Richard Iii

A History

William Shakespeare

• Publisher: HarperPerennial Classics
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781443443470
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Shakespeare Drama
• Index: Literature

An account of the brutal and bloody rise of King Richard III to the throne, Shakespeare's play depicts the short-lived monarch's ruthless campaign for power, which resulted in the deaths of two of his brothers. Disfigured, hunchbacked, and cruel, King Richard's unpopularity with the nobility crippled his reign, resulting in his ultimate demise.

Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare's works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare's innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

ACT ONE

SCENE I. London. A street.

Enter RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, solus.

GLOUCESTER Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this sun of York;

And all the clouds that lour’d upon our house

In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

[5]

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;

Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;

Our stem alarums chang’d to merry meetings,

Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.

Grim-visag’d war hath smooth’d his wrinkled front,

[10]

And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds

To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,

He capers nimbly in a lady’s chamber

To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

But I – that am not shap’d for sportive tricks,

[15]

Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass –

I – that am rudely stamp’d, and want love’s majesty

To strut before a wanton ambling nymph –

I – that am curtail’d of this fair proportion,

Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,

[20]

Deform’d, unfinish’d, sent before my time

Into this breathing world scarce half made up,

And that so lamely and unfashionable

That dogs bark at me as I halt by them –

Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,

[25]

Have no delight to pass away the time,

Unless to spy my shadow in the sun

And descant on mine own deformity.

And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover

To entertain these fair well-spoken days,

[30]

I am determined to prove a villain

And hate the idle pleasures of these days.

Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,

By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,

To set my brother Clarence and the King

[35]

In deadly hate the one against the other;

And if King Edward be as true and just

As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,

This day should Clarence closely be mew’d up –

About a prophecy which says that G

[40]

Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be.

Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here Clarence comes.

Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY.

Brother, good day. What means this armed guard

That waits upon your Grace?

CLARENCE His Majesty,

Tend’ring my person’s safety, hath appointed

[45]

This conduct to convey me to th’ Tower.

GLOUCESTER Upon what cause?

CLARENCE Because my name is George.

GLOUCESTER Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours:

He should, for that, commit your godfathers.

O, belike his Majesty hath some intent

[50]

That you should be new-christ’ned in the Tower.

But what’s the matter, Clarence? May I know?

CLARENCE Yea, Richard, when I know; for I protest

As yet I do not; but as I can learn,

He hearkens after prophecies and dreams,

[55]

And from the cross-row plucks the letter G,

And says a wizard told him that by G

His issue disinherited should be;

And, for my name of George begins with G,

It follows in his thought that I am he.

[60]

These, as I learn, and such like toys as these.

Hath mov’d his Highness to commit me now.

GLOUCESTER Why, this it is when men are rul’d by women:

’Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower;

My Lady Grey his wife, Clarence, ’tis she

[65]

That tempers him to this extremity.

Was it not she and that good man of worship,

Antony Woodville, her brother there,

That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower,

From whence this present day he is delivered?

[70]

We are not safe, Clarence; we are not safe.

CLARENCE By heaven, I think there is no man is secure

But the Queen’s kindred, and night-walking heralds

That trudge betwixt the King and Mistress Shore.

Heard you not what an humble suppliant

[75]

Lord Hastings was, for her delivery?

GLOUCESTER Humbly complaining to her deity

Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.

I’ll tell you what – I think it is our way,

If we will keep in favour with the King,

[80]

To be her men and wear her livery:

The jealous o’er-wom widow and herself,

Since that our brother dubb’d them gentlewomen,

Are mighty gossips in our monarchy.

BRAKENBURY I beseech your Graces both to pardon me:

[85]

His Majesty hath straitly given in charge

That no man shall have private conference,

Of what degree soever, with your brother.

GLOUCESTER Even so; an’t please your worship, Brakenbury,

You may partake of any thing we say:

[90]

We speak no treason, man; we say the King

Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen

Well struck in years, fair, and not jealous;

We say that Shore’s wife hath a pretty foot,

A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue;

[95]

And that the Queen’s kindred are made gentlefolks.

How say you, sir? Can you deny all this?

BRAKENBURY With this, my lord, myself have nought to do.

GLOUCESTER Nought to do with Mistress Shore!

I tell thee, fellow,

He that doth naught with her, excepting one,

[100]

Were best to do it secretly alone.

BRAKENBURY What one, my lord?

GLOUCESTER Her husband, knave! Wouldst thou betray me?

BRAKENBURY I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal

Forebear your conference with the noble Duke.

[105]

CLARENCE We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey.

GLOUCESTER We are the Queen’s abjects and must obey.

Brother, farewell; I will unto the King;

And whatsoe’er you will employ me in –

W...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Richard III
• Dramatis Personae
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three
• Act Four
• Act Five
• About the Author
• About the Series
• Copyright
• About the Publisher