Richard III

by William Shakespeare

Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York;1 And all the clouds that lour’d upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

I, that am curtail’d of this fair proportion,3 Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,4 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;

And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days,6 I am determined to prove a villain, And hate the idle pleasures of these days.

CLAR. Because my name is George. GLOU. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours;

CLAR. Because my name is George. GLOU. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours;

And, for my name of George begins with G, It follows in his thought that I am he.

Simple, plain Clarence! I do love thee so, That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,

[Exeunt CLARENCE, BRAKENBURY, and Guard.] GLOU. 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.

Good time of day unto my gracious lord!

I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter.21 What though I kill’d her husband and her father?

Set down, set down your honourable load— If honour may be shrouded in a hearse— Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.

What, do you tremble? are you all afraid? Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal, And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.

ANNE. What, do you tremble? are you all afraid? Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal, And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil. Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell! Thou hadst but power over his mortal body, His soul thou canst not have; therefore, be gone.

Villain, thou know’st no law of God nor man:

ANNE. Villain, thou know’st no law of God nor man: No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. GLOU. But I know none, and therefore am no beast. ANNE. O wonderful, when devils tell the truth! GLOU. More wonderful, when angels are so angry.

No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. GLOU. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.

ANNE. Villain, thou know’st no law of God nor man: No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. GLOU. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.

In thy foul throat thou liest:

Out of my sight! thou dost infect my eyes.

Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass, That I may see my shadow as I pass.

the world is grown so bad, That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch:

I am too childish-foolish for this world.

On thee, the troubler of the poor world’s peace! The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul! Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou livest, And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends!

Q. MAR. On thee, the troubler of the poor world’s peace! The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul! Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou livest, And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends!

Thou elvish-mark’d,76 abortive, rooting hog!77 Thou that wast seal’d in thy nativity The slave of nature and the son of hell! Thou slander of thy mother’s heavy womb Thou loathed issue of thy father’s loins! Thou rag of honour! thou detested—

Q. MAR. Thou elvish-mark’d, 76 abortive, rooting hog! 77 Thou that wast seal’d in thy nativity The slave of nature and the son of hell! Thou slander of thy mother’s heavy womb Thou loathed issue of thy father’s loins! Thou rag of honour! thou detested— Footnotes 76 elvish-mark’d] the common superstition that persons born with scars or deformities had been marked by wicked fairies or elves. 77 hog] Richard’s heraldic blazon featured a boar.

Dispute not with her; she is lunatic.

They that stand high have many blasts to shake them; And if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces.

Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him, And all their ministers attend on him.

But then I sigh; and, with a piece of Scripture, Tell them that God bids us do good for evil:

GLOU. . . . But then I sigh; and, with a piece of Scripture, Tell them that God bids us do good for evil: And thus I clothe my naked villany With old odd ends 86 stolen out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.

And thus I clothe my naked villany With old odd ends86 stolen out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.

Fear not, my lord, we will not stand to prate; Talkers are no good doers: be assured We come to use our hands and not our tongues.

Your eyes drop millstones,87 when fools’ eyes drop tears.

Gloucester stumbled; and, in falling, Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard,

Ten thousand men that fishes gnaw’d upon;

Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, Inestimable stones, unvalued89 jewels, All scattered in the bottom of the sea:

CLAR. . . . Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, Inestimable stones, unvalued 89 jewels, All scattered in the bottom of the sea: Some lay in dead men’s skulls; and in those holes Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept, As ’t were in scorn of eyes, reflecting gems, Which woo’d 90 the slimy bottom of the deep, And mock’d the dead bones that lay scattered by.

The first that there did greet my stranger soul, Was my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick;

then came wandering by A shadow like an angel, with bright hair Dabbled in blood; and he squeak’d out aloud, “Clarence is come; false, fleeting,94 perjured Clarence, That stabb’d me in the field by Tewksbury:95 Seize on him, Furies, take him to your torments!”

Princes have but their titles for their glories, An outward honour for an inward toil;

betwixt their titles and low names, There’s nothing differs but the outward fame.

0 sir, it is better to be brief than tedious.

I’ll not meddle with it: it is a dangerous thing: it makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; he cannot swear, but it checks him; he cannot lie with his neighbour’s wife, but it detects him: it is a blushing shamefast spirit that mutinies in a man’s bosom; it fills one full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold, that I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turned out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man that means to live well endeavours to trust to himself and to live without it.

Erroneous vassal! the great King of kings Hath in the tables of his law commanded That thou shalt do no murder: and wilt thou then Spurn at his edict, and fulfil a man’s?

FIRST MURD. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade Unrip’dst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son. SEC. MURD. Whom thou wert sworn to cherish and defend.

FIRST MURD. And, like a traitor to the name of God, Didst break that vow; and with thy treacherous blade Unrip’dst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son. SEC. MURD. Whom thou wert sworn to cherish and defend.

Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep. FIRST MURD. Ay, millstones;108 as he lesson’d us to weep.

CLAR. Tell him, when that our princely father York Bless’d his three sons with his victorious arm, And charged us from his soul to love each other, He little thought of this divided friendship: Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep. FIRST MURD. Ay, millstones; 108 as he lesson’d us to weep.

SEC. MURD. Look behind you, my lord. FIRST MURD. Take that, and that: if all this will not do,

SEC. MURD. Look behind you, my lord. FIRST MURD. Take that, and that: if all this will not do, [Stabs him.] I’ll drown you in the malmsey-butt within. [Exit, with the body.] NOTE: George, Duke of Clarence, being allowed to choose by what death he would die, chose drowning in malmsey wine (1477).

Oh, that deceit should steal such gentle shapes, And with a virtuous vizard hide foul guile! He is my son; yea, and therein my shame; Yet from my dugs118 he drew not this deceit.

DUCH. Oh, that deceit should steal such gentle shapes, And with a virtuous vizard hide foul guile! He is my son; yea, and therein my shame; Yet from my dugs 118 he drew not this deceit.

All springs reduce122 their currents to mine eyes, That I, being govern’d by the watery moon, May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world!

Q. ELIZ. Give me no help in lamentation; I am not barren to bring forth complaints: All springs reduce 122 their currents to mine eyes, That I, being govern’d by the watery moon, May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world! Oh for my husband, for my dear lord Edward! Footnote 122 reduce] bring, lead back.

Woe to that land that’s govern’d by a child!

So wise so young, they say, do never live long.

Short summers lightly149 have a forward spring.

GLOU. [Aside] Short summers lightly 149 have a forward spring. Enter young YORK, HASTINGS, and the CARDINAL Footnote 149 lightly] commonly; a rare usage deduced from the meaning of “easily” or “readily” which often attaches to the word.

Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head: They smile at me that shortly shall be dead.

This is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings; Which in a set hand fairly is engross’d, That it may be this day read o’er in Paul’s. And mark how well the sequel hangs together: Eleven hours I spent to write it over, For yesternight by Catesby was it brought me; The precedent195 was full as long a-doing: And yet within these five hours lived Lord Hastings, Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty. Here’s a good world the while! Why, who’s so gross, That seeth not this palpable device? Yet who’s so blind, but says he sees it not?

SCENE VI. The Same. A Street. Enter a Scrivener, with a paper in his hand SCRIV. This is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings; Which in a set hand fairly is engross’d, That it may be this day read o’er in Paul’s. And mark how well the sequel hangs together: Eleven hours I spent to write it over, For yesternight by Catesby was it brought me; The precedent 195 was full as long a-doing: And yet within these five hours lived Lord Hastings, Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty. Here’s a good world the while! Why, who’s so gross, That seeth not this palpable device? Yet who’s so blind, but says he sees it not? Bad is the world; and all will come to nought, When such bad dealing must be seen in thought. 196 Footnotes 195 precedent] first draft. 196 in thought] in silence, unvoiced.

Bad is the world; and all will come to nought, When such bad dealing must be seen in thought.196

Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull: Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;

I am in So far in blood that sin will pluck on234 sin:

His daughter meanly have I match’d in marriage;244 The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham’s bosom, And Anne my wife hath bid the world good night. Now, for I know the Breton Richmond aims At young Elizabeth, my brother’s daughter, And, by that knot, looks proudly o’er the crown, To her I go, a jolly thriving wooer.

K. RICH. Come to me, Tyrrel, soon at after supper, 243 And thou shalt tell the process of their death. Meantime, but think how I may do thee good, And be inheritor ot thy desire. Farewell till soon. The son of Clarence have I pent up close; [Exit TYRREL.] His daughter meanly have I match’d in marriage; 244 The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham’s bosom, And Anne my wife hath bid the world good night. Now, for I know the Breton Richmond aims At young Elizabeth, my brother’s daughter, And, by that knot, looks proudly o’er the crown, To her I go, a jolly thriving wooer. Footnote 243 soon at after supper] about the time when supper is over. 244 His ... marriage] Clarence’s daughter Margaret was married to Sir Richard Pole, who was of somewhat better birth than the text indicates. Contrary to the statement of the text, the union took place about 1491, some years after Richard’s death, by direction of Henry VII.