The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

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1. ACT I.

   Richard declares himself a villain and sets his brothers against each other; he woos Lady Anne over a corpse; Margaret curses the court; and Clarence is murdered in the Tower.

   1. Scene 1 — London. A street

      Alone, Richard declares that since he cannot enjoy this 'weak piping time of peace,' he is determined to prove a villain. He has already turned King Edward against their brother Clarence, who is led to the Tower on a prophecy about the letter 'G,' and he resolves to marry Lady Anne for his own dark purposes.

   2. Scene 2 — London. Another street.

      Richard intercepts the funeral procession of Henry VI and, in an astonishing display of nerve, woos the dead king's daughter-in-law Lady Anne — whose husband and father-in-law he killed — over the very corpse, and wins her.

   3. Scene 3 — London. A Room in the Palace.

      At court Richard plays the wronged honest man among the queen's faction. Old Queen Margaret, the last Lancastrian, breaks in to curse Richard and all who pulled down her house, foretelling the deaths to come. Richard then sets two hired murderers on Clarence.

   4. Scene 4 — London. A Room in the Tower.

      In the Tower, Clarence recounts a terrifying dream of drowning and of judgment in hell. The murderers enter — the second wavering with conscience — and they stab Clarence and drown him in a butt of malmsey wine.

2. ACT II.

   The dying Edward's forced reconciliation collapses at news of Clarence's death; the court mourns the king; citizens dread the future; and the queen flees to sanctuary as her kindred are seized.

   1. Scene 1 — London. A Room in the palace.

      The dying King Edward stages a reconciliation among his quarrelling courtiers. Richard arrives and announces that Clarence is dead — the king's pardon came too late — shattering Edward and loading the guilt onto the queen's kin.

   2. Scene 2 — Another Room in the palace.

      The old Duchess of York and Clarence's orphaned children grieve; news comes of King Edward's death; the widowed queen laments. Richard and Buckingham arrange to fetch the young prince to London with a small escort.

   3. Scene 3 — London. A street.

      Ordinary citizens in the street exchange dark forebodings about a realm left to a child king and 'full of danger.'

   4. Scene 4 — London. A Room in the Palace.

      Word reaches the queen that her brother Rivers and son Grey have been seized and sent to Pomfret. Terrified, she flees with her younger son into sanctuary.

3. ACT III.

   The princes are lodged in the Tower; Hastings ignores the warnings and is beheaded; the queen's kin are executed at Pomfret; and Buckingham stages the show that makes Richard king.

   1. Scene 1 — London. A street.

      The young Prince Edward arrives, and his quick-witted little brother York teases their uncle about his shoulders. Richard lodges the boys 'for safety' in the Tower, and Buckingham wins Catesby to sound out Lord Hastings.

   2. Scene 2 — Before LORD HASTING'S house.

      Warned by Stanley's ominous dream of the boar and by other omens, Lord Hastings brushes the danger aside — confident in Richard's favour — and goes cheerfully to the fatal council.

   3. Scene 3 — Pomfret. Before the Castle.

      At Pomfret Castle the queen's kindred — Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan — are led to execution, each recalling that Margaret's curse is now falling upon them.

   4. Scene 4 — London. A Room in the Tower.

      At the council Richard suddenly accuses Hastings of treason, displays his withered arm and blames the queen and Mistress Shore for it, and has Hastings beheaded on the spot.

   5. Scene 5 — London. The Tower Walls.

      Richard and Buckingham, in rusty borrowed armour, gull the Lord Mayor into believing Hastings a dangerous traitor justly killed, then set about smearing the dead king's children as bastards.

   6. Scene 6 — London. A street.

      A scrivener observes that the indictment of Hastings was fair-copied hours before the man was even accused — the whole world can see the fraud, yet none dares speak of it.

   7. Scene 7 — London. Court of Baynard's Castle.

      Buckingham stages a piece of political theatre: Richard appears aloft between two bishops, prayer-book in hand, piously 'refusing' the crown until the Mayor and citizens are induced to beg him to take it.

4. ACT IV.

   The women are barred from the princes; Richard is crowned, has the boys murdered, and casts off Buckingham; the bereaved queens curse him as he courts a new bride and Richmond's invasion gathers.

   1. Scene 1 — London. Before the Tower

      The queen, the Duchess of York, and Anne are turned away from the Tower. Anne is summoned to be crowned Richard's queen and laments the day she yielded to him, foreseeing her own swift death.

   2. Scene 2 — London. A Room of State in the Palace.

      King Richard, crowned, sounds out Buckingham about murdering the princes; when Buckingham hesitates, Richard freezes him out and hires the assassin Tyrrel, while plotting to be rid of Anne and marry his own niece.

   3. Scene 3 — London. Another Room in the Palace.

      Tyrrel reports the pitiful smothering of the two princes. Richard, his wife now conveniently dead, plans to woo young Elizabeth — but news arrives that Ely has fled to Richmond and Buckingham is in arms.

   4. Scene 4 — London. Before the Palace.

      In the play's great lamentation the three bereaved queens heap curses on Richard. He then tries to win Queen Elizabeth's daughter through her mother in a long duel of wits, seeming to prevail, as messengers pour in with news of Richmond's fleet and risings across the land.

   5. Scene 5 — A Room in LORD STANLEY'S house.

      Lord Stanley secretly sends word of support to Richmond, though his son George is held hostage by Richard.

5. ACT V.

   Buckingham is executed; Richmond advances; on Bosworth eve the ghosts of Richard's victims curse him and bless Richmond; Richard dies in battle and Richmond unites the roses as Henry VII.

   1. Scene 1 — Salisbury. An open place.

      The captured Buckingham is led to execution on All Souls' Day, acknowledging that Margaret's curse has fallen squarely on his own head.

   2. Scene 2 — Plain near Tamworth.

      Richmond, marching through England with a swelling army, rallies his followers against 'the wretched, bloody, and usurping boar.'

   3. Scene 3 — Bosworth Field.

      On the eve of Bosworth the two camps pitch their tents. The ghosts of Richard's eleven victims rise in turn to bid him 'despair and die' and to bless the sleeping Richmond. Richard wakes from nightmare to find his own conscience accusing him, while Richmond rises refreshed.

   4. Scene 4 — Another part of the Field.

      In the thick of the battle the unhorsed Richard rages across the field crying 'A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!' as he hunts for Richmond.

   5. Scene 5 — Another part of the Field.

      Richmond kills Richard, takes the crown, pardons his enemies, and pledges to unite the white rose and the red by marrying Elizabeth of York — ending the long civil wars of England.

Characters

• Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard III) protagonist

  Richard, Duke of Gloucester — deformed, brilliant, and conscienceless — who in the opening soliloquy ('Now is the winter of our discontent') resolves to prove a villain and schemes his way to the crown over the bodies of his brother Clarence, the young princes, his own wife, and every ally who served him. The title role; he dies at Bosworth crying 'A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!' Labelled GLOSTER until his coronation, KING RICHARD after.

• Duke of Buckingham major

  Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, Richard's chief accomplice, who stage-manages his rise — coaching the citizens and the Mayor to 'beg' Richard to take the crown. When he hesitates at murdering the princes and is denied his promised earldom, Richard casts him off; he is captured in revolt and executed, recalling Margaret's curse.

• Queen Elizabeth major

  Elizabeth Woodville, widow of Edward IV, who watches Richard destroy her brother, her sons by her first marriage, and at last the two young princes. In a long verbal duel she seems to yield her daughter to Richard's suit, but turns the girl instead toward Richmond.

• Queen Margaret major

  The widowed queen of the murdered Henry VI, an old woman haunting the Yorkist court, who curses Richard and all who wronged the house of Lancaster with prophecies that come true one by one. She is the play's avenging chorus. (Historically Margaret had died in France years before; Shakespeare keeps her on stage for her dramatic power.)

• Lady Anne major

  Lady Anne Neville, widow of the Lancastrian Prince Edward, whom Richard woos over the corpse of Henry VI — and wins, though he murdered both her husband and her father-in-law. She becomes his queen, laments the day she yielded, and is quietly murdered once Richard needs a new bride.

• Duchess of York supporting

  Cecily, Duchess of York, mother of Edward IV, Clarence, and Richard, who comes to loathe the monstrous youngest son she bore and curses him to his face as he marches to Bosworth, praying that her enemies' souls may vanquish him.

• George, Duke of Clarence supporting

  Richard's elder brother, imprisoned in the Tower on a prophecy that 'G' will murder Edward's heirs. He recounts a terrifying dream of drowning, then is stabbed and drowned in a butt of malmsey wine by hired murderers — trusting to the last that Richard loves him and will save him.

• King Edward IV supporting

  Edward IV, dying, who strains on his deathbed to reconcile his feuding court. His fragile peace shatters when Richard reveals that Clarence — whose pardon Edward had countermanded too late — is already dead, and the broken king soon follows.

• Lord Hastings supporting

  William, Lord Hastings, Lord Chamberlain, loyal to the dead Edward's sons. Refusing to support Richard's claim, he is abruptly accused of treason at a council and beheaded on the spot — having brushed aside every warning, including Stanley's dream of the boar.

• Lord Stanley (Derby) supporting

  Thomas, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, who survives by trimming between factions. Forced to leave his son George as Richard's hostage, he nonetheless slips word to his stepson Richmond and withholds his troops at Bosworth, sealing the tyrant's fall.

• Earl of Richmond (Henry VII) major

  Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, the Lancastrian claimant who lands from exile, rallies the realm against the tyrant, is blessed by the ghosts of Richard's victims, and kills Richard at Bosworth to reign as Henry VII — ending the Wars of the Roses by marrying Edward IV's daughter and uniting the white and red roses.

• Edward, Prince of Wales minor

  Edward V, the elder of the two young princes, sharp and unafraid, who debates history with his uncle and is lodged 'for safety' in the Tower — where he is smothered. NOT to be confused with the Lancastrian Prince Edward of the Henry VI plays.

• Richard, Duke of York (the young prince) minor

  The younger of the two princes, a quick, teasing child who jests with his murderous uncle about his own small size and Richard's shoulders. Shut in the Tower with his brother and killed. NOT the long-dead Duke of York of the Henry VI plays.

• Sir William Catesby minor

  Richard's smooth political agent, who sounds out Hastings, works the citizens, and serves his master loyally to the end at Bosworth.

• Sir Richard Ratcliff minor

  One of Richard's hard instruments, who oversees the executions of the queen's kindred at Pomfret and attends the king through his last, ghost-haunted night.

• Sir James Tyrrel minor

  The 'discontented gentleman' Richard hires to murder the princes; he procures the deed through two underlings and reports it with unexpected horror and remorse.

• Lord Lovel minor

  One of Richard's followers, who with Ratcliff brings in the severed head of Hastings.

• Earl Rivers minor

  Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, the queen's brother, arrested with Grey and Vaughan and executed at Pomfret Castle — a death Margaret had foretold.

• Marquess of Dorset minor

  The queen's elder son by her first marriage; warned by his mother that Richard's favour is deadly, he flees abroad to join Richmond.

• Lord Grey minor

  Another of the queen's sons by her first marriage, seized and beheaded at Pomfret with Rivers and Vaughan.

• Sir Robert Brakenbury minor

  Lieutenant of the Tower, a reluctant keeper who surrenders his keys to Clarence's murderers rather than knowingly share their guilt.

• Duke of Norfolk minor

  John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Richard's loyal general at Bosworth, who finds the taunting note: 'Jockey of Norfolk, be not too bold, / For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.'

• Earl of Surrey minor

  Norfolk's son, who stands with Richard's army on the field at Bosworth.

• Earl of Oxford minor

  A veteran Lancastrian commander in Richmond's invading army.

• Sir James Blunt minor

  An officer in Richmond's camp on the eve of Bosworth.

• Sir Walter Herbert minor

  A supporter who joins Richmond's march to Bosworth.

• Christopher Urswick minor

  A priest who carries secret messages between Lord Stanley and Richmond.

• Sir Thomas Vaughan minor

  Taken with Rivers and Grey and beheaded at Pomfret; his ghost joins the others that curse Richard at Bosworth.

• Archbishop of York minor

  Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York, who first shelters the queen and her younger son in sanctuary and gives her the Great Seal.

• Cardinal Bourchier minor

  The Archbishop of Canterbury, persuaded by Buckingham to violate sanctuary and fetch the young Duke of York from his mother.

• Bishop of Ely minor

  John Morton, Bishop of Ely, present at the fatal council, whom Richard sends for strawberries moments before destroying Hastings; he later escapes to join Richmond.

• Lord Mayor of London minor

  The Lord Mayor, maneuvered by Richard and Buckingham into endorsing Richard's title to the crown before the citizens.

• First Murderer minor

  The harder of the two killers Richard sends to the Tower; he stabs Clarence and drowns him in the malmsey-butt.

• Second Murderer minor

  Clarence's other assassin, whose conscience wavers and finally revolts — he wants no part of the reward.

• Both Murderers minor
• Clarence's Son minor

  One of Clarence's orphaned children, deceived by Richard into thinking the king, not their uncle, was to blame for their father's death.

• Clarence's Daughter minor

  Clarence's small daughter, who with her brother mourns their murdered father.

• Clarence's Children minor
• First Citizen minor
• Second Citizen minor
• Third Citizen minor

  One of the ordinary Londoners who exchange dark forebodings about the realm now that Edward IV is dead and the princes are in their uncle's power.

• First Gentleman minor

  One of the gentlemen bearing Henry VI's corpse, halted at sword-point by Richard as Lady Anne follows the bier.

• Gentlemen ensemble
• Pursuivant minor

  A pursuivant (himself named Hastings) whom the doomed Lord Hastings greets cheerfully on his way to the council that will kill him.

• Scrivener minor

  A clerk who has fair-copied the indictment of Hastings and observes that the whole proceeding is a transparent sham — yet no one dares say so.

• Page minor

  Richard's page, who names Tyrrel as a discontented gentleman fit to be hired for murder.

• Sheriff minor

  The sheriff escorting the captured Buckingham to his execution.

• Priest minor
• Messenger minor
• Ghosts minor

  The ghosts of Richard's victims — Henry VI, Prince Edward, Clarence, the murdered princes, his wife Anne, and the lords he killed — who rise on the eve of Bosworth to cry 'Despair and die!' over the sleeping tyrant and to bless Richmond.

• Lords ensemble
• All ensemble

Cross-references

• Folger Shakespeare
• MIT plain text
• Wikipedia