I am come to survey the Tower this day.
Since Henry’s death, I fear, there is conveyance.
Where be these warders that they wait not here?
Open the gates; ’tis Gloucester that calls.
I have come to inspect the Tower this day. Since Henry's death, I fear there has been improper conduct here. Where are the warders? Why are they not at their posts? Open the gates—it is Gloucester who calls.
I'm here to check on the Tower. Something's wrong since Henry died. Where are the guards? They should be waiting for me. Open these gates. I'm the Protector.
Tower check where are the guards they should be here I'm Gloucester open up
[_Within_.] Who’s there that knocks so imperiously?
Who's there knocking so arrogantly and with such authority?
Who is it pounding on the door like that?
who's banging on the door?
It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.
That is the noble Duke of Gloucester.
It's the noble Duke of Gloucester.
that's the duke
[_Within_.] Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in.
Whoever you are, you are not permitted to enter.
Whoever you are, you can't come in here.
no entry stay out
Villains, answer you so the Lord Protector?
You villains, is this how you answer the Lord Protector?
You bastards—is this how you treat the Protector?
you villains this is the Protector answer him
[_Within_.] The Lord protect him, so we answer him.
We do no otherwise than we are will’d.
May God protect him—that's how we answer. We do nothing other than what we've been ordered to do.
God protect him—that's our answer. We just follow the orders we've been given.
following orders no choice
Who willed you? Or whose will stands but mine?
There’s none Protector of the realm but I.
Break up the gates, I’ll be your warrantize.
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?
Who gave you orders? Whose will stands above mine? There is no Protector of this realm but me. Break down these gates—I will take responsibility. Should I be insulted by grooms from the dungheap?
Who ordered you to defy me? Is there anyone with more power than I have? I'm the Protector of England. Tear down those gates. I'll answer for it. Am I supposed to be humiliated by servants?
who ordered this I'm Protector I am break the gates I'll take it I won't be insulted
Woodville is a minor character who represents the Tower's institutional loyalty — he follows whoever gave him his last orders, in this case Winchester. He's the face of bureaucratic compliance in a system where everyone's shouting different commands.
What noise is this? What traitors have we here?
What is this noise? What rebels are inside?
What's happening? Who's attacking?
noise what's the attack who's inside
Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?
Open the gates; here’s Gloucester that would enter.
Woodville, is it you whose voice I hear? Open the gates. Gloucester is here and wishes to enter.
Is that you, Woodville? Let me in. It's Gloucester.
Woodville open it's me Gloucester
Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open;
The Cardinal of Winchester forbids.
From him I have express commandment
That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.
Patience, noble Duke—I cannot open. The Cardinal of Winchester has forbidden it. I have his direct command that neither you nor your men shall enter.
Wait, my lord. I can't open the gates. The Cardinal of Winchester ordered me not to. Nobody gets in—that's his command.
can't winchester forbids his order no one in not even you
Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him ’fore me?
Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate
Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne’er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God or to the King.
Open the gates, or I’ll shut thee out shortly.
Timid Woodville, you prefer Winchester to me? Arrogant Winchester, that haughty bishop whom King Henry never could tolerate? You are no friend to God or the King. Open the gates or I will shut you out shortly.
You're choosing Winchester over me? That's what this is. Winchester—that proud bishop Henry could never stand—you're picking him. You're betraying both God and the King. Open these gates or I'll make sure you never give orders again.
you pick Winchester over me over the King over God open or I finish this
Open the gates unto the Lord Protector,
Or we’ll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.
Open the gates to the Lord Protector, or we will break them down if you do not hurry.
Let the Protector in or we're breaking these gates ourselves.
open protector now or we break them
tawny coats.
brown uniforms.
men in brown coats.
tawny soldiers
How now, ambitious Humphrey! What means this?
How now, ambitious Humphrey? What does this mean?
What's this, Humphrey? Some kind of power play?
what's happening Humphrey what do you want
Peel’d priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?
Stripped priest, do you command me to be locked out?
You—you who gave up the cloth—you're ordering me around?
you priest you lock me out I don't think so
I do, thou most usurping proditor,
And not Protector, of the King or realm.
I do claim that you are a traitor seizing power, not truly a Protector of the King or realm.
You're a traitor and a power-grabber, not a real Protector of the King.
you're a traitor not a protector
Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,
Thou that contrived’st to murder our dead lord;
Thou that giv’st whores indulgences to sin:
I’ll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal’s hat,
If thou proceed in this thy insolence.
Get back, you obvious conspirator. You plotted to kill our dead king. You hand out forgiveness to women who sin. I'll scrub you clean using your own broad cardinal's hat if you keep being insolent.
Back off, you obvious conspirator. You plotted to murder our king. You forgive women's sins to keep them sinning. I'm going to drag you around using your fancy cardinal hat if you keep this up.
you conspirator you killed the king i'll use your hat to drag you out
The Tower of London in the fifteenth century was not primarily a prison — it was the royal armory, treasury, and symbol of sovereign authority. Whoever controlled the Tower effectively controlled the state's military capacity. Gloucester's insistence on inspecting it is not petty — it's the Protector asserting that he, not Winchester, controls the king's resources. Winchester having barred him is an act of coup, not policy disagreement. The scene's physical comedy obscures how serious the stakes are: two men with private armies are fighting in London's streets over control of the nation's weapons cache while a child sits on the throne. Watch for how this fight never really ends — it's the engine of the entire domestic English subplot.
Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot.
This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,
To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.
No, you stand back. I will not move an inch. Let this place be Damascus, let you be the cursed Cain plotting to kill your brother Abel, if that is what you want.
No, back off. I'm not moving. This place becomes Damascus, and you're the cursed Cain trying to murder your brother Abel, if that's what you want.
no, you back off i'm staying put don't be cain trying to kill abel i'm your brother
I will not slay thee, but I’ll drive thee back.
Thy scarlet robes, as a child’s bearing-cloth,
I’ll use to carry thee out of this place.
I will not kill you, but I'll force you backward. Your scarlet robes, like a baby's blanket, I'll use to carry you out of this place.
I won't kill you, but I'll push you out. I'll use your scarlet robes like a baby's blanket to carry you out of here.
i won't kill you but i'll drag you out using your robes like a baby blanket
Do what thou dar’st, I beard thee to thy face.
Do whatever you dare—I challenge you openly to your face.
Go ahead and try—I'm standing right here defying you.
try it i'm not backing down
What, am I dared and bearded to my face?
Draw, men, for all this privileged place.
Blue coats to tawny coats. Priest, beware your beard;
I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly.
Under my feet I’ll stamp thy cardinal’s hat;
In spite of Pope or dignities of church,
Here by the cheeks I’ll drag thee up and down.
What, am I challenged and insulted to my face? Draw your swords, men, regardless of this privileged place. Blue coats against tawny coats. Priest, watch out for your beard—I plan to pull it and hit you hard. Under my feet I'll trample your cardinal's hat. In spite of the Pope or church dignity, I'll drag you up and down by your cheeks.
Am I being challenged and insulted right here? Draw your swords, men, this being a privileged place or not. Blue uniforms against your tan ones. Priest, protect your beard—I'm going to pull it and beat you soundly. I'll stomp on your cardinal's hat under my feet. I don't care about the Pope or the church—I'm going to drag you around by your face.
am i really being challenged? draw swords men blue coats against tan priest watch your beard i'll pull it and hit you i'll stomp your hat i'll drag you by your face
Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the Pope.
Gloucester, you will answer for this before the Pope.
Gloucester, the Pope is going to hear about this, and you'll pay for it.
pope will judge you for this
Winchester goose, I cry, “a rope, a rope!”
Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay?
Thee I’ll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep’s array.
Out, tawny coats! Out, scarlet hypocrite!
Here Gloucester’s men beat out the Cardinal’s men, and enter in the
hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers.
Winchester the diseased one, I shout 'a rope, a rope!' to have you hanged! Now beat them out of here—why are you letting them stay? I'll chase you away, you deceiver pretending to be holy. Get out, you blue-coat soldiers! Get out, you scarlet hypocrite!
Winchester the plagued fool, I'm calling for a rope to hang you! Beat those guys out of here! Why are you still letting them stand? I'm going to chase you away, you wolf in priest's clothing. Get out, my soldiers! Get out, you fake cardinal!
winchester's diseased i'm calling for your rope get these guys out you fake priest get out
The Mayor is London's beleaguered civil authority — decent, ineffectual, perpetually exasperated by the nobles' contempt for law. His lines are often the scene's comic punctuation: watch for the gap between his formal proclamations and the complete chaos that ignores them.
Fie, lords, that you, being supreme magistrates,
Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
Shame on you, lords! You are the highest magistrates, and yet you violently break the King's peace!
You're the leaders! How can you fight like this? You're supposed to keep the peace!
shame you're supposed to lead keep peace stop this fight
Peace, Mayor! Thou know’st little of my wrongs.
Here’s Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,
Hath here distrain’d the Tower to his use.
Peace, Mayor! You know nothing of my grievances. This Beaufort—Winchester—cares neither for God nor the King. He has seized the Tower for his own purposes.
You don't get it. Winchester doesn't care about God or the King. He's taken over the Tower.
you don't understand Winchester no God no King stole the Tower
Here’s Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
One that still motions war and never peace,
O’ercharging your free purses with large fines;
That seeks to overthrow religion,
Because he is Protector of the realm,
And would have armour here out of the Tower,
To crown himself king and suppress the Prince.
Here's Gloucester, an enemy to the citizens. He keeps pushing for war and never accepts peace. He drains your full wallets with huge fines. He wants to destroy religion. He uses his power as Protector to steal armor from the Tower so he can crown himself king and remove the Prince.
Gloucester is bad for you citizens. All he wants is war, never peace. He empties your pockets with massive fines. He wants to destroy religion. He's using his power to grab weapons from the Tower so he can make himself king and get rid of the young Prince.
gloucester wants war not peace he's draining your money trying to destroy religion he's stealing weapons to crown himself kicking out the prince
I will not answer thee with words, but blows.
I will not answer you with words anymore. Now we answer with swords.
Enough talking. Now we fight.
no more words fight now swords
Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife
But to make open proclamation.
Come, officer, as loud as e’er thou canst, cry.
There is nothing left for me to do in this chaos but to issue a formal proclamation. Officer, announce as loudly as you can.
I'm going to use the only power I have left. Officer, read the order.
proclamation official order read it loud stop this
All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God’s peace
and the King’s, we charge and command you, in his Highness’ name, to
repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use
any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.
By order of the King: all manner of armed men assembled here this day against God's peace and the King's are commanded to go to your homes and surrender all weapons.
The King says: everyone here is breaking the law. Go home. Give up your weapons.
King's order law go home give up weapons all of you
Cardinal, I’ll be no breaker of the law;
But we shall meet and break our minds at large.
Cardinal, I will not break the law. But we will meet again and settle this fully.
I'll follow the law. But Winchester—we're not done.
I'll obey for now but we'll meet again this isn't over
Gloucester, we will meet, to thy cost, be sure;
Thy heart-blood I will have for this day’s work.
Gloucester, we will meet again, and it will cost you dearly. I swear I will have your blood before this day is done.
You'll pay for this, Gloucester. I'm going to kill you.
you'll pay Gloucester your blood I swear it
I’ll call for clubs, if you will not away.
This Cardinal’s more haughty than the devil.
I will call my citizens with clubs if you do not leave at once. This Cardinal is more arrogant than the devil himself.
Get out now or I'll call people with sticks to beat you out. Winchester's worse than the devil.
leave now or I call the mob Winchester worse than evil
Mayor, farewell. Thou dost but what thou mayst.
Mayor, farewell. You are only doing what you must.
Mayor, goodbye. You're just doing your job.
bye you did your duty
Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head,
For I intend to have it ere long.
Abominable Gloucester, beware your head! I fully intend to have it before long.
Watch your back, Gloucester. I'll get you.
watch out Gloucester I'm coming for you
See the coast clear’d, and then we will depart.
Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear!
I myself fight not once in forty year.
Clear the streets. Then we will leave. Good God, that nobles should have such fierce temperaments! I myself have not fought in forty years.
Get everyone out. Look—these nobles fight constantly. I haven't fought in forty years.
clear the streets get them out these nobles fighting always fighting I'm old not used to this
The Reckoning
The domestic English storyline erupts into physical comedy. Two of the most powerful men in England have turned into street fighters, their retinues pelting each other with weapons (and later pebbles) outside the Tower. The Mayor's helpless exasperation is the scene's comic register — but the violence has a sour undercurrent: this is what happens when the king is a child and his guardians hate each other.
If this happened today…
Two vice-presidents at a company whose CEO just died are both trying to access the main server room. One has brought his whole team in matching blue jackets; the other has stationed his people at the door in brown. The IT manager inside says he can't let anyone in — HR has locked it down on orders from the other VP. The two factions start shoving in the lobby. Security calls the police. The police tell them to leave. Both VPs storm off, separately, muttering threats at each other.