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Richard III: Act III, Scene 5

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Richard III
Act III, Scene 5

The Tower-walls.

Edmund Kean as Richard III

Edmund Kean as Richard III

Jane Stuart, 19th century

  1. Enter Richard of Gloucester and Buckingham in
  2. rotten armor, marvelous ill-favored.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

1 - 4
  1. Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy color,
  2. Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
  3. And then again begin, and stop again,
  4. As if thou were distraught and mad with terror?

Duke of Buckingham

5 - 12
  1. Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
  2. Speak and look back, and pry on every side,
  3. Tremble and start at wagging of a straw;
  4. Intending deep suspicion, ghastly looks
  5. Are at my service, like enforced smiles;
  6. And both are ready in their offices
  7. At any time to grace my stratagems.
  8. But what, is Catesby gone?

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

13
  1. He is, and see, he brings the Mayor along.
  1. Enter the Mayor and Catesby.

Duke of Buckingham

14
  1. Lord Mayor—

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

15
  1. Look to the drawbridge there!

Duke of Buckingham

16
  1. Hark, a drum!

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

17
  1. Catesby, o’erlook the walls.

Duke of Buckingham

18
  1. Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent—

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

19
  1. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies!

Duke of Buckingham

20
  1. God and our innocence defend and guard us!
  1. Enter Lovel and Ratcliffe with Hastings’ head.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

21
  1. Be patient, they are friends—Ratcliffe and Lovel.

Lovel

22 - 23
  1. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
  2. The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

24 - 32
  1. So dear I lov’d the man that I must weep.
  2. I took him for the plainest harmless creature
  3. That breath’d upon the earth a Christian;
  4. Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
  5. The history of all her secret thoughts.
  6. So smooth he daub’d his vice with show of virtue
  7. That, his apparent open guilt omitted—
  8. I mean, his conversation with Shore’s wife—
  9. He liv’d from all attainder of suspects.

Duke of Buckingham

33 - 39
  1. Well, well, he was the covert’st shelt’red traitor
  2. That ever liv’d. Look ye, my Lord Mayor,
  3. Would you imagine, or almost believe,
  4. Were’t not that by great preservation
  5. We live to tell it, that the subtile traitor
  6. This day had plotted, in the Council-house,
  7. To murder me and my good Lord of Gloucester?

Mayor

40
  1. Had he done so?

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

41 - 46
  1. What? Think you we are Turks or infidels?
  2. Or that we would, against the form of law,
  3. Proceed thus rashly in the villain’s death,
  4. But that the extreme peril of the case,
  5. The peace of England, and our persons’ safety,
  6. Enforc’d us to this execution?

Mayor

47 - 49
  1. Now fair befall you! He deserv’d his death,
  2. And your good Graces both have well proceeded,
  3. To warn false traitors from the like attempts.

Duke of Buckingham

50 - 61
  1. I never look’d for better at his hands
  2. After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
  3. Yet had we not determin’d he should die
  4. Until your lordship came to see his end,
  5. Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
  6. Something against our meanings, have prevented;
  7. Because, my lord, I would have had you heard
  8. The traitor speak, and timorously confess
  9. The manner and the purpose of his treasons,
  10. That you might well have signified the same
  11. Unto the citizens, who haply may
  12. Misconster us in him and wail his death.
Set design for The Tower of London

Set design for The Tower of London

Herbert Railton, circa 1889

Mayor

62 - 66
  1. But, my good lord, your Grace’s words shall serve
  2. As well as I had seen, and heard him speak;
  3. And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
  4. That I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens
  5. With all your just proceedings in this cause.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

67 - 68
  1. And to that end we wish’d your lordship here,
  2. T’ avoid the censures of the carping world.

Duke of Buckingham

69 - 71
  1. Which since you come too late of our intent,
  2. Yet witness what you hear we did intend.
  3. And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell.
  1. Exit Mayor.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

72 - 94
  1. Go after, after, cousin Buckingham.
  2. The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post.
  3. There, at your meet’st advantage of the time,
  4. Infer the bastardy of Edward’s children.
  5. Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen
  6. Only for saying he would make his son
  7. Heir to the Crown—meaning indeed his house,
  8. Which by the sign thereof was termed so.
  9. Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
  10. And bestial appetite in change of lust,
  11. Which stretch’d unto their servants, daughters, wives,
  12. Even where his raging eye or savage heart,
  13. Without control, lusted to make a prey.
  14. Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
  15. Tell them, when that my mother went with child
  16. Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,
  17. My princely father, then had wars in France,
  18. And by true computation of the time,
  19. Found that the issue was not his begot;
  20. Which well appeared in his lineaments,
  21. Being nothing like the noble Duke my father.
  22. Yet touch this sparingly, as ’twere far off,
  23. Because, my lord, you know my mother lives.

Duke of Buckingham

95 - 97
  1. Doubt not, my lord, I’ll play the orator
  2. As if the golden fee for which I plead
  3. Were for myself—and so, my lord, adieu.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

98 - 100
  1. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard’s Castle,
  2. Where you shall find me well accompanied
  3. With reverend fathers and well-learned bishops.

Duke of Buckingham

101 - 102
  1. I go, and towards three or four a’ clock
  2. Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
  1. Exit Buckingham.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester

103 - 109
  1. Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw;
  2. To Catesby.
  3. Go thou to Friar Penker; bid them both
  4. Meet me within this hour at Baynard’s Castle.
  5. Exeunt Lovel and Catesby.
  6. To Ratcliffe.
  7. Now will I go to take some privy order
  8. To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
  9. And to give order that no manner person
  10. Have any time recourse unto the Princes.
  1. Exeunt.

So dear I lov’d the man that I must weep

Edwin Austin Abbey, 1903

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