Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, alone. RICHARD
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York,
And all the clouds that loured upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths, 5
Our bruisèd arms hung up for monuments,
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barbèd steeds 10
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 shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking glass; 15
I, that am rudely stamped and want love’s majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time 20
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,
Have no delight to pass away the time, 25
Unless to see 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,
I am determinèd to prove a villain 30
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
In deadly hate, the one against the other; 35
And if King Edward be as true and just
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mewed up
About a prophecy which says that “G”
Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be. 40
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here Clarence
comes. Enter Clarence, guarded, and Brakenbury. Brother, good day. What means this armèd guard
That waits upon your Grace? | Welcome to the streets of London, where Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the future King Richard III) delivers a famous soliloquy. (Psst: a soliloquy is just a speech that reveals a character's innermost thoughts to the audience.) Richard announces that civil war is over and that his big brother, King Edward IV, is chillin' on the English throne. Since war has given way to peace, everyone is London is celebrating by partying and hooking up.
Richard is not happy about this. He claims he's not fit for peacetime because he was born prematurely and is a "deformed" hunchback who has no game with the ladies. (Also, dogs bark at him every time he limps along the streets, which puts him in a seriously bad mood.) Brain Snack: The historical Richard III wasn't actually a hunchback. This was just one of many nasty rumors started by historians (like Sir Thomas More) who wanted to make him look bad while making King Henry VII (a.k.a. Richmond, the guy who eventually bumped Richard off the throne) look good. Richard tells us that, since he "cannot prove a lover," he'd rather spend his time being a "villain." (Translation: Richard wants to be king and he'll do anything to get the crown.) As it turns out, Richard has been a very busy boy: he's been plotting and scheming against everyone at court, including his own family members. Richard tells us that a prophecy has been circulating around the kingdom: apparently, someone whose name is associated with the letter "G" is going to murder King Edward IV's heirs. Richard is hoping that King Edward will think the "G" stands for their brother, *G*eorge, the Duke of Clarence. (In the play, he's simply called "Clarence.") Who should show up at this moment but George (a.k.a. Clarence), surrounded by guards who are taking him to be imprisoned in the Tower of London. Richard pretends to be shocked and appalled and says something like "Hey Clarence, why are you being carted off to the slammer?" |
CLARENCE His Majesty, 45
Tend’ring my person’s safety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower. RICHARD
Upon what cause? CLARENCE Because my name is
George. 50 RICHARD
Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours.
He should, for that, commit your godfathers.
O, belike his Majesty hath some intent
That you should be new christened in the Tower.
But what’s the matter, Clarence? May I know? 55 | |
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,
And from the crossrow plucks the letter G,
And says a wizard told him that by “G” 60
His issue disinherited should be.
And for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought that I am he.
These, as I learn, and such like toys as these
Hath moved his Highness to commit me now. 65 RICHARD
Why, this it is when men are ruled by women.
’Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower.
My Lady Grey his wife, Clarence, ’tis she
That tempers him to this extremity.
Was it not she and that good man of worship, 70
Anthony Woodeville, her brother there,
That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower,
From whence this present day he is delivered?
We are not safe, Clarence; we are not safe. | Richard is all, "Dang, that's horrible." He then declares that this is all "Lady Gray's" (a.k.a. Queen Elizabeth's) fault because she hates Clarence and she's been badmouthing him to her husband, the king. (Note: Richard calls King Edward's wife, Queen Elizabeth, "Lady Gray" because the queen was the widow of her first husband, Sir John Gray, before she married the king. Calling her "Lady Gray" is meant to be an insult. Also, Queen Elizabeth/Lady Gray is NOT the same Queen Elizabeth (1503-1603) who ruled England when Shakespeare wrote this play.) Richard claims that Lady Gray/Queen Elizabeth and her no-good brother were behind Lord Hastings' recent imprisonment, too. Luckily Hastings is getting out of jail today. But as long as the queen is manipulating the king, nobody's safe. |
CLARENCE
By heaven, I think there is no man secure 75
But the Queen’s kindred and night-walking heralds
That trudge betwixt the King and Mistress Shore.
Heard you not what an humble suppliant
Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery? RICHARD
Humbly complaining to her Deity 80
Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I’ll tell you what: I think it is our way,
If we will keep in favor with the King,
To be her men and wear her livery.
The jealous o’erworn widow and herself, 85
Since that our brother dubbed them gentlewomen,
Are mighty gossips in our monarchy. | In fact, says Richard, the only reason Hastings is getting out of the
slammer is because he's super friendly (if you know what we mean) with
King Edward's mistress, Jane Shore. According to Richard, Jane Shore
has the king totally whipped, so maybe everyone should kiss up to her if they want to stay in the king's good graces. |
BRAKENBURY
I beseech your Graces both to pardon me.
His Majesty hath straitly given in charge
That no man shall have private conference, 90
Of what degree soever, with your brother. RICHARD
Even so. An please your Worship, Brakenbury,
You may partake of anything we say.
We speak no treason, man. We say the King
Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen 95
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,
And that the Queen’s kindred are made gentlefolks.
How say you, sir? Can you deny all this? 100 BRAKENBURY
With this, my lord, myself have naught to do. RICHARD
Naught to do with Mistress Shore? I tell thee,
fellow,
He that doth naught with her, excepting one,
Were best to do it secretly, alone. 105 BRAKENBURY
I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal
Forbear your conference with the noble duke. | Richard's gossiping is broken up by Clarence's guard, Brackenbury, who'd
really like to get Clarence to prison kind of soon. Brackenbury points
out that he's just trying to do his job. |
CLARENCE
We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. RICHARD
We are the Queen’s abjects and must obey.—
Brother, farewell. I will unto the King, 110
And whatsoe’er you will employ me in,
Were it to call King Edward’s widow “sister,”
I will perform it to enfranchise you.
Meantime, this deep disgrace in brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine. 115 CLARENCE
I know it pleaseth neither of us well. RICHARD
Well, your imprisonment shall not be long.
I will deliver you or else lie for you.
Meantime, have patience. CLARENCE I must, perforce. Farewell. 120 Exit Clarence, Brakenbury, and guard. | Before Clarence is led to the Tower, Richard promises to do his best to
help him and says he's appalled by the way his brother is treating
Clarence. |
RICHARD
Go tread the path that thou shalt ne’er return.
Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so
That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,
If heaven will take the present at our hands.
But who comes here? The new-delivered Hastings? 125 Enter Lord Hastings. HASTINGS
Good time of day unto my gracious lord. RICHARD
As much unto my good Lord Chamberlain.
Well are you welcome to the open air.
How hath your Lordship brooked imprisonment? HASTINGS
With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must. 130
But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks
That were the cause of my imprisonment. RICHARD
No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too,
For they that were your enemies are his
And have prevailed as much on him as you. 135 HASTINGS
More pity that the eagles should be mewed,
Whiles kites and buzzards prey at liberty. | Once Clarence is gone, Richard tells us that he loves his brother so much that he'd like to send him on an all-expenses-paid trip to heaven – and who doesn't want to go to heaven? Richard's evil-genius ramblings are interrupted by Hastings, the guy who just got out of jail. |
RICHARD What news abroad? HASTINGS
No news so bad abroad as this at home:
The King is sickly, weak, and melancholy, 140
And his physicians fear him mightily. RICHARD
Now, by Saint John, that news is bad indeed.
O, he hath kept an evil diet long,
And overmuch consumed his royal person.
’Tis very grievous to be thought upon. 145
Where is he, in his bed? HASTINGS He is. RICHARD
Go you before, and I will follow you. Exit Hastings. He cannot live, I hope, and must not die
Till George be packed with post-horse up to heaven. 150
I’ll in to urge his hatred more to Clarence
With lies well steeled with weighty arguments,
And, if I fail not in my deep intent,
Clarence hath not another day to live;
Which done, God take King Edward to His mercy, 155
And leave the world for me to bustle in.
For then I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter.
What though I killed her husband and her father?
The readiest way to make the wench amends
Is to become her husband and her father; 160
The which will I, not all so much for love
As for another secret close intent
By marrying her which I must reach unto.
But yet I run before my horse to market.
Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives and reigns. 165
When they are gone, then must I count my gains. He exits. | Hastings says King Edward is sick – practically at death's door. Hastings goes off to see the ailing King, and Richard promises to follow later. Richard continues to hatch his evil plans (out loud, for our benefit). He'll visit King Edward, but only to encourage him in his hatred of Clarence. Richard hopes the king will have Clarence executed and then die soon after, which will leave Richard that much closer to the throne. To add a new level to his scheming, Richard says he wants to marry Lady Anne Neville, even though he recently killed her husband and her father-in-law (King Henry VI). Richard thinks it will be fun to play mind games with a grieving widow and points out that marrying Anne is also strategic move for him, since she's from an important family and has ties to the late king.
Still, he's not going to call the wedding planner just yet, as he has to orchestrate his brothers' deaths first. |