Richard III

by William Shakespeare

O God! If my deep prayers cannot appease thee,

  But thou wilt be avenged on my misdeeds,

  Yet execute thy wrath in me alone,

  O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children.

  Keeper, I prithee73 sit by me awhile.

  My soul is heavy74, and I fain would sleep.

  KEEPER    I will, my lord. God give your grace good rest.

  Clarence sleeps

  Enter Brackenbury, the Lieutenant

  BRACKENBURY    Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours76,

  Makes the night morning, and the noontide77 night.

  Princes have but their titles for78 their glories,

  An outward honour for79 an inward toil,

  And, for unfelt imaginations80,

  They often feel a world of restless cares81:

  So that between their titles and low name82,

  There’s nothing differs but the outward fame.83

  Enter [the] two Murderers

  FIRST MURDERER    Ho, who’s here?

  BRACKENBURY    What wouldst thou, fellow? And how cam’st thou hither?

  SECOND MURDERER    I would speak with Clarence, and I came

  hither on my legs.

  BRACKENBURY    What, so brief?

  FIRST MURDERER    ’Tis better, sir, than to be tedious. Let

  him see our commission, and talk no more.

  Gives Brackenbury a paper

  Reads

  BRACKENBURY    I am in this commanded to deliver

  The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.

  I will not reason93 what is meant hereby,

  Because I will94 be guiltless from the meaning.

  There lies the duke asleep, and there the keys.

  I’ll to the king and signify to96 him

  That thus I have resigned to you my charge.

  Exit

  FIRST MURDERER    You may, sir, ’tis a point of wisdom. Fare you

  well.

  SECOND MURDERER    What, shall we stab him as he sleeps?

  FIRST MURDERER    No: he’ll say ’twas done cowardly, when he

  wakes.

  SECOND MURDERER    Why he shall never wake until the great

  judgement day.

  FIRST MURDERER    Why, then he’ll say we stabbed him

  sleeping.

  SECOND MURDERER    The urging107 of that word ‘judgement’ hath

  bred a kind of remorse in me.

  FIRST MURDERER    What? Art thou afraid?

  SECOND MURDERER    Not to kill him, having a warrant, but to be

  damned for killing him, from the which no warrant can

  defend me.

  FIRST MURDERER    I thought thou hadst been resolute.

  SECOND MURDERER    So I am, to let him live.

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

  so.

  SECOND MURDERER    Nay, I prithee stay117 a little. I hope this

  passionate humour of mine will change. It was wont to hold118

  me but while one tells twenty.119

  They pause or count to twenty

  FIRST MURDERER    How dost thou feel thyself now?

  SECOND MURDERER    Some certain dregs of conscience are yet

  within me.

  FIRST MURDERER    Remember our reward, when the deed’s done.

  SECOND MURDERER    Come, he dies. I had forgot the reward.

  FIRST MURDERER    Where’s thy conscience now?

  SECOND MURDERER    O, in the Duke of Gloucester’s purse.

  FIRST MURDERER    When he opens his purse to give us our

  reward, thy conscience flies out.

  SECOND MURDERER    ’Tis no matter, let it go. There’s few or none

  will entertain130 it.

  FIRST MURDERER    What if it come to thee again?

  SECOND MURDERER    I’ll not meddle with it: it makes a man a

  coward. A man cannot steal, but it accuseth him: a man

  cannot swear, but it checks him: a man cannot lie134 with his

  neighbour’s wife, but it detects him. ’Tis a blushing

  shamefaced spirit that mutinies in a man’s bosom: it fills a

  man full of obstacles: it made me once restore137 a purse of gold

  that, by chance, I found: it beggars any man that keeps138 it: it

  is turned out of towns and cities for139 a dangerous thing: and

  every man that means to live well140 endeavours to trust to

  himself and live without it.

  FIRST MURDERER    ’Tis even now at my elbow, persuading me not

  to kill the duke.

  SECOND MURDERER    Take the devil in thy mind, and believe him144

  not: he would insinuate145 with thee but to make thee sigh.

  FIRST MURDERER    I am strong-framed, he cannot prevail with

  me.

  SECOND MURDERER    Spoke like a tall148 man that respects thy

  reputation. Come, shall we fall to work?

  FIRST MURDERER    Take him on the costard150 with the hilts of thy

  sword, and then throw him into the malmsey-butt151 in the

  next room.

  SECOND MURDERER    O, excellent device; and make a sop153 of him.

  FIRST MURDERER    Soft, he wakes.

  SECOND MURDERER    Strike!

  FIRST MURDERER    No, we’ll reason156 with him.

  CLARENCE    Where art thou, keeper? Give me a cup of wine.

  SECOND MURDERER    You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.158

  CLARENCE    In God’s name, what art thou?

  FIRST MURDERER    A man, as you are.

  CLARENCE    But not, as I am, royal.

  FIRST MURDERER    Nor you, as we are, loyal.

  CLARENCE    Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.

  FIRST MURDERER    My voice is now the king’s, my looks mine own.

  CLARENCE    How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak!

  Your eyes do menace me: why look you pale?

  Who sent you hither? Wherefore167 do you come?

  SECOND MURDERER    To, to, to—

  CLARENCE    To murder me?

  BOTH    Ay, ay.

  CLARENCE    You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so,

  And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it.

  Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

  FIRST MURDERER    Offended us you have not, but the king.

  CLARENCE    I shall be reconciled to him again.

  SECOND MURDERER    Never, my lord: therefore prepare to die.

  CLARENCE    Are you drawn forth177 among a world of men

  To slay the innocent? What is my offence?

  Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?

  What lawful quest180 have given their verdict up

  Unto the frowning judge? Or who pronounced

  The bitter sentence of poor Clarence’ death,

  Before I be convict183 by course of law?

  To threaten me with death is most unlawful.

  I charge185 you, as you hope for any goodness

  That you depart and lay no hands on me.

  The deed you undertake is damnable.

  FIRST MURDERER    What we will do, we do upon command.

  SECOND MURDERER    And he that hath commanded is our king.

  CLARENCE    Erroneous vassals, the great king of kings190

  Hath in the table of his law191 commanded

  That thou shalt do no murder.192 Will you then

  Spurn at193 his edict and fulfil a man’s?

  Take heed, for he hold
s vengeance in his hand,

  To hurl upon their heads that break his law.

  SECOND MURDERER    And that same vengeance doth he hurl on thee,

  For false forswearing197 and for murder, too.

  Thou didst receive the sacrament198 to fight

  In quarrel of199 the house of Lancaster.

  FIRST MURDERER    And, like a traitor to the name of God,

  Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade

  Unripp’dst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son.202

  SECOND MURDERER    Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.

  FIRST MURDERER    How canst thou urge God’s dreadful204 law to us,

  When thou hast broke it in such dear205 degree?

  CLARENCE    Alas, for whose sake did I that ill deed?

  For Edward, for my brother, for his sake.

  He sends you not to murder me for this,

  For in that sin he is as deep as I.

  If God will be avengèd for the deed,

  O, know you yet he doth it publicly.

  Take not the quarrel212 from his powerful arm:

  He needs no indirect213 or lawless course

  To cut off214 those that have offended him.

  FIRST MURDERER    Who made thee, then, a bloody215 minister,

  When gallant-springing216 brave Plantagenet,

  That princely novice217, was struck dead by thee?

  CLARENCE    My brother’s love218, the devil and my rage.

  FIRST MURDERER    Thy brother’s love, our duty and thy faults,

  Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

  CLARENCE    If you do love my brother, hate not me.

  I am his brother and I love him well.

  If you are hired for meed223, go back again,

  And I will send you to my brother Gloucester,

  Who shall reward you better for my life

  Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

  SECOND MURDERER    You are deceived, your brother Gloucester hates you.

  CLARENCE    O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.

  Go you to him from me.

  FIRST MURDERER    Ay, so we will.

  CLARENCE    Tell him, when that our princely father York

  Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm,

  He little thought of this divided friendship.233

  Bid Gloucester think on this, and he will weep.

  FIRST MURDERER    Ay, millstones, as he lessoned235 us to weep.

  CLARENCE    O, do not slander him, for he is kind.236

  FIRST MURDERER    Right, as snow in harvest.

  Come, you deceive yourself:

  ’Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.

  LARENCE    It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune,

  And hugged me in his arms, and swore, with sobs

  That he would labour my delivery.242

  FIRST MURDERER    Why, so he doth, when he delivers you

  From this earth’s thraldom244 to the joys of heaven.

  SECOND MURDERER    Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

  CLARENCE    Have you that holy feeling246 in your souls

  To counsel me to make my peace with God,

  And are you yet to your own souls so blind

  That you will war with God by murd’ring me?

  O, sirs, consider, they that set you on

  To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

  To First Murderer

  SECOND MURDERER    What shall we do?

  CLARENCE    Relent, and save your souls.

  Which of you, if you were a prince’s son,

  Being pent255 from liberty, as I am now,

  If two such murderers as yourselves came to you,

  Would not entreat for life as you would beg,

  Were you in my distress?

  FIRST MURDERER    Relent? No: ’tis cowardly and womanish.

  CLARENCE    Not to relent is beastly260, savage, devilish.

  To Second Murderer

  My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks.

  O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

  Come thou on my side, and entreat for me,

  A begging prince what beggar pities not?

  SECOND MURDERER    Look behind you, my lord.

  FIRST MURDERER    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]

  SECOND MURDERER    A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched.268

  How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands269

  Of this most grievous murder!

  Enter First Murderer

  FIRST MURDERER    How now? What mean’st thou, that thou help’st me not?

  By heaven, the duke shall know how slack you have been!

  SECOND MURDERER    I would he knew that I had saved his brother.

  Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say,

  For I repent me that the duke is slain.

  Exit

  FIRST MURDERER    So do not I. Go, coward as thou art.

  Well, I’ll go hide the body in some hole

  Till that the duke give order for his burial.

  And when I have my meed, I will away,

  For this will out280, and then I must not stay.

  Exit

  Act 2 Scene 1

  running scene 4

  Flourish. Enter the King, sick, the Queen, Lord Marquis Dorset, Rivers,

  Hastings, Catesby, Buckingham, Woodville [and others]

  KING EDWARD IV    Why, so. Now have I done a good day’s work.

  You peers, continue this united league.

  I every day expect an embassage3

  From my redeemer to redeem me hence,

  And more to peace my soul shall part to heaven,

  Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.—

  Dorset and Rivers, take each other’s hand:

  Dissemble not8 your hatred, swear your love.

  RIVERS    By heaven, my soul is purged from9 grudging hate,

  And with my hand I seal my true10 heart’s love.

  Gives his hand to Hastings

  HASTINGS    So thrive11 I, as I truly swear the like!

  KING EDWARD IV    Take heed you dally12 not before your fking,

  Lest he that is the supreme king of kings13

  Confound your hidden falsehood, and award14

  Either of you to be the other’s end.15

  HASTINGS    So prosper I, as I swear perfect love.

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

  KING EDWARD IV    Madam, yourself is not exempt from this,

  Nor you, son19 Dorset, Buckingham, nor you;

  You have been factious20 one against the other.

  Wife, love Lord Hastings: let him kiss your hand,

  And what you do, do it unfeignedly.22

  QUEEN ELIZABETH    There, Hastings, I will never more remember

  Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine.

  KING EDWARD IV    Dorset, embrace him.— Hastings, love Lord Marquis.

  DORSET    This interchange of love, I here protest26,

  Upon my part shall be inviolable.

  HASTINGS    And so swear I.

  They embrace

  KING EDWARD IV    Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league

  With thy embracements to my wife’s allies30,

  And make me happy in your unity.

  To the Queen

  BUCKINGHAM    Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate

  Upon your grace, but with all duteous love33

  Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me

 
; With hate in those where I expect most love.

  When I have most need to employ a friend,

  And most assurèd that he is a friend,

  Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile38

  Be he unto me. This do I beg of heaven,

  When I am cold in love to you or yours.

  Embrace

  KING EDWARD IV    A pleasing cordial41, princely Buckingham,

  Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.

  There wanteth43 now our brother Gloucester here,

  To make the blessèd period44 of this peace.

  BUCKINGHAM    And, in good time45,

  Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the duke.

  Enter Ratcliffe and [Richard, Duke of] Gloucester

  RICHARD    Good morrow47 to my sovereign king and queen.

  And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

  KING EDWARD IV    Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day.

  Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity,

  Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,

  Between these swelling wrong-incensèd52 peers.

  RICHARD    A blessèd labour, my most sovereign lord.

  Among this princely heap54, if any here,

  By false intelligence, or wrong surmise55,

  Hold me a foe, if I unwillingly, or in my rage,

  Have aught committed that is hardly borne57

  To any in this presence, I desire

  To reconcile me to his friendly peace.

  ’Tis death to me to be at enmity:

  I hate it, and desire all good men’s love.—

  First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,

  Which I will purchase with my duteous service.—

  Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,

  If ever any grudge were lodged between us.—

  Of you and you, Lord Rivers, and of Dorset,

  That all without desert67 have frowned on me.—

  Of you, Lord Woodville, and, Lord Scales68, of you:

  Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen, indeed, of all.

  I do not know that Englishman alive

  With whom my soul is any jot at odds

  More than the infant that is born tonight.72

  I thank my God for my humility.

  QUEEN ELIZABETH    A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.

  I would to God all strifes were well compounded.75—

  My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness

  To take our brother Clarence to your grace.77

  RICHARD    Why, madam, have I offered love for this