter.

RICHARD.
Your eyes weigh heavy like stones when fools cry.
I like you, guys. Get back to work right away.
Go on, hurry up.

BOTH MURDERERS.
We'll do that, my lord.

[Exit.]

Enter Clarence and Keeper.

KEEPER.
Why does your Grace look so down today?

CLARENCE.
Oh, I had a terrible night,
Filled with scary dreams and horrible visions,
That, as a sincere Christian,
I wouldn’t spend another night like that
Even if it meant gaining a lifetime of happiness,
It was so filled with dread!

KEEPER.
What was your dream, my lord? Please tell me.

CLARENCE.
I thought I had escaped from the Tower,
And was on my way to Burgundy;
And with me was my brother Gloucester,
Who from my cabin urged me to walk
On the deck. From there we looked towards England,
And recalled a thousand painful moments,
During the wars of York and Lancaster,
That had happened to us. As we walked along
On the unstable deck,
I thought that Gloucester stumbled, and as he fell,
He hit me, and I, trying to stop him, went overboard
Into the churning waves of the ocean.
Oh Lord, I thought about the agony of drowning,
The terrifying noise of water in my ears;
The sights of gruesome death before my eyes.
I thought I saw a thousand terrifying shipwrecks;
A thousand men being eaten by fish;
Wedges of gold, huge anchors, piles of pearls,
Uncountable stones, priceless jewels,
All scattered at the bottom of the sea.
Some lay in dead men’s skulls, and in the sockets
Where eyes once lived, there crept—
As if to mock those eyes—reflecting gems,
That beckoned to the slimy ocean floor,
And mocked the scattered dead bones.

KEEPER.
Did you have time in the moment of death
To look at these secrets of the deep?

CLARENCE.
I thought I did; and I often tried
To release the ghost, but the jealous flood
Blocked it in my soul and wouldn’t let it out
To search the empty, vast, and wandering air,
But kept it smothered within my gasping body,
Where I almost burst to spill it into the sea.

KEEPER.
Did you not wake from this terrible pain?

CLARENCE.
No, no, my dream lasted longer than life.
Oh, then the storm began in my soul.
I thought I crossed the sorrowful river,
With that grim ferryman poets write about,
Into the realm of eternal night.
The first to greet my lost soul there
Was my great father-in-law, famous Warwick,
Who spoke out, “What punishment for perjury
Can this dark kingdom offer false Clarence?”
And then he disappeared. Then passed by
A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
Soaked in blood; and he screamed out loud
“Clarence has arrived—false, fleeting, perjured Clarence,
Who stabbed me in the field at Tewkesbury!
Seize him, Furies! Take him to torment!”
With that, I thought, a legion of foul demons
Surrounded me, howling in my ears
Such dreadful cries that with the very noise
I trembled awake, and for a while afterward
Couldn’t believe I wasn’t in hell,
Such a terrible impression my dream left.

KEEPER.
It's no wonder, my lord, that it scared you;
I, too, feel uneasy about hearing you describe it.

CLARENCE.
Oh, Keeper, Keeper, I've done these things,
That now stand as evidence against my soul,
For Edward’s sake, and look how he repays me.
Oh God, if my sincere prayers can’t calm You,
But You want to take vengeance on my wrongs,
Then let Your anger fall on me alone;
Oh, spare my innocent wife and my poor children!
Keeper, please sit with me for a while.
My soul is heavy, and I'd really like to sleep.

KEEPER.
I will, my lord; may God grant you a good rest.

[Clarence relaxes in a chair.]

Enter Brakenbury, the Lieutenant.

BRAKENBURY.
Grief disrupts seasons and resting hours,
Turns night into morning, and noon into night.
Nobles have only their titles for their glory,
An external honor for an inner struggle;
And, for unacknowledged thoughts,
They often experience a lot of restless worries,
So that between their titles and common names,
The only difference is the public recognition.

Enter the two Killers.

FIRST MURDERER.
Hey, who’s there?

BRAKENBURY.
What do you want, friend? And how did you get here?

SECOND MURDERER.
I wanted to talk to Clarence, so I came here on foot.

BRAKENBURY.
What, so short?

FIRST MURDERER.
It's better, sir, than to be boring. Let him see our commission and stop talking.

[Brakenbury reads the order.]

BRAKENBURY.
I have been ordered to hand over
The noble Duke of Clarence to you.
I won’t question what this means,
Because I want to stay out of it.
There lies the Duke asleep, and here are the keys.
I’ll go to the King and let him know
That I have given my responsibility to you.

FIRST MURDERER.
You can, sir; it's a smart move. Take care.

[Exit Brakenbury and the Keeper.]

SECOND MURDERER.
What, should I stab him while he's sleeping?

FIRST MURDERER.
No. He’ll say it was done cowardly when he wakes up.

SECOND MURDERER.
He won’t wake up until Judgment Day.

FIRST MURDERER.
Well, then he’ll say we stabbed him while he was asleep.

SECOND MURDERER.
Hearing that word “judgment” has stirred some remorse in me.

FIRST MURDERER.
What, are you scared?

SECOND MURDERER.
I’m not here to kill him, even though I have a warrant; I’m here to be cursed for killing him, and no warrant can protect me from that.

FIRST MURDERER.
I thought you were determined.

SECOND MURDERER.
So I am—to let him live.

FIRST MURDERER.
I’ll go back to the Duke of Gloucester and tell him that.

SECOND MURDERER.
No, please stay for a moment. I hope this intense mood will pass. It used to affect me only as long as it took to tell a story.

FIRST MURDERER.
How do you feel right now?

SECOND MURDERER.
Honestly, there are some lingering feelings of guilt within me.

FIRST MURDERER.
Remember our reward once the job is finished.

SECOND MURDERER.
Wow, he’s gonna die! I completely forgot about the reward.

FIRST MURDERER.
Where's your conscience now?

SECOND MURDERER.
Oh, in the Duke of Gloucester’s wallet.

FIRST MURDERER.
So, when he opens his wallet to give us our reward, your conscience just disappears.

SECOND MURDERER.
It doesn't matter; let it go. Very few, if any, will take it seriously.

FIRST MURDERER.
What if it comes back to you?

SECOND MURDERER.
I won't get involved; it just makes a person a coward. A person can't steal without feeling guilty; a person can't swear without feeling it inside; a person can't cheat with their neighbor's spouse without getting caught. It’s a shameful spirit that rebels in a person’s heart. It fills a person with obstacles. It once made me return a purse of gold that I found by chance. It ruins anyone who holds onto it. It's pushed out of towns and cities because it's dangerous; and anyone who wants to live well tries to rely on themselves and live without it.

FIRST MURDERER.
Damn it, it’s right here next to me, trying to convince me not to kill the Duke.

SECOND MURDERER.
Keep the devil out of your thoughts, and don't believe him. He only wants to worm his way into your mind to make you unhappy.

FIRST MURDERER.
I'm built strong; he can't defeat me.

SECOND MURDERER.
You sound like a decent guy who values your reputation. So, are we ready to get to work?

FIRST MURDERER.
Hit him in the head with the handle of your sword, and then toss him into the barrel of sweet wine in the next room.

SECOND MURDERER.
Oh, great plan—and let's take him out.

FIRST MURDERER.
Gently, he wakes.

SECOND MURDERER.
Hit!

FIRST MURDERER.
No, let’s talk to him.

CLARENCE.
Where are you, keeper? Bring me a cup of wine.

SECOND MURDERER.
You’ll have plenty of wine, my lord, soon.

CLARENCE.
In God's name, what are you?

FIRST MURDERER.
A guy, just like you.

CLARENCE.
But not as I am, a royal.

SECOND MURDERER.
Neither are you loyal like us.

CLARENCE.
Your voice is powerful, but your appearance is modest.

FIRST MURDERER.
My voice now belongs to the King, my appearance is my own.

CLARENCE.
Why do you speak so darkly and ominously?
Your eyes threaten me; why do you look so pale?
Who sent you here? What do you want?

To, to, to—

CLARENCE.
To kill me?

BOTH MURDERERS.
Yeah, yeah.

CLARENCE.
You barely have the courage to tell me this,
And because of that, you probably can't bring yourselves to do it.
What have I done to upset you, my friends?

FIRST MURDERER.
You haven’t offended us, but the King.

CLARENCE.
I will make up with him again.

SECOND MURDERER.
Never, my lord; so get ready to die.

CLARENCE.
Are you here among all these people
To kill the innocent? What did I do wrong?
Where's the proof that accuses me?
What rightful process has given their verdict
To the stern judge? Or who handed down
The harsh sentence of poor Clarence’ death?
Before I'm convicted by the law,
It’s totally wrong to threaten me with death.
I urge you, as you seek redemption,
By Christ’s precious blood shed for our serious sins,
That you leave me alone and don’t touch me.
The act you’re about to commit is unforgivable.

FIRST MURDERER.
We'll do what we're told.

SECOND MURDERER.
And the one who ordered it is our King.

CLARENCE.
Wrongful vassals! The great King of kings
Has commanded in His law's decree
That you shall commit no murder. Will you then
Reject His order and follow a man's?
Be careful, for He carries vengeance in His hand
To cast upon the heads of those who break His law.

SECOND MURDERER.
And that same revenge He brings upon you
For lying under oath and for murder as well.
You took the sacrament to fight
In the conflict for the house of Lancaster.

FIRST MURDERER.
And like a traitor to the name of God
You broke that vow, and with your treacherous blade
Ripped open the guts of your sovereign’s son.

SECOND MURDERER.
Whom you swore to care for and protect.

FIRST MURDERER.
How can you enforce God's terrible law on us,
When you have broken it to such an extent?

CLARENCE.
Oh, for whose sake did I commit that terrible act?
For Edward, for my brother, for him.
He isn’t sending you to kill me for this,
Because he is just as guilty as I am.
If God wants to take revenge for the act,
Oh, know that He does it openly;
Don’t try to take this conflict from His strong hand;
He doesn’t need any sneaky or unlawful way
To punish those who have wronged Him.

FIRST MURDERER.
Who turned you into a bloody servant
When the noble, brave Plantagenet,
That royal newcomer, was killed by you?

CLARENCE.
My brother’s love, the devil, and my anger.

FIRST MURDERER.
Your brother’s love, our duty, and your mistakes,
Bring us here now to kill you.

CLARENCE.
If you love my brother, please don’t hate me.
I’m his brother, and I care for him deeply.
If you’re working for a reward, head back,
And I’ll send you to my brother Gloucester,
Who will pay you more for my life
Than Edward will for news of my death.

SECOND MURDERER.
You're mistaken. Your brother Gloucester despises you.

CLARENCE.
Oh no, he cares for me, and he values me.
Go to him on my behalf.

First Murderer.
Yeah, we will.

CLARENCE.
Tell him that when our noble father York
Blessed his three sons with his triumphant strength,
And instructed us from his heart to love one another,
He never imagined this fractured friendship.
Tell Gloucester to think about this, and he will cry.

FIRST MURDERER.
Yeah, millstones, just like he taught us to cry.

CLARENCE.
Oh, don’t talk bad about him, because he’s really nice.

FIRST MURDERER.
Yeah, as sure as snow in harvest. Come on, you're just fooling yourself.
It’s him who sends us to take you out here.

CLARENCE.
It can't be, because he cried over my situation,
And held me in his arms, and swore with tears
That he would work for my rescue.

FIRST MURDERER.
Well, he does, when he frees you
From this earthly bondage to the joys of heaven.

SECOND MURDERER.
Make peace with God, because you’re going to die, my lord.

CLARENCE.
Do you have that sacred feeling in your hearts
To advise me to reconcile with God,
And are you still so blind to your own well-being
That you would go against God by killing me?
Oh, gentlemen, think about this: those who incite you
To commit this act will despise you for it.

SECOND MURDERER.
What are we gonna do?

CLARENCE.
Give in, and save yourselves.

FIRST MURDERER.
Back down? No, that’s cowardly and weak.

CLARENCE.
Not giving in is cruel, savage, and wicked.
Which of you—if you were the son of a prince,
Trapped and unable to escape like I am now—
If two murderers like you approached,
Wouldn’t plead for your life? Yeah, you would beg,
If you were in my situation.
My friend, I see some compassion in your eyes.
Oh, if your gaze isn’t just flattery,
Join me and plead for me;
What beggar doesn’t feel sorry for a begging prince?

SECOND MURDERER.
Look behind you, my lord.

FIRST MURDERER.
Take that, and that! [Stabs him.] If this doesn’t work,
I’ll drown you in the sweet wine barrel inside.

[Leave with the body.]

SECOND MURDERER.
A bloody act, and done in haste.
How much I wish, like Pilate, that I could wash my hands
Of this terrible murder.

Enter First Murderer.

FIRST MURDERER.
What's going on? Why aren't you helping me?
I swear, the Duke will find out how lazy you've been.

SECOND MURDERER.
I wish he knew that I saved his brother.
Take the reward and tell him what I said,
Because I regret that the Duke is dead.

[Leave.]

FIRST MURDERER.
I won't either. Just go, you coward.
Alright, I’ll hide the body somewhere
Until the Duke gives the order for his burial.
And when I get my reward, I’ll leave,
Because this will come to light, and I can't stick around.

[Log out.]

Enter King Edward, sick, Queen Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey and others.

KING EDWARD.
Well, I’ve accomplished a good day’s work.
You all, keep this united alliance going.
I expect every day to hear from my Savior,
To bring me away from here;
And my soul will leave for heaven in greater peace
Since I’ve made my friends at peace on earth.
Rivers and Hastings, shake hands;
Don’t hide your hatred. Promise your love.

RIVERS.
By heaven, my soul is free from lingering hate,
And with my hand, I confirm my genuine love.

HASTINGS.
I do well, just as I honestly promise.

KING EDWARD.
Be careful not to waste time in front of your King,
Unless the highest King of kings
Uncovers your secret lies and decides
That either of you will bring about the other's downfall.

HASTINGS.
I'm doing well, just as I promise to love completely.

RIVERS.
And I, as I love Hastings with all my heart.

KING EDWARD.
Madam, you’re not free from this;
Nor you, son Dorset; Buckingham, neither.
You’ve all been divided against each other.
Wife, love Lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand,
And whatever you do, do it sincerely.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
There, Hastings, I will never remember again
Our past hatred, as long as I and mine thrive.

KING EDWARD.
Dorset, hug him; Hastings, care for Lord Marquess.

DORSET.
This exchange of love, I promise,
On my part will be unbreakable.

HASTINGS.
And I swear.

They hug.

KING EDWARD.
Now, noble Buckingham, seal this agreement
With your support for my wife’s allies,
And make me happy with our alliance.

BUCKINGHAM.
Whenever Buckingham directs his hatred
At you, I hold you and your family in the highest regard
And cherish you deeply; may God punish me
With hatred from those I expect most love.
When I need a friend the most,
And am completely sure that he is a friend,
Let him be deep, hollow, deceitful, and full of tricks
This is what I ask of God,
When I am cold in my love for you or your family.

Embrace.

KING EDWARD.
A delightful friend, noble Buckingham,
Is this your promise to my ailing heart?
Our brother Gloucester is missing here,
To complete this blessed moment of peace.

BUCKINGHAM.
And just in time,
Here come Sir Ratcliffe and the Duke.

Enter Ratcliffe and Richard.

RICHARD.
Good morning to my royal King and Queen;
And, noble friends, I hope you’re having a great day.

KING EDWARD.
Really happy, as we’ve spent the day.
Gloucester, we’ve done good deeds,
Turned enemies into friends, and hate into love,
Among these angry, proud nobles.

RICHARD.
A blessed effort, my most royal lord,
Among this noble gathering, if anyone here
Holds me as an enemy due to false information or wrong assumptions,
If I, unknowingly or out of anger,
Have done anything that anyone here finds hard to accept,
I want to make amends and return to a friendly peace.
It’s devastating for me to be in conflict;
I despise it, and I want the love of all good people.
First, madam, I ask you for true peace,
Which I will earn through my loyal service;
And you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
If there’s ever been any grudge between us;
You, Lord Rivers, and you, Lord Dorset,
Who have frowned upon me without cause;
You, Lord Woodville and Lord Scales;—you,
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, all of you.
I don’t know any Englishman alive
With whom I have any quarrel
More than the newborn baby coming into the world tonight.
I thank my God for my humility.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
From now on, this shall be a holy day.
I wish to God that all conflicts were resolved peacefully.
My lord, I respectfully ask your Highness
To take our brother Clarence under your care.

RICHARD.
Why, madam, did I offer my love for this,
To be so mocked in this royal presence?
Who doesn’t know that the kind Duke is dead?

They all begin.

You hurt him by disrespecting his body.

KING EDWARD.
Who doesn't know he's dead! Who knows he is?

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
All-seeing heavens, what kind of world is this!

BUCKINGHAM.
Do I look as pale as everyone else, Lord Dorset?

DORSET.
Yes, my good lord, and no one here
But his red color has left his cheeks.

KING EDWARD.
Is Clarence dead? The order was changed.

RICHARD.
But he, poor man, by your first command died,
And it was a winged Mercury that carried him;
Some slow messenger delivered the cancellation,
That arrived too late to see him laid to rest.
God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,
Closer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood,
Deserve no worse than miserable Clarence did,
And yet escape from suspicion!

Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby.

STANLEY.
A reward, my lord, for the work I’ve done!

KING EDWARD.
Please, be quiet. My heart is heavy with sorrow.

STANLEY.
I won't get up unless you hear me, Your Highness.

KING EDWARD.
Then tell me right away what you need.

STANLEY.
The price, your majesty, for my servant’s life
Who killed a disruptive gentleman
Recently in the Duke of Norfolk's service.

KING EDWARD.
Can I use my voice to condemn my brother to death,
And then use that same voice to forgive a traitor?
My brother didn’t kill anyone; his only crime was being suspected,
And yet his punishment was a horrific death.
Who asked me to spare him? Who, in my anger,
Kneeled at my feet and urged me to reconsider?
Who talked about brotherhood? Who talked about love?
Who reminded me how the unfortunate soul abandoned
The powerful Warwick and fought for me?
Who reminded me, on the battlefield at Tewkesbury,
When Oxford had me beaten, that he saved me,
And said, “Dear brother, live and become king”?
Who told me, as we both lay on the ground,
Frozen almost to death, how he wrapped me
In his own clothes and sacrificed himself,
All thin and bare, to the biting cold of the night?
All this was cruelly taken from my memory by my wrath,
And not one of you had the decency to remind me.
But when your carters or your servants
Have committed a drunken butchery and defiled
The sacred image of our dear Redeemer,
You immediately drop to your knees for forgiveness, forgiveness,
And I, unjustly too, must grant it to you.
Yet regarding my brother, not one of you would speak,
Nor would I, heartlessly, even mention him
For his sake, poor soul. The proudest among you
Owe him a debt for his life,
Yet none of you would even plead for his life.
Oh God, I fear Your justice will come down
On me, and you, and ours for this!
Come, Hastings, help me to my room.
Ah, poor Clarence!

[Some exit with King and Queen.]

RICHARD.
This is the result of being reckless. Did you notice
How the guilty relatives of the Queen
Looked pale when they heard about Clarence’s death?
Oh, they kept pushing it to the King.
God will take care of it. Come on, lords, are you ready to go
To support Edward with our presence?

BUCKINGHAM.
We await your Grace.

[Exit.]

Enter the old Duchess of York with the two Kids of Clarence.

BOY.
Good grandma, tell us, is our dad dead?

DUCHESS.
No, kid.

GIRL.
Why do you cry so often, and strike your chest,
And say “O Clarence, my unfortunate son”?

BOY.
Why do you look at us and shake your head,
And call us orphans, miserable, abandoned,
If our noble father were alive?

DUCHESS.
My lovely cousins, you misunderstand me.
I truly mourn the King’s illness,
I dread losing him, not your father's death.
It would be pointless sorrow to grieve for someone who's already gone.

BOY.
So, you think, my grandma, that he’s dead.
My uncle, the King, is responsible for it.
God will take revenge, and I’ll keep asking
Him with sincere prayers for that to happen.

GIRL.
So will I.

DUCHESS.
Calm down, kids, calm down. The King cares about you.
Naive and simple-minded innocents,
You can’t possibly know who is responsible for your father’s death.

BOY.
Grandma, we can, because my good uncle Gloucester
Told me, the King, pushed by the Queen,
Created accusations to lock him up;
And when my uncle told me this, he cried,
Felt sorry for me, and gently kissed my cheek;
He told me to trust him like I would my father,
And he would love me just like his own child.

DUCHESS.
Ah, it's so unfair that dishonesty can take such a charming form,
And wear a mask of virtue to conceal its true wickedness!
He is my son, yes, and that's my shame;
But he didn't get this deceitful nature from me.

BOY.
Do you think my uncle was being fake, grandma?

DUCHESS.
Yeah, kid.

BOY.
I can't believe it. Hey, what noise is that?

Enter Queen Elizabeth II with her hair around her ears, followed by Rivers and Dorset.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Ah, who will stop me from crying and grieving,
To complain about my luck and torture myself?
I’ll team up with deep despair against my soul
And turn myself into my own enemy.

DUCHESS.
What’s with this scene of rude impatience?

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
To commit a tragic act of violence.
Edward, my lord, your son, our King, is dead.
Why do the branches grow when the root is gone?
Why don’t the leaves wither without their sap?
If you want to live, mourn; if you want to die, be quick,
So our swift souls can catch the King’s
Or, like loyal subjects, follow him
To his new kingdom of never-ending night.

DUCHESS.
Oh, I care so much about your sadness
As I did about your noble husband.
I've mourned a worthy husband's death,
And found solace in looking at his images;
But now two reflections of his royal likeness
Are shattered by cruel death,
And I, for comfort, have only one false mirror,
That hurts me when I see my shame in him.
You are a widow, yet you are a mother,
And have the comfort of your children left;
But death has taken my husband from my arms
And removed two crutches from my weak hands,
Clarence and Edward. Oh, why should I,
Your pain just a fraction of my sorrow,
Take on your troubles and drown your cries?

BOY.
Oh, aunt, you didn't cry for our father's death.
How can we help you with our tears?

GIRL.
Our pain from having no father went unnoticed.
May your sadness as a widow also go unwept!

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Don't offer me any help in mourning.
I'm not incapable of expressing my sorrow.
All the sources of grief flow into my eyes,
So that I, under the influence of the watery moon,
Can shed abundant tears to flood the world.
Ah, for my husband, for my beloved Lord Edward!

CHILDREN.
Oh for our father, for our beloved Lord Clarence!

DUCHESS.
Oh no for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence!

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
What support did I have besides Edward? And he’s gone.

CHILDREN.
What do we have left but Clarence? And he’s gone.

DUCHESS.
What do I have left but them? And they are gone.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
No widow has ever experienced such a profound loss.

CHILDREN.
Have never lost something so precious.

DUCHESS.
No mother ever had such a heartbreaking loss.
Oh, I am the mother of all this pain.
Their troubles are individual, mine is universal.
She cries for Edward, and so do I;
I cry for Clarence, but she doesn’t;
These children cry for Clarence, and so do I;
I cry for Edward, but they don’t.
Oh, you three, who have made me three times more distressed,
Let all your tears fall on me. I am your sorrow’s caregiver,
And I will nurture it with my mourning.

DORSET.
Stay calm, dear mother. God is really upset
That you approach His blessings with ungratefulness.
In everyday life, it’s seen as ungrateful
To be unwilling to repay a debt
That has been generously given;
It’s even worse to act like this towards heaven,
Since it expects the grand debt it has lent you.

RIVERS.
Madam, think about it, like a caring mother,
Of the young prince your son. Call for him right away;
Let him be crowned; your comfort lies in him.
Bury your deep sorrow in dead Edward’s grave,
And place your happiness in living Edward’s throne.

Enter Richard, Buckingham, Stanley Earl of Derby, Hastings, and Ratcliffe.

RICHARD.
Sister, take heart. We all have reasons
To mourn the fading of our bright star,
But no one can ease our pain by just lamenting.
Madam my mother, I apologize;
I didn’t notice your presence. I kneel humbly
And ask for your blessing.

[Kneels down.]

DUCHESS.
God bless you and fill your heart with humility,
Love, kindness, obedience, and genuine duty.

RICHARD.
Amen. [Aside.] And let me die a good old man!
That is the last part of a mother’s blessing;
I wonder why her Grace didn’t include it.

BUCKINGHAM.
You gloomy princes and heartbroken nobles
Who carry this heavy burden of grief,
Now support each other with your love.
Even though we've lost our share of this king,
We will benefit from the reign of his son.
The broken anger of your inflated hatreds,
Recently shattered, must be mended and brought together,
And carefully preserved and cherished.
I think it's a good idea that with a small entourage,
The young Prince should be brought
Here to London to be crowned our King.

RIVERS.
Why with such a small group, my Lord of Buckingham?

BUCKINGHAM.
Well, my lord, if we’re not careful, the old wounds of resentment might flare up again,
And that would be even more dangerous
Because the situation is still fresh and unsteady.
Where every person thinks they can act as they wish
And direct their own path as they see fit,
Both out of fear of getting hurt and the harm that's actually present,
In my view, should be stopped before it starts.

RICHARD.
I hope the King has made peace with all of us;
And that the agreement is solid and genuine in me.

RIVERS.
And so in me, and so, I think, in everyone.
But since it is just green, it shouldn't be set
To any obvious risk of being broken,
Which could easily happen with too many people around.
So I agree with the noble Buckingham
That it is fitting for so few to go get the Prince.

HASTINGS.
And I agree.

RICHARD.
Then it's settled, and let's decide
Who will head to Ludlow right away.
Madam, and you, my sister, will you join
To share your opinions on this matter?

[Everyone leaves except Buckingham and Richard.]

BUCKINGHAM.
My lord, whoever goes to see the Prince,
For heaven's sake, let’s not stay here at home.
I’ll find a way,
As a hint to the story we just discussed,
To separate the Queen’s proud relatives from the Prince.

RICHARD.
My other self, my advisor,
My guide, my prophet, my dear cousin,
I, like a child, will follow your lead.
Let’s head to Ludlow then, since we won’t lag behind.

[Exit.]

Enter one Citizen at one door, and Another at the other.

FIRST CITIZEN.
Good morning, neighbor, where are you off to in such a hurry?

SECOND CITIZEN.
I swear, I hardly recognize myself.
Have you heard the news going around?

FIRST CITIZEN.
Yeah, the King is dead.

SECOND CITIZEN.
Bad news, my lady; it rarely brings good things.
I’m worried, I’m worried it’s going to be a crazy world.

Enter another Citizen.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Neighbors, Godspeed.

FIRST CITIZEN.
Good morning to you, sir.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Is it true that King Edward has died?

SECOND CITIZEN.
Yeah, sir, it's sadly true, God help us.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Then, everyone, get ready to see a troubled world.

FIRST CITIZEN.
No, no; by God's grace, his son will rule.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Sad for a land that’s run by a kid.

SECOND CITIZEN.
He holds the promise of governance,
Guided by advisors in his youth,
And in his mature years, he will lead himself,
Without a doubt, he will govern well then, and until that time.

FIRST CITIZEN.
That's how things were when Henry the Sixth
Was crowned in Paris, even though he was only nine months old.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Is that how things are? No, no, my good friends, I assure you.
Because back then this land was truly blessed
With wise political advice; at that time the King
Had noble uncles to watch over his well-being.

FIRST CITIZEN.
Well, this is true for both his father and mother.

THIRD CITIZEN.
It would be better if they all came from his father,
Or if there were none from his father at all,
Because the competition over who will be closest
Will affect us all too closely, unless God intervenes.
Oh, the Duke of Gloucester is full of danger,
And the Queen’s sons and brothers are arrogant and proud;
If they were to be governed, instead of ruling,
This troubled land could find comfort like before.

FIRST CITIZEN.
Come on, we’re worried, but everything will be okay.

THIRD CITIZEN.
When clouds appear, wise people put on their coats;
When big leaves drop, then winter is approaching;
When the sun goes down, who doesn’t expect night?
Unexpected storms make people anticipate a shortage.
Everything might be fine; but, if God arranges it that way,
It’s more than we deserve or I expect.

SECOND CITIZEN.
Honestly, people's hearts are filled with fear.
You can hardly talk sense to someone
Who looks so weighed down and terrified.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Before the days of change, it’s still the same.
By a divine instinct, people’s minds doubt
The coming danger, just like we see
The water rise before a fierce storm.
But let it all be in God’s hands. Where are we going?

SECOND CITIZEN.
Hey, we were called to the Justices.

THIRD CITIZEN.
Me too. I’ll keep you company.

[Exit.]

Enter the York Archbishop, the young Duke of York, Queen Liz, and the Duchess of York.

ARCHBISHOP.
I hear that last night they stayed at Stony Stratford,
And they are resting in Northampton tonight.
They will be here tomorrow or the day after.

DUCHESS.
I really can't wait to see the Prince.
I hope he's grown a lot since the last time I saw him.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
But I’ve heard that my son from York
Has almost caught up to him in size.

YORK.
Yeah, mom, but I wouldn't want it that way.

DUCHESS.
Why, my dear cousin? It's great to grow.

YORK.
Grandma, one night while we were having dinner,
My uncle Rivers mentioned how I was growing
Faster than my brother. “Yes,” said my uncle Gloucester,
“Small plants have charm; big weeds grow quickly.”
And now, I think I wouldn’t want to grow so fast,
Because lovely flowers take their time, while weeds hurry.

DUCHESS.
Honestly, honestly, the saying didn’t apply
To the person who said that about you!
He was the most miserable thing when he was young,
So slow to grow and so laid-back,
That if his claim were true, he should be kind.

ARCHBISHOP.
And so he definitely is, my kind madam.

DUCHESS.
I hope he is, but still, let mothers have their doubts.

YORK.
Now, honestly, if I had been considered,
I could have teased my uncle's Grace
To get closer to his status than he got to mine.

DUCHESS.
What is it, my young York? Please let me hear it.

YORK.
Seriously, they say my uncle grew so quickly
That he could chew on a piece of bread at two hours old.
It took me almost two years before I could get a tooth.
Grandma, this would have been a funny joke.

DUCHESS.
I beg you, sweet York, who told you this?

YORK.
Grandma, his nurse.

DUCHESS.
His nurse? She was dead before you were born.

YORK.
If it wasn't her, I can't say who told me.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
What a cautious boy! Come on, you're too clever.

DUCHESS.
Please, madam, don’t be mad at the child.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Pitchers have ears.

Enter a Messenger.

ARCHBISHOP.
Here comes a messenger. What's the news?

MESSENGER.
I have some news to share, my lord, and it pains me to deliver it.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
How is the Prince?

MESSENGER.
Well, ma'am, and doing well.

DUCHESS.
What's the latest?

MESSENGER.
Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are taken to Pomfret,
Along with Sir Thomas Vaughan, who is also a prisoner.

DUCHESS.
Who did it?

MESSENGER.
The powerful Dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham.

ARCHBISHOP.
What did I do wrong?

MESSENGER.
I've shared everything I can.
I have no idea why the nobles were imprisoned,
My lord, it's all a mystery to me.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Oh no! I see the downfall of my family.
The tiger has now taken the gentle deer;
Cruel tyranny starts to rise
Against the innocent and unafraid throne.
Welcome, chaos, blood, and slaughter;
I see, like on a map, the end of everything.

DUCHESS.
Cursed and restless arguing days,
How many of you have my eyes witnessed?
My husband lost his life for the crown,
And my sons were often tossed around
For me to celebrate and mourn their ups and downs.
And now that we are settled, and family conflicts
Completely blown up, the victors themselves
Wage war on each other, brother against brother,
Blood against blood, self against self. Oh, ridiculous
And crazy rage, end your damn madness,
Or let me die, so I don't have to see the world anymore.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Come on, my boy. We're going to the sanctuary.
Ma'am, goodbye.

DUCHESS.
Hold on, I'm coming too.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
You have no reason.

ARCHBISHOP.
[To the Queen.] My gracious lady, please go,
And take your treasures and belongings with you.
As for me, I’ll hand over the seal I hold to you,
And may it turn out well for me
As much as I care for you and your family.
Go, I’ll take you to the sanctuary.

[Exit.]

The trumpets play. Enter young Prince Edward, Richard, Buckingham, Cardinal Bourchier, Catesby and others.

BUCKINGHAM.
Welcome, dear Prince, to London, to your room.

RICHARD.
Welcome, dear cousin, ruler of my thoughts.
The long journey has left you feeling down.

PRINCE.
No, uncle, but the challenges we've faced along the way
Have made it long, exhausting, and tough.
I wish more uncles were here to greet me.

RICHARD.
Sweet prince, your pure and innocent youth
Has not yet experienced the world's deceptions,
And you can’t read a man
Any better than his appearance, which, God knows,
Rarely or never matches what’s in his heart.
Those uncles you miss were a threat;
You paid attention to their sweet talk
But didn’t see the poison in their hearts.
May God protect you from them, and from such false friends!

PRINCE.
God keep me from false friends, but they weren't any.

RICHARD.
My lord, the Mayor of London is here to greet you.

Enter Lord Mayor with attendants.

MAYOR.
Wishing you health and happiness, Your Grace!

PRINCE.
Thanks, my good lord, and thanks to everyone here.
I thought my mother and my brother York
Would have met us on the way by now.
Come on, what a lazy guy Hastings is for not
Coming to tell us whether they’ll show up or not!

Enter Lord Hastings.

BUCKINGHAM.
And just in time, here comes the sweaty lord.

PRINCE.
Welcome, my lord. Will our mother be joining us?

HASTINGS.
At some point that only God knows, not me,
The Queen, your mother, and your brother York
Have sought refuge. The young prince
Would have loved to come with me to meet you,
But his mother forced him to stay behind.

BUCKINGHAM.
Wow, what a sneaky and annoying approach
Is this of hers? Lord Cardinal, will you please
Convince the Queen to send the Duke of York
To his royal brother right away?
If she refuses, Lord Hastings, go with him,
And take him away from her jealous grasp.

CARDINAL.
My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak speech
Can persuade the Duke of York's mother,
You can expect him here soon; but if she is stubborn
Against gentle requests, God in heaven forbid
That we should violate the sacred privilege
Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land
Would I commit such a serious sin.

BUCKINGHAM.
You're being incredibly stubborn, my lord,
Too formal and stuck in tradition.
Just think about it in the context of today,
You aren't violating sanctuary by taking him.
The privilege is always granted
To those whose actions have earned the right
And to those who are clever enough to claim it.
This prince neither claimed it nor earned it,
So in my opinion, he shouldn't have it.
By taking him from a place where he isn't,
You aren't breaking any rights or laws.
I've often heard of people seeking refuge,
But I've never heard of children doing so until now.

CARDINAL.
My lord, I will let you influence my thoughts just this once.
Come on, Lord Hastings, will you join me?

HASTINGS.
I'm going, my lord.

PRINCE.
Good lords, please hurry as much as you can.

[Cardinal and Hastings exit.]

Say, Uncle Gloucester, if our brother comes,
Where will we stay until our coronation?

RICHARD.
Wherever you think is best, Your Majesty.
If I may offer some advice, in a day or two
You should rest at the Tower,
Then wherever you think is most suitable
For your health and enjoyment.

PRINCE.
I don’t like the Tower, or anywhere else.
Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?

BUCKINGHAM.
He did, my gracious lord, start that place,
Which, since then, future generations have rebuilt.

PRINCE.
Is it documented, or has it been passed down
From generation to generation that he built it?

BUCKINGHAM.
According to the record, my lord.

PRINCE.
But tell me, my lord, if it wasn't recorded,
I believe the truth should survive through the ages,
As if it were shared with all future generations,
Right up until the end of time.

RICHARD.
[Aside.] They say that being so smart at a young age doesn't last long.

PRINCE.
What do you say, uncle?

RICHARD.
I say, without characters, fame lasts a long time.
[Aside.] So, like the typical bad guy, Iniquity,
I give two meanings to one word.

PRINCE.
Julius Caesar was a notable figure.
His bravery enhanced his intelligence,
And his intelligence immortalized his bravery;
Death can't defeat this conqueror,
Because he lives on in fame, even though he's not alive.
Let me tell you something, my cousin Buckingham.

BUCKINGHAM.
What is it, my lord?

PRINCE.
If I live until I'm a man,
I’ll reclaim our historical rights in France,
Or die as a soldier, just like I lived as a king.

RICHARD.
[Aside.] Quick summers easily have an eager spring.

Enter young Duke of York, Hastings and the Cardinal.

BUCKINGHAM.
Now, just in time, here comes the Duke of York.

PRINCE.
Richard of York, how is our dear brother doing?

YORK.
Well, my awesome lord—do I have to call you that now?

PRINCE.
Yeah, brother, it’s as heartbreaking for us as it is for you.
He died too late to hold onto that title,
Which, by his death, has lost a lot of its significance.

RICHARD.
How is our cousin doing, noble lord of York?

YORK.
Thank you, kind uncle. Oh, my lord,
You mentioned that useless plants grow quickly.
My brother the Prince has surpassed me greatly.

RICHARD.
He has, my lord.

YORK.
Is he just being lazy?

RICHARD.
Oh, my dear cousin, I can't say that.

YORK.
Then he owes you more than he owes me.

RICHARD.
He can give me orders as my ruler,
But you have influence over me just like a family member.

YORK.
Please, uncle, give me this dagger.

RICHARD.
My knife, little cousin? Absolutely.

PRINCE.
A homeless person, brother?

YORK.
Of my kind uncle, whom I know will give,
And being just a small thing, which is no trouble to give.

RICHARD.
I’ll give my cousin an even bigger gift than that.

YORK.
A better gift? Oh, that's the key to it.

RICHARD.
Yeah, sweet cousin, if only it were bright enough.

YORK.
Oh, so I see you’ll only give away small gifts;
When it comes to more significant things, you'll say no like a beggar.

RICHARD.
It's too heavy for you to wear, Your Grace.

YORK.
I consider it carefully, if it were more significant.

RICHARD.
What, do you want my weapon, little lord?

YORK.
I wish I could thank you the way you call me.

RICHARD.
How?

YORK.
Small.

PRINCE.
My lord of York will still be difficult to deal with.
Uncle, you know how to handle him.

YORK.
You mean to carry me, not to put up with me.
Uncle, my brother is mocking both you and me.
Because I’m small, like a monkey,
He thinks you should carry me on your shoulders.

BUCKINGHAM.
With what a keen mind he reasons!
To soften the disdain he shows his uncle,
He cleverly and fittingly mocks himself.
It's amazing how smart and young he is.

RICHARD.
My lord, could you please go ahead?
My cousin Buckingham and I
Will go to your mother to ask her
To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.

YORK.
What, are you going to the Tower, my lord?

PRINCE.
My Lord Protector needs to have it this way.

YORK.
I won't be able to sleep peacefully at the Tower.

RICHARD.
Why, what do you fear?

YORK.
Wow, my uncle Clarence's angry ghost.
My grandmother told me he was murdered there.

PRINCE.
I fear no dead uncles.

RICHARD.
I hope no one who lives.

PRINCE.
If they survive, I hope I won’t have to worry.
But let’s go, my lord. With a heavy heart,
Thinking about them, I’m heading to the Tower.

[i]A Sennet. Exit [Prince Edward, York, Hastings, Dorset] and everyone except [Richard, Buckingham and Catesby].[/i]

BUCKINGHAM.
Do you really think, my lord, that this talkative York
Wasn't riled up by his crafty mother
To mock and insult you like this?

RICHARD.
Definitely, definitely. Oh, he’s a daring boy,
Bold, quick, clever, confident, and talented.
He’s completely his mother’s, from head to toe.

BUCKINGHAM.
Well, let them rest. Come here, Catesby.
You're as committed to carrying out our plan
As you are to keeping our secrets.
You know our reasons behind this.
What do you think? Isn’t it an easy task
To get William Lord Hastings on board
With making this noble Duke
the ruler of this famous island?

CATESBY.
He loves the Prince so much for his father's sake
That he won't be swayed to go against him.

BUCKINGHAM.
What do you think about Stanley? Won't he?

CATESBY.
He will follow Hastings' lead in everything.

BUCKINGHAM.
Alright then, here's the plan: go, gentle Catesby,
And, from a distance, find out how Lord Hastings
Feels about our intentions,
And invite him to the Tower tomorrow
To discuss the coronation.
If you find him agreeable to our cause,
Encourage him and share all our reasons.
If he seems stubborn, cold, or unwilling,
Be the same way, and then end the conversation,
And let us know what he’s thinking;
Because tomorrow we’ll have divided meetings,
In which you will play a key role.

RICHARD.
Give my regards to Lord William. Tell him, Catesby,
That his old group of dangerous enemies
Will meet their end at Pomfret Castle tomorrow,
And ask my lord, to celebrate this good news,
To give Mistress Shore one more gentle kiss.

BUCKINGHAM.
Alright Catesby, go handle this task properly.

CATESBY.
My good lords, I will pay close attention to you both.

RICHARD.
Should we hear from you, Catesby, before we go to sleep?

CATESBY.
You will, my lord.

RICHARD.
You'll find us both at Crosby Place.

[Exit Catesby.]

BUCKINGHAM.
Now, my lord, what should we do if we see
Lord Hastings won't go along with our plans?

RICHARD.
Cut off his head, man; we’ll figure something out.
And when I’m king, you can ask me
For the earldom of Hereford and all the belongings
That my brother the King owned.

BUCKINGHAM.
I'll hold you to that promise, Your Grace.

RICHARD.
And expect it to be given with all kindness.
Come, let’s have dinner early, so that later
We can think over our plans in some way.

[Exit.]

Enter a Message app to the door of Hastings.

Messenger.
My lord, my lord!

[Knocking.]

HASTINGS.
[Inside.] Who's there?

Messenger.
One from Lord Stanley.

HASTINGS.
[Within.] What time is it?

MESSENGER.
At exactly four o'clock.

Enter Hastings.

HASTINGS.
Can’t my Lord Stanley sleep through these long nights?

MESSENGER.
So it looks like I have to say.
First, he praises you to your noble self.

HASTINGS.
What now?

MESSENGER.
Then informs your lordship that tonight
He dreamed the boar knocked off his helmet.
Also, he mentions that there are two councils happening,
And one may decide something that could make you both regret the other.
So he’s reaching out to see what your lordship wants to do,
If you’ll ride with him right now
And quickly head north with him,
To avoid the danger that he senses.

HASTINGS.
Go, friend, go. Return to your lord;
Tell him not to fear the separated council.
His honor and I are on one side,
And on the other is my good friend Catesby,
Where nothing can happen that concerns us
That I won’t be aware of.
Tell him his fears are unfounded, without reason.
And about his dreams, I’m surprised he’s so naive
To trust the nonsense of restless sleep.
To run from the boar before it chases us
Would only provoke the boar to follow us,
And cause a chase where there was none intended.
Go, tell your master to get up and come to me,
And we will both go to the Tower,
Where he’ll see the boar will treat us well.

MESSENGER.
I'll go, my lord, and let him know what you said.

[Log out.]

Enter Catesby.

CATESBY.
Good morning, my Lord.

HASTINGS.
Good morning, Catesby; you’re up early.
What’s the news, what’s the news in this unstable situation?

CATESBY.
It’s a crazy world for sure, my lord,
And I don’t think it will ever be stable
Until Richard takes the crown of the kingdom.

HASTINGS.
How, wearing the garland? Are you referring to the crown?

CATESBY.
Yes, my lord.

HASTINGS.
I’d rather have this crown taken off my head
Than see it put on someone so unworthy.
But can you guess that he’s after it?

CATESBY.
Yeah, I swear, and I hope to see you supportive
Of his cause for the benefit of it;
And because of that, he sends you this good news,
That today, your enemies,
The relatives of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.

HASTINGS.
Honestly, I'm not sad about that news,
Because they have always been my enemies.
But I’ll support Richard
To block my master’s heirs from their rightful claim,
God knows I won’t do it, even if it costs me my life.

CATESBY.
May God keep you in that kind spirit.

HASTINGS.
But I’ll laugh about this a year from now,
That those who brought me my master’s anger,
I’ll still be here to witness their downfall.
Well, Catesby, before two weeks pass,
I’ll get rid of some people who still think they’re safe.

CATESBY.
It's a terrible thing to die, my lord,
When people are unprepared and don't expect it.

HASTINGS.
Oh, how monstrous! And now it turns out
The same fate awaits Rivers, Vaughan, Grey; and it will happen
To others too who believe they're as secure
As you and I, who, as you know, are close
To Prince Richard and Buckingham.

CATESBY.
The Princes both think very highly of you—
[Aside.] Because they believe his head is on the Bridge.

HASTINGS.
I know they do, and I totally deserve it.

Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby.

Come on, come on. Where's your boar spear, man?
Are you afraid of the boar, and not prepared?

STANLEY.
My lord, good morning; good morning, Catesby.
You can joke all you want, but, by the Holy Cross,
I really don’t like these various councils, I.

HASTINGS.
My lord, I value my life just as much as you value yours,
And never in my life, I swear,
Has it been as precious to me as it is now.
Do you really think that if I didn't know our situation was secure,
I would be feeling this triumphant?

STANLEY.
The lords at Pomfret, when they left London,
Were cheerful and believed their positions were secure,
And they really had no reason to doubt;
But look how quickly things turned dark.
I’m afraid this sudden hostility is a bad sign;
I just hope I’m not being a coward for no reason.
So, should we head to the Tower? The day is over.

HASTINGS.
Come on, let’s go. Do you know what, my lord?
Today, the lords you mentioned are being executed.

STANLEY.
They, for their honesty, might as well show their heads
As some who have accused them wear their hats.
But come on, my lord, let’s go.

Enter a Pursuivant.

HASTINGS.
Go ahead; I’ll have a chat with this nice guy.

[Stanley and Catesby exit.]

How's it going, buddy? How's the world treating you?

PURSUIVANT.
Whatever your lordship would like to ask.

HASTINGS.
I’m telling you, it’s better for me now
Than when you last saw me here.
Back then, I was on my way to the Tower,
Sent there by the Queen’s supporters.
But now, I’m telling you—keep this to yourself—
Today those enemies have been executed,
And I'm in a better position than ever before.

PURSUIVANT.
May God grant it, to your honor's satisfaction!

HASTINGS.
Thanks, buddy. Here, have a drink for me.

Throws him his wallet.

Thank you, your honor.

[Log out.]

Enter a Priest.

PRIEST.
Good to see you, my lord; I'm happy to see you.

HASTINGS.
I thank you, good Sir John, from the bottom of my heart.
I'm grateful for your last effort.
Come next Sunday, and I will repay you.

Enter Buckingham.

PRIEST.
I’ll wait for you, my lord.

[Exit Priest.]

BUCKINGHAM.
What, chatting with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret really need the priest;
You have no confession work to deal with.

HASTINGS.
Honestly, when I met this holy man,
The people you're mentioning came to my mind.
What, are you heading to the Tower?

BUCKINGHAM.
I do, my lord, but I can't stay there long.
I will return before you, my lord, from there.

HASTINGS.
No, probably, because I'm staying for dinner there.

BUCKINGHAM.
[Aside.] And dinner too, even if you don't realize it.
So, are you coming?

HASTINGS.
I’ll wait for you, my lord.

[Exit.]

Enter Sir Richard Ratcliffe, with halberds, escorting the nobles Rivers, Gray, and Vaughan to their execution at Pomfret.

RIVERS.
Sir Richard Ratcliffe, let me tell you this:
Today you will witness a subject die
For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

GREY.
God bless the Prince from all of you!
You’re just a bunch of bloodsuckers.

VAUGHAN
You will live to regret this later.

RATCLIFFE
Dispatch. Your time's up.

RIVERS.
Oh Pomfret, Pomfret! Oh you bloody prison,
Deadly and foreboding to noble lords!
Inside the cursed confines of your walls
Richard the Second was brutally murdered;
And, to add more shame to your dark place,
We offer you our innocent blood to drink.

GREY.
Now Margaret’s curse has fallen upon us,
When she spoke out against Hastings, you, and me,
For being there when Richard killed her son.

RIVERS.
Then she cursed Richard, then she cursed Buckingham,
Then she cursed Hastings. Oh, remember, God,
To hear her prayer for them, just like now for us!
And for my sister and her noble sons,
Please be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
Which, as you know, must unjustly be spilled.

RATCLIFFE.
Quickly. The time of death is at hand.

RIVERS.
Come on, Grey, come on, Vaughan, let’s embrace here.
Goodbye, until we meet again in heaven.

[Exit.]

Enter Buckingham, Stan Earl of Derby, Hastings, the Bishop of Ely, Norfolk, Ratcliffe, and Lovell and others, at a table.

HASTINGS.
Now, esteemed colleagues, the reason we're gathered
Is to decide on the coronation.
In God’s name, speak up. When is the royal day?

BUCKINGHAM.
Is everything ready for that royal occasion?

STANLEY.
It is, and just needs a nomination.

ELY.
So, I think tomorrow will be a great day.

BUCKINGHAM.
Who understands what the Lord Protector is thinking here?
Who is closest to the noble Duke?

ELY.
Your Grace, we believe you should find out his thoughts as soon as possible.

BUCKINGHAM.
We recognize each other’s faces; as for our hearts,
He knows no more about mine than I do about yours,
Or I about his, my lord, than you do about mine.
Lord Hastings, you and he are close in love.

HASTINGS.
I appreciate his Grace; I know he cares about me;
But as for his intentions regarding the coronation,
I haven't asked him, nor has he expressed
His kind wishes in any way about it.
But you, my esteemed lords, can suggest the time,
And on the Duke’s behalf, I’ll cast my vote,
Which I assume he’ll accept graciously.

Enter Richard.

ELY.
In good times, here comes the Duke himself.

RICHARD.
Good morning, my noble lords and cousins.
I've been sleeping for a while; but I hope
My absence hasn’t disrupted any important plans
That could have been wrapped up with my help.

BUCKINGHAM.
If you hadn't shown up at the right moment, my lord,
William Lord Hastings would have delivered your role—
I mean your support for crowning the King.

RICHARD.
No one is bolder than my Lord Hastings.
He knows me well and cares for me deeply.
My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,
I saw some great strawberries in your garden there;
Please, could you send for some of them?

ELY.
Sure, I will, my lord, with all my heart.

[Log out.]

RICHARD.
Cousin of Buckingham, I need to speak with you.

They step aside.

Catesby has checked in with Hastings about our plan,
And finds the irritable man so fired up
That he would rather lose his head than agree
That his master’s child, as he respectfully calls it,
Should lose the right to England’s throne.

BUCKINGHAM.
Step back for a bit. I’ll come with you.

[Exit Richard and Buckingham.]

STANLEY.
We haven't officially marked this day of victory yet.
Tomorrow, in my opinion, feels too soon,
Because I'm not as ready as I would be
If the day were extended.

Enter Bishop of Ely.

ELY.
Where is my lord, the Duke of Gloucester?
I called for these strawberries.

HASTINGS.
His Grace looks cheerful and well-groomed this morning.
There’s some arrogance or something that suits him
When he wishes good morning with such enthusiasm.
I don’t think there’s anyone in the whole of Christendom
Who can hide his love or hate less effectively than he,
For by his expression, you can easily tell his feelings.

STANLEY.
What do you see in his face that shows what’s in his heart based on how he acted today?

HASTINGS.
Honestly, he's not upset with anyone here,
Because if he were, it would be clear in his expression.

Enter Richard and Buckingham.

RICHARD.
Please, everyone, tell me what those deserve
Who conspire to kill me with evil schemes
Of cursed witchcraft, and who have succeeded
In tormenting my body with their wicked spells?

HASTINGS.
The deep affection I have for your Grace, my lord,
Makes me eager in this royal setting
To condemn the wrongdoers, whoever they may be.
I say, my lord, they deserve death.

RICHARD.
Then let your eyes bear witness to their wrongdoing.
See how I'm under a spell! Look at my arm
It's like a withered, blasted sapling!
And this is Edward’s wife, that terrible witch,
In league with that prostitute, Shore,
Who through their magic have done this to me.

HASTINGS.
If they did this, my noble lord—

RICHARD.
If? You protector of this damned slut,
Are you talking to me about "ifs"? You're a traitor.
Off with his head! Now, by Saint Paul, I swear
I won't eat until I see it done.
Lovell and Ratcliffe, make sure it gets done.
The rest who support me, stand up and follow me.

[Everyone leaves except Lovell and Ratcliffe with Lord Hastings.]

HASTINGS.
Oh, woe for England! I don't care about myself,
Because I, being too confident, could have stopped this.
Stanley dreamed that the boar attacked his helmet,
And I ignored it and refused to run away.
Three times today my horse stumbled,
And jumped when he saw the Tower,
As if he didn’t want to take me to my death.
Oh, now I need the priest that spoke to me;
I regret telling the messenger,
In a moment of triumph, how my enemies
Were brutally killed today at Pomfret,
While I was feeling safe and favored.
Oh Margaret, Margaret, now your heavy curse
Is resting on poor Hastings’ miserable head.

RATCLIFFE.
Come on, hurry up. The Duke is about to have dinner:
Make it quick. He can't wait to see your head.