Home
This site uses cookies
log out

Richard III: Act II, Scene 4

Sign in with Google to add your annotations.

Richard III
Act II, Scene 4

London. The palace.

Richard III performed at the Globe Theatre, 1889

Richard III performed at the Globe Theatre, 1889

Herbert Railton

  1. Enter Archbishop of York, the young Duke of
  2. York, the Queen Elizabeth, and the Duchess of
  3. York.

Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York

1 - 3
  1. Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony-Stratford,
  2. And at Northampton they do rest tonight.
  3. Tomorrow, or next day, they will be here.

Duchess of York

4 - 5
  1. I long with all my heart to see the Prince.
  2. I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.

Queen Elizabeth

6 - 7
  1. But I hear no; they say my son of York
  2. Has almost overta’en him in his growth.

York

8
  1. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.

Duchess of York

9
  1. Why, my good cousin, it is good to grow.

York

10 - 15
  1. Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
  2. My uncle Rivers talk’d how I did grow
  3. More than my brother. “Ay,” quoth my uncle Gloucester,
  4. “Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace.”
  5. And since, methinks I would not grow so fast,
  6. Because sweet flow’rs are slow and weeds make haste.

Duchess of York

16 - 20
  1. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
  2. In him that did object the same to thee:
  3. He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,
  4. So long a-growing and so leisurely
  5. That if his rule were true, he should be gracious.

Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York

21
  1. And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.

Duchess of York

22
  1. I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt.

York

23 - 25
  1. Now by my troth, if I had been rememb’red,
  2. I could have given my uncle’s Grace a flout,
  3. To touch his growth nearer than he touch’d mine.

Duchess of York

26
  1. How, my young York? I prithee let me hear it.

York

27 - 30
  1. Marry (they say) my uncle grew so fast
  2. That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old;
  3. ’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
  4. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.

Duchess of York

31
  1. I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this?

York

32
  1. Grandam, his nurse.

Duchess of York

33
  1. His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born.

York

34
  1. If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.

Queen Elizabeth

35
  1. A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.

Duchess of York

36
  1. Good madam, be not angry with the child.

Queen Elizabeth

37
  1. Pitchers have ears.
  1. Enter Messenger to the Queen.

Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York

38
  1. Here comes a messenger. What news?

Messenger to the Queen

39
  1. Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.

Queen Elizabeth

40
  1. How doth the Prince?

Messenger to the Queen

41
  1.                      Well, madam, and in health.

Duchess of York

42
  1. What is thy news?

Messenger to the Queen

43 - 44
  1. Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,
  2. And with them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.

Duchess of York

45
  1. Who hath committed them?

Messenger to the Queen

46 - 47
  1.                          The mighty dukes,
  2. Gloucester and Buckingham.

Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York

48
  1.                            For what offense?

Messenger to the Queen

49 - 51
  1. The sum of all I can I have disclos’d.
  2. Why, or for what, the nobles were committed
  3. Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.

Queen Elizabeth

52 - 57
  1. Ay me! I see the ruin of my house:
  2. The tiger now hath seiz’d the gentle hind;
  3. Insulting tyranny begins to jut
  4. Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
  5. Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre!
  6. I see (as in a map) the end of all.

Duchess of York

58 - 68
  1. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,
  2. How many of you have mine eyes beheld!
  3. My husband lost his life to get the crown,
  4. And often up and down my sons were toss’d
  5. For me to joy and weep their gain and loss;
  6. And being seated, and domestic broils
  7. Clean overblown, themselves, the conquerors,
  8. Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,
  9. Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous
  10. And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen,
  11. Or let me die, to look on death no more!

Queen Elizabeth

69 - 70
  1. Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary.
  2. Madam, farewell.

Duchess of York

71
  1.                  Stay, I will go with you.

Queen Elizabeth

72
  1. You have no cause.

Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York

73 - 78
  1. To the Queen.
  2. My gracious lady, go,
  3. And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
  4. For my part, I’ll resign unto your Grace
  5. The seal I keep, and so betide to me
  6. As well I tender you and all of yours!
  7. Go, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary.
  1. Exeunt.
The Duke of York resigned by the Queen

The Duke of York resigned by the Queen

John Opie, 1806

© 2021 Unotate.com • contact • privacy policy • Creative Commons text from PlayShakespeare.com • All illustrations are public domain or Creative Commons