As king, Edward is charming, impulsive, and transparent — he sees what he wants, reaches for it, and when denied, pivots to a bigger offer. His voice is bluff, direct, sometimes crude. Watch for how he uses mock-admiration ('You cavil, widow') to cover embarrassment, and how his final decision to make her queen is entirely impulsive.
Brother of Gloucester, at Saint Albans field
This lady’s husband, Sir John Grey, was slain,
His land then seized on by the conqueror.
Her suit is now to repossess those lands,
Which we in justice cannot well deny,
Because in quarrel of the house of York
The worthy gentleman did lose his life.
My brother, the Duke of Gloucester: at the Battle of Saint Albans, this lady's husband, Sir John Grey, was killed. The king then took possession of his lands as the victor. She's now asking to get those lands back, and we can't really refuse her in good conscience, because this worthy gentleman lost his life fighting for the cause of the house of York.
So here's the deal—at Saint Albans, Lady Grey's husband, Sir John Grey, was killed in battle. The king seized his property. She's asking to get it back, and we honestly can't tell her no since he died fighting for us.
her husband died for us at saint albans king took his lands she wants them back we have to give them its the right thing
Your Highness shall do well to grant her suit;
It were dishonour to deny it her.
Your Majesty would do well to approve her request. It would be dishonorable to refuse her.
You should grant what she's asking for. It'd be wrong to turn her down.
just grant her request its dishonorable to refuse
It were no less; but yet I’ll make a pause.
You're right, but I'm going to take a moment to think about it.
You make a good point, but I'm going to pause here.
valid point but ill wait
[_Aside to George_.] Yea, is it so?
I see the lady hath a thing to grant
Before the King will grant her humble suit.
Yes, is that so? I see the lady has something to offer before the King will grant her request.
Oh yeah? I see the lady's got something she needs to give before the King will grant what she wants.
she's got something to offer first
[_Aside to Richard_.] He knows the game; how true he keeps the wind!
He knows the game; how well he maintains his advantage!
He knows what he's doing; look how perfectly he's keeping the advantage!
he knows the game keeps advantage perfectly
[_Aside to George_.] Silence!
Be quiet!
Shut it.
shhh
Widow, we will consider of your suit,
And come some other time to know our mind.
Widow, we will think about your request, and we'll come back at another time to tell you what we've decided.
Lady, we'll consider what you're asking for, and we'll let you know our decision later.
ill think about it come back later
Lady Grey (soon to be Queen Elizabeth) speaks with precise, deflective wit — every answer she gives is technically cooperative while refusing the thing she refuses. Her mode is polite ambiguity that slowly firms into a wall: 'I know I am too mean to be your queen, / And yet too good to be your concubine.' Watch for how she never loses her composure, even as Edward becomes more explicit.
Right gracious lord, I cannot brook delay.
May it please your Highness to resolve me now,
And what your pleasure is shall satisfy me.
Gracious your Majesty, I can't accept any delay. I'm asking you to decide right now, and whatever you decide will be acceptable to me.
My lord, I need an answer right now. I can't wait. Just tell me what you want, and I'll accept it.
i need an answer now no delays tell me what to do
[_Aside to George_.] Ay, widow? Then I’ll warrant you all your lands,
An if what pleases him shall pleasure you.
Fight closer, or, good faith, you’ll catch a blow.
Yes, widow? Then I guarantee you all your lands, if what pleases him pleases you. Get closer together, or truly you'll be caught.
Yeah, widow? I'll guarantee you get all your lands if you do what pleases him. You two better get closer or you'll get caught.
she'll get her lands if she pleases him they better hug closer or get caught
[_Aside to Richard_.] I fear her not, unless she chance to fall.
I'm not worried, unless she happens to fall into his arms.
I'm not worried unless she falls for him.
not scared unless she gives in
[_Aside to George_.] God forbid that, for he’ll take vantages.
God forbid that, for he will take advantage.
God forbid she falls—he'll definitely take advantage.
hope she doesn't fall he'll take advantage
How many children hast thou, widow? Tell me.
How many children do you have, widow? Tell me.
How many kids do you have? Tell me.
how many kids
[_Aside to Richard_.] I think he means to beg a child of her.
I think he means to ask her to have his child.
I think he's trying to hint at making a baby with her.
he's hinting at a baby together
[_Aside to George_.] Nay, whip me then; he’ll rather give her two.
No, punish me then; he'll rather give her two children.
Nah, he'll father two kids with her instead.
nah he'll give her two kids
Three, my most gracious lord.
I have three children, your Majesty.
Three, my lord.
three
Lady Grey (Elizabeth Woodville in history, soon to be Queen Elizabeth) is one of the sharpest wits in the play, and the courtship scene shows exactly why. Edward's approach is transparent — he wants her as a mistress — and she defends herself without ever seeming to refuse. Every answer she gives is technically compliant while actually resisting: 'Whatever you command that rests in me to do' sounds like agreement but means 'only what's within my power' — and she defines her power narrowly. 'That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants' sounds generous but means 'not that.' When Edward finally says it directly — 'I aim to lie with thee' — she replies with one of the great reversals: 'I had rather lie in prison.' Then, when Edward escalates to queen, she doesn't refuse — but she names her own inadequacy so precisely ('too mean to be your queen, and yet too good to be your concubine') that it becomes a challenge rather than a demurral. She has maneuvered him into offering marriage. She won.
[_Aside to George_.] You shall have four if you’ll be ruled by him.
You will have four children if you obey him.
You'll have four kids if you listen to him.
you'll have four kids if you obey him
’Twere pity they should lose their father’s lands.
It would be unfortunate for them to lose their father's property.
It'd be a shame for them to lose what their father left.
they should keep their fathers lands
Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then.
Be merciful, my lord, and grant what I'm asking for.
Please, my lord, have some pity and give them back to me.
please be merciful give them back
Lords, give us leave; I’ll try this widow’s wit.
Everyone leave us alone. I want to test how clever this widow is.
Leave us alone. I want to see how smart she really is.
everyone leave i want to talk to her alone
[_Aside to George_.] Ay, good leave have you; for you will have leave
Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.
Yes, you have good permission; for you will keep having permission until old age leaves you needing a crutch.
Yeah, you've got all the permission you want, until age catches up with you and you need a crutch.
you have permission till you need a crutch
Now tell me, madam, do you love your children?
I need to ask you something, madam—do you genuinely love your children?
So tell me—do you actually love your kids?
do you love your kids
Ay, full as dearly as I love myself.
Yes, just as much as I love myself.
Absolutely, I love them more than anything in the world.
yes with all my heart
And would you not do much to do them good?
And would you not be willing to do a lot to help them?
And you'd do anything to help them, right?
youd do anything for them
To do them good I would sustain some harm.
To help my children, I would endure some suffering.
I'd go through anything to help them.
id suffer to help them
Then get your husband’s lands to do them good.
So reclaim your husband's property—that's the way to provide for them.
Well then, take back your husband's lands to help them out.
go get your husbands lands
Therefore I came unto your majesty.
That's exactly why I came to you, your Majesty.
That's why I'm here talking to you.
thats why im here
I’ll tell you how these lands are to be got.
I'll tell you how you can get those lands back.
I'm going to tell you exactly how to get them back.
ill tell you how
So shall you bind me to your Highness’ service.
Then you'll bind me to serve your Majesty.
Then I'll be obligated to serve you.
then ill be your servant
What service wilt thou do me if I give them?
What service will you do for me if I give them to you?
What would you do for me in return?
what will you do for me
What you command that rests in me to do.
Whatever you command me to do, as long as I'm able.
Whatever you want me to do, as long as I can.
whatever you ask
But you will take exceptions to my boon.
But you'll make exceptions to what I'm offering you.
But you'll probably object to what I'm going to ask.
you'll refuse me anyway
The soliloquy in 3-2-090 is unlike anything else in the history plays. Richard doesn't just explain his ambition — he performs an autopsy on himself, examining every part that doesn't work and naming exactly what it means. The deformity catalogue (withered arm, hunched back, unequal legs) is ruthlessly specific, and Shakespeare uses it for a psychological argument: if love is impossible, power is the only remaining pleasure. But what makes the speech extraordinary is the second step: Richard doesn't just observe that he's been cut off from conventional joy — he decides to use his alienation as an instrument. The shift from 'I am unloved' to 'therefore I will deceive' is a conscious ethical choice, made in front of the audience, who become witnesses to the birth of a psychopathology. The list of mythological comparators — Ulysses, Sinon, Nestor, Machiavel — shows how widely he has studied the art of strategic manipulation. He's been thinking about this for a long time.
No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.
No, my lord, except for things I simply cannot do.
No, I'll do anything except what I literally can't do.
no except what i cant do
Ay, but thou canst do what I mean to ask.
But yes, you definitely can do what I mean to ask.
But you absolutely can do what I'm about to ask.
you can do what i ask
Why, then, I will do what your Grace commands.
Well then, I will do whatever your Grace commands.
Fine, I'll do whatever you want.
ill do whatever you command
[_Aside to George_.] He plies her hard; and much rain wears the marble.
He presses her hard; and constant pressure wears even marble.
He's working her hard; like rain wearing down marble, persistence pays off.
he's working her rain wears marble persistence works
[_Aside to Richard_.] As red as fire! Nay, then her wax must melt.
Red as fire! Then her hardness must melt.
She's red hot! Her resistance is gonna melt.
she's red hot her resistance melts
Why stops my lord? Shall I not hear my task?
Why are you stopping, my lord? Shouldn't you tell me what the task is?
What's going on? Are you going to tell me or not?
tell me what you want stop stalling
An easy task; ’tis but to love a king.
An easy task. It's simply to love a king.
It's easy—just love me.
love me
That’s soon performed, because I am a subject.
That's quickly done, because I'm your subject.
That's easy to do since I'm your subject anyway.
im your subject i love you
Why, then, thy husband’s lands I freely give thee.
Well then, I freely give you your husband's lands.
Okay, fine, your husband's lands are yours.
your lands are yours now
I take my leave with many thousand thanks.
I leave with many thousands of thanks.
I'm so grateful, thank you so much.
thank you so much
[_Aside to George_.] The match is made; she seals it with a curtsy.
The deal is made; she seals it with a curtsy.
The deal's done; she's sealing it with a curtsy.
deal's done she sealed it with a curtsy
But stay thee; ’tis the fruits of love I mean.
But wait. It's not the lands I mean—it's the rewards of love I want.
Wait, hold on. I'm not just talking about the lands. I want love.
wait thats not what i meant i want your love
The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege.
I mean the rewards of love, my loving lord.
I understand love, my lord.
i offer you my love
Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense.
What love, thinkst thou, I sue so much to get?
Yes, but I'm afraid I mean something very different. What kind of love do you think I'm begging for so much?
But wait, I think we're talking about different kinds of love. What kind do you think I'm after?
but i mean something different what kind of love do i want
My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers;
That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants.
My love until I die, my humble thanks, my prayers. The kind of love that virtue asks for and virtue gives.
I offer you my loyalty, my gratitude, my prayers—the pure kind of love.
my loyalty, thanks and prayers the virtuous kind
No, by my troth, I did not mean such love.
No, I swear, that's not the kind of love I mean.
No, that's not what I'm after.
thats not what i want
Why, then, you mean not as I thought you did.
Then you don't mean what I understood you to mean.
Oh, so you're asking for something else.
oh youre asking for something else
Scene 3-2 is probably the most tonally complex scene in the play. It opens as almost a farce — Edward's clumsy seduction attempts, Richard and George whispering terrible jokes from the side, Lady Grey's deft deflections — and the comedy is genuine. Then everyone leaves and Richard is alone, and the temperature drops about thirty degrees. Nothing has changed in the physical staging, but the audience is suddenly in a completely different kind of scene. Shakespeare uses this contrast deliberately: the comedy of Edward's appetite (desire as appetite, kingship as personal gratification) becomes the dark mirror of Richard's soliloquy (desire as strategy, self as instrument). Edward wants what he wants and reaches for it immediately. Richard wants what he wants and has been planning it systematically for years. One is a king behaving like a man; the other is a man planning to behave like a king. The contrast defines both of them.
But now you partly may perceive my mind.
But now you can partly understand what I mean.
But now you're starting to get what I'm really asking for.
now you get what i want
My mind will never grant what I perceive
Your Highness aims at, if I aim aright.
I'll never agree to what I think you're aiming at, if my guess is correct.
I'm not going to do what I think you're really asking for, if I'm right about this.
i wont do what youre asking if i understand correctly
To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee.
To be honest, I want to sleep with you.
Honestly, I want to be with you.
i want to sleep with you
To tell you plain, I had rather lie in prison.
To be honest, I'd rather be in prison.
I'd honestly rather go to prison.
id rather go to prison
Why, then thou shalt not have thy husband’s lands.
Then you won't get your husband's lands.
Then you're not getting those lands.
no lands for you then
Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower,
For by that loss I will not purchase them.
Then my virtue serves as my dower, and I refuse to lose it in exchange for these lands.
Then my honor is all I'll have, because I won't compromise myself for those lands.
my honor is worth more than those lands
Therein thou wrong’st thy children mightily.
In that, you're being very cruel to your children.
That's being really unfair to your kids.
youre being cruel to your kids
Herein your Highness wrongs both them and me.
But, mighty lord, this merry inclination
Accords not with the sadness of my suit.
Please you dismiss me either with ay or no.
You're being unfair to both of them and to me. But, my lord, this light flirting doesn't match the serious nature of what I'm asking for. Please decide now and tell me yes or no.
You're being unfair to all of us. And honestly, this joking around doesn't fit with what I actually came here to ask. Just tell me yes or no and I'll go.
this isnt funny my request is serious just tell me yes or no
Ay, if thou wilt say ay to my request;
No, if thou dost say no to my demand.
Yes, if you say yes to what I'm asking. No, if you refuse what I'm demanding.
Yes means you say yes to me. No means you turn me down.
yes or no thats your choice
Then no, my lord. My suit is at an end.
Then it's no, my lord. My request is over.
Then it's no. I'm done.
no im leaving
[_Aside to George_.] The widow likes him not, she knits her brows.
The widow does not like him; she furrows her brow.
She doesn't like him—look at her furrowed brow.
she doesn't like him furrowed brow
[_Aside to Richard_.] He is the bluntest wooer in Christendom.
He is the most direct flirt in all Christendom.
He's the crudest flirt in the whole Christian world.
crudest flirt in christendom
[_Aside_.] Her looks doth argue her replete with modesty;
Her words doth show her wit incomparable;
All her perfections challenge sovereignty.
One way or other, she is for a king,
And she shall be my love, or else my queen.—
Say that King Edward take thee for his queen?
Her face shows she is full of modesty; her words show her incomparable intelligence; all her perfections deserve a royal throne. One way or another, she is meant to be with a king, and she will be my love or my queen. Say—would you become King Edward's queen?
She looks modest and her words show she's incredibly smart. All her qualities deserve royalty. One way or another, she's meant for a king. She's gonna be my love or my queen. Would you be my queen?
her modesty and smarts deserve royalty she's meant for a king i'll make her mine or make her my queen
’Tis better said than done, my gracious lord.
I am a subject fit to jest withal,
But far unfit to be a sovereign.
That's easier to say than to do, my gracious lord. I'm a subject fit to play along with, but I'm far too humble to be a ruler.
That's easier said than done, my lord. I'm fine for jokes, but I'm not fit to be queen.
easier said than done im not fit to be queen
Sweet widow, by my state I swear to thee,
I speak no more than what my soul intends;
And that is to enjoy thee for my love.
Sweet widow, I swear to you on my royal status that I'm speaking nothing but what my heart truly intends. And my intention is to make you my wife.
Listen, I'm swearing on my crown that I mean every word. I want you as my queen.
i swear this on my crown i want to marry you
And that is more than I will yield unto.
I know I am too mean to be your queen,
And yet too good to be your concubine.
And that's more than I'm willing to give. I know I'm too common to be your queen, and yet too respectable to be your mistress.
And that's asking too much. I'm not good enough to be queen, but too good to be your mistress.
thats too much im not queen material but id never be your mistress
You cavil, widow; I did mean my queen.
You're splitting hairs, widow. I said my queen.
Stop arguing, widow. I mean as my queen.
i mean as my queen
Elizabeth Woodville — Lady Grey in the play — was one of the most consequential women in 15th-century England. Her marriage to Edward IV in 1464 was indeed a secret match, made without Warwick's knowledge or consent, which was the proximate cause of Warwick's eventual defection. She was the daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers — not a great heiress, and her first husband had died fighting for Lancaster. Her elevation to queen was genuinely shocking to the court. She proved a formidably capable queen mother: she protected her children during Edward IV's death, maintained her family's influence through two reign-changes, and survived the reigns of both Richard III (who would destroy her family) and Henry VII. The woman Shakespeare shows us in 3-2 — intelligent, composed, playing a long game while a king tries to pressure her — is historically plausible. She turned a king's lust into a crown. Keep watching what she does with it.
’Twill grieve your Grace my sons should call you father.
Your Majesty, it would hurt your honor if my sons called you father.
My lord, it would look bad if my sons had to call you father.
my sons calling you father would shame you
No more than when my daughters call thee mother.
Thou art a widow, and thou hast some children;
And, by God’s mother, I, being but a bachelor,
Have other some. Why, ’tis a happy thing
To be the father unto many sons.
Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen.
It would be no different from when my daughters call you mother. You're a widow with children, and I'm unmarried but I have some children too. And by God, think how wonderful it would be to have so many sons. So stop arguing—you're going to be my queen.
So what? My daughters would call you mother. You're already a widow with kids, and I've got kids too. Honestly, it would be great to have so many children around. Stop arguing. You're marrying me and you're going to be my queen.
my daughters will call you mother its not that different just be my queen no more arguments
[_Aside to George_.] The ghostly father now hath done his shrift.
The ghostly father has now completed his shrift of her.
The priest who hears confessions just finished her confession.
ghostly father finished her shrift
[_Aside to Richard_.] When he was made a shriver, ’twas for shift.
When he was made a shriver who hears confessions, it was for his own gain and advantage.
He became a confessor priest for his own self-interest.
he became a shriver for selfish gain
Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had.
Richard and George come forward.
Brothers, I wonder what conversation we just had. Richard and George, come here.
Brothers, you're probably wondering what we were just talking about. Richard, George, come over here.
brothers come here you wanna know what happened
The widow likes it not, for she looks very sad.
The widow doesn't seem pleased—she looks very sad.
She doesn't look happy. She looks sad.
she looks sad
You’d think it strange if I should marry her.
You'd think it was strange if I told you I'm going to marry her.
You'd think I was crazy if I told you I'm marrying her.
youll think im crazy
To whom, my lord?
To which man would you marry her, my lord?
To who?
whos the groom
Why, Clarence, to myself.
Why, to myself, Clarence—that's who I'm marrying her to.
To myself, that's who.
to myself
That would be ten days’ wonder at the least.
That would be the talk of the town for at least ten days.
That would be scandalous for weeks.
thats crazy everyone will talk
That’s a day longer than a wonder lasts.
That's longer than how long scandals usually last.
That's longer than scandals actually stick around.
thats longer than scandals last
By so much is the wonder in extremes.
That shows how extreme the scandal would be.
Exactly. This would be the ultimate scandal.
this is extreme
Well, jest on, brothers. I can tell you both
Her suit is granted for her husband’s lands.
Well, go ahead and joke, brothers. I can tell you both that her request has been approved—she gets her husband's lands.
Go ahead, laugh all you want. But I'm giving her the lands back. Done.
laugh if you want shes getting her lands
My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken,
And brought your prisoner to your palace gate.
My gracious lord, your enemy Henry has been captured and brought here as your prisoner to the palace gate.
My lord, we've got Henry. He's here now as your prisoner.
henry is captured hes your prisoner now
See that he be conveyed unto the Tower.
And go we, brothers, to the man that took him,
To question of his apprehension.
Widow, go you along. Lords, use her honourably.
Make sure he's taken to the Tower. And let's go, brothers, to meet the man who captured him and ask him about how it was done. Lady, you come with us. Lords, treat her with respect.
Get him to the Tower right away. Come on, brothers, let's go see who caught him. Lady, you come too. Everyone, make sure to treat her well.
henry goes to the tower lets go meet who caught him lady come with us treat her well
Ay, Edward will use women honourably.
Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all,
That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring,
To cross me from the golden time I look for!
And yet, between my soul’s desire and me—
The lustful Edward’s title buried—
Is Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward,
And all the unlooked-for issue of their bodies,
To take their rooms ere I can place myself.
A cold premeditation for my purpose!
Why then I do but dream on sovereignty;
Like one that stands upon a promontory
And spies a far-off shore where he would tread,
Wishing his foot were equal with his eye,
And chides the sea that sunders him from thence,
Saying he’ll lade it dry to have his way.
So do I wish the crown, being so far off,
And so I chide the means that keeps me from it;
And so I say I’ll cut the causes off,
Flattering me with impossibilities.
My eye’s too quick, my heart o’erweens too much,
Unless my hand and strength could equal them.
Well, say there is no kingdom then for Richard,
What other pleasure can the world afford?
I’ll make my heaven in a lady’s lap,
And deck my body in gay ornaments,
And ’witch sweet ladies with my words and looks.
O miserable thought, and more unlikely
Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns.
Why, Love forswore me in my mother’s womb,
And, for I should not deal in her soft laws,
She did corrupt frail Nature with some bribe
To shrink mine arm up like a withered shrub;
To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits Deformity to mock my body;
To shape my legs of an unequal size;
To disproportion me in every part,
Like to a chaos, or an unlicked bear-whelp
That carries no impression like the dam.
And am I then a man to be beloved?
O monstrous fault to harbour such a thought!
Then, since this earth affords no joy to me
But to command, to check, to o’erbear such
As are of better person than myself,
I’ll make my heaven to dream upon the crown,
And, whiles I live, t’ account this world but hell
Until my misshaped trunk that bear this head
Be round impaled with a glorious crown.
And yet I know not how to get the crown,
For many lives stand between me and home;
And I, like one lost in a thorny wood,
That rents the thorns, and is rent with the thorns,
Seeking a way, and straying from the way,
Not knowing how to find the open air,
But toiling desperately to find it out,
Torment myself to catch the English crown.
And from that torment I will free myself,
Or hew my way out with a bloody axe.
Why, I can smile, and murder while I smile,
And cry “Content!” to that which grieves my heart,
And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,
And frame my face to all occasions.
I’ll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall,
I’ll slay more gazers than the basilisk;
I’ll play the orator as well as Nestor,
Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could,
And, like a Sinon, take another Troy.
I can add colours to the chameleon,
Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
And set the murderous Machiavel to school.
Can I do this, and cannot get a crown?
Tut, were it farther off, I’ll pluck it down.
Yes, Edward will treat women well. I wish he would waste away, bones and marrow and all, so that nothing good could come from him to ruin my plans for what I'm waiting for. And yet, between what my soul wants and me stand Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward, and all their descendants, who will take the throne before I ever can. This is a cold hard problem for my plans. So I just daydream about being king, like someone standing on a cliff who sees a distant shore he wants to reach, wishing his feet could walk as far as his eyes can see, cursing the sea that keeps him from it, saying he'll drain it dry to get his way. That's how I feel about the crown—so far away—and so I curse the things keeping me from it. I say I'll remove the obstacles, flattering myself with impossible dreams. My eyes want too much, my heart desires more than my hand can achieve, unless my strength could match my ambitions. Well, if there's no kingdom left for Richard, what else is there to enjoy in this world? I'll make my paradise in a woman's lap, deck myself in fine clothes, and seduce women with my words and looks. What a miserable thought—and it's even less likely than winning twenty crowns. Why does love avoid me since I was born? Because I wasn't meant for gentle things, she corrupted my nature with some trick to shrivel my arm like a dead branch, to put a twisted hump on my back where Deformity mocks me, to make my legs uneven, to malform every part of me, like something unfinished or like a bear cub that looks nothing like its mother. Am I a man anyone would love? How horrible to even think it. So since this world gives me nothing but the power to command and suppress people better than me, I'll make my heaven out of dreaming about the crown, and while I live, I'll think of this world as nothing but hell until my twisted back that holds this head is ringed with a glorious crown. Yet I don't know how to get the crown, because many lives stand between me and the throne. I'm like someone lost in a thorny forest, tearing the thorns and being torn by them, trying to find the way out, getting lost instead, not knowing how to reach open air, but torturing myself trying. I'll free myself from this torture or cut my way out with a bloody axe. I can smile while I'm killing, I can say I'm happy while my heart breaks, I can cry artificial tears, I can adjust my face for any situation. I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid, I'll kill more people than the basilisk that kills with a look, I'll speak as well as the greatest orators, I'll deceive better than the craftiest cunning, and like the traitor who destroyed Troy, I'll take another city. I can add more colors than the chameleon, I can shift shapes like Proteus for advantage, and I'll even teach Machiavelli about murder. If I can do all this, can't I get a crown? Even if it's far away, I'll pull it down.
Oh sure, Edward really treats women well. I hope he wastes away completely so nothing good comes from him to mess up my plans. But standing between me and the throne are Clarence, Henry, his son Edward, and all their children. Before I can be king, they all have to go first. What a problem. So I just sit here dreaming about being king like some guy on a cliff seeing a shore he wants to reach, wishing he could walk as far as he can see, cursing the ocean between him and it. That's me with the crown—it's so far away, and I'm cursing the people keeping me from it. I tell myself I'll remove the obstacles, but I'm just kidding myself. My eyes want too much, my heart wants more than my body can handle. Well, if there's no kingdom for Richard, what's the point? I'll just seduce women, wear fancy clothes, and charm them with words and looks. What a waste—that'd never happen anyway. Why does love run away from me? I was born wrong. My mother used some magic to shrink my arm like a dead branch, to put this hump on my back, to make my legs uneven, to mess me up completely, like an unfinished thing. Who would love me? It's awful to even think about it. So all I have is the power to command people worse off than me. I'll make myself dream of being king. Until my back is crowned with gold, this world is just hell to me. But I don't know how to get the crown with all these lives ahead of me. I'm like someone lost in a thorny woods, stuck and bleeding, trying to find the way out but getting more lost, not knowing how to get to open air, just torturing myself. I'll cut my way out with a bloody axe or free myself another way. I can smile while killing people, I can say I'm happy when I'm dying inside, I can cry fake tears, I can pretend anything. I'll kill more people than mythical monsters, I'll lie better than the best liars, I'll speak like the greatest speakers, I can shift my shape to get what I want, and I'll make evil look like genius. If I can do all that, I can get a crown. Even if it's impossible, I'll take it.
edward seduces women i want to be king all these people are in my way ill kill them all ill do whatever it takes ill cut my way to power ill smile while murdering ill lie charm manipulate nothing will stop me i will wear the crown
The Reckoning
The first half of this scene is almost a comedy — Edward is transparent, George and Richard are merciless, and Lady Grey is brilliant. Then everyone leaves and Richard is alone, and the play transforms. What follows is the most important speech in the entire Henry VI trilogy: Richard naming himself, examining himself, and choosing himself. When he says 'I can smile, and murder while I smile,' he isn't boasting — he's describing a decision he has just made. The audience is left in a room with the birth of Richard III.
If this happened today…
Your company's new CEO is in a glass-walled conference room with a vendor he clearly wants to sleep with, pretending it's a business meeting. His two brothers are watching from the hallway, whispering terrible jokes. The vendor sees what's happening and is completely unimpressed but professionally handles it, eventually turning the tables so thoroughly that the CEO offers her an actual executive position just to keep her talking to him. Then everyone leaves and the youngest brother — the one who's been passed over for everything — stays behind. He pulls out a whiteboard and spends twenty minutes mapping out exactly how many people are between him and the CEO job, and precisely what kind of person he'd have to become to remove them. He's thorough. He's calm. He concludes he can do it.