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.
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.
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 can't well deny, Because in quarrel of the house of York The worthy gentleman did lose his life.
they are dead
Your Highness shall do well to grant her suit;
It were dishonour to deny it her.
Your Highness shall do well to grant her suit; It were dishonour to deny it her.
Your Highness shall do well to grant her suit; It were dishonour to deny it her.
hm
It were no less; but yet I’ll make a pause.
It were no less; but yet I’ll make a pause.
It were no less; but yet I’ll make a pause.
hm
I see the lady hath a thing to grant
Before the King will grant her humble suit.
I see the lady has a thing to grant Before the King will grant her humble suit.
I see the lady has a thing to grant Before the King will grant her humble suit.
hm
Widow, we will consider of your suit,
And come some other time to know our mind.
Widow, we will consider of your suit, And come some other time to know our mind.
Widow, we will consider of your suit, And come some other time to know our mind.
hm
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.
Right gracious lord, I cannot tolerate delay. May it please your Highness to resolve me now, And what your pleasure is shall satisfy me.
Right gracious lord, I can't tolerate delay. May it please your Highness to resolve me now, And what your pleasure is shall satisfy me.
yeah brutal
An if what pleases him shall pleasure you.
Fight closer, or, good faith, you’ll catch a blow.
An if what pleases him shall pleasure you. Fight closer, or, good faith, you’ll catch a blow.
An if what pleases him shall pleasure you. Fight closer, or, good faith, you’ll catch a blow.
hm
How many children hast thou, widow? Tell me.
How many children have you, widow? Tell me.
How many children have you, widow? Tell me.
how did that even happen
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.
Three, my most gracious lord.
Three, my most gracious lord.
Three, my most gracious lord.
hm
’Twere pity they should lose their father’s lands.
’Twere pity they should lose their father’s lands.
’Twere pity they should lose their father’s lands.
hm
Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then.
Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then.
Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then.
hm
Lords, give us leave; I’ll try this widow’s wit.
Lords, give us leave; I’ll try this widow’s wit.
Lords, give us leave; I’ll try this widow’s wit.
hm
Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.
Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.
Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.
hm
Now tell me, madam, do you love your children?
Now tell me, madam, do you love your children?
Now tell me, madam, do you love your children?
hm
Ay, full as dearly as I love myself.
Ay, full as dearly as I love myself.
Ay, full as dearly as I love myself.
hm
And would you not do much to do them good?
And would you not do much to do them good?
And would you not do much to do them good?
hm
To do them good I would sustain some harm.
To do them good I would sustain some harm.
To do them good I would sustain some harm.
hm
Then get your husband’s lands to do them good.
Then get your husband’s lands to do them good.
Then get your husband’s lands to do them good.
hm
Therefore I came unto your majesty.
Therefore I came unto your majesty.
Therefore I came unto your majesty.
hm
I’ll tell you how these lands are to be got.
I’ll tell you how these lands are to be got.
I’ll tell you how these lands are to be got.
how did that even happen
So shall you bind me to your Highness’ service.
So shall you bind me to your Highness’ service.
So shall you bind me to your Highness’ service.
hm
What service wilt thou do me if I give them?
What service will you do me if I give them?
What service will you do me if I give them?
hm
What you command that rests in me to do.
What you command that rests in me to do.
What you command that rests in me to do.
hm
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.
But you will take exceptions to my boon.
But you will take exceptions to my boon.
But you will take exceptions to my boon.
hm
No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.
No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.
No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.
hm
Ay, but thou canst do what I mean to ask.
Ay, but you can do what I mean to ask.
Ay, but you can do what I mean to ask.
hm
Why, then, I will do what your Grace commands.
Why, then, I will do what your Grace commands.
Why, then, I will do what your Grace commands.
hm
Why stops my lord? Shall I not hear my task?
Why stops my lord? Shall I not hear my task?
Why stops my lord? Shall I not hear my task?
hm
An easy task; ’tis but to love a king.
An easy task; ’tis but to love a king.
An easy task; ’tis but to love a king.
hm
That’s soon performed, because I am a subject.
That’s soon performed, because I am a subject.
That’s soon performed, because I am a subject.
hm
Why, then, thy husband’s lands I freely give thee.
Why, then, your husband’s lands I freely give you.
Why, then, your husband’s lands I freely give you.
hm
I take my leave with many thousand thanks.
I take my leave with many thousand thanks.
I take my leave with many thousand thanks.
hm
But stay thee; ’tis the fruits of love I mean.
But stay you; ’tis the fruits of love I mean.
But stay you; ’tis the fruits of love I mean.
hm
The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege.
The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege.
The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege.
hm
Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense.
What love, thinkst thou, I sue so much to get?
Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense. What love, thinkst you, I sue so much to get?
Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense. What love, thinkst you, I sue so much to get?
hm
My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers;
That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants.
My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers; That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants.
My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers; That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants.
they are dead
No, by my troth, I did not mean such love.
No, by my troth, I did not mean such love.
No, by my troth, I did not mean such love.
hm
Why, then, you mean not as I thought you did.
Why, then, you mean not as I thought you did.
Why, then, you mean not as I thought you did.
hm
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 partly may perceive my mind.
But now you partly may perceive my mind.
hm
My mind will never grant what I perceive
Your Highness aims at, if I aim aright.
My mind will never grant what I perceive Your Highness aims at, if I aim aright.
My mind will never grant what I perceive Your Highness aims at, if I aim aright.
hm
To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee.
To tell you plain, I aim to lie with you.
To tell you plain, I aim to lie with you.
hm
To tell you plain, I had rather lie in prison.
To tell you plain, I had rather lie in prison.
To tell you plain, I had rather lie in prison.
hm
Why, then thou shalt not have thy husband’s lands.
Why, then you shall not have your husband’s lands.
Why, then you shall not have your husband’s lands.
hm
Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower,
For by that loss I will not purchase them.
Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower, For by that loss I will not purchase them.
Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower, For by that loss I will not purchase them.
hm
Therein thou wrong’st thy children mightily.
Therein you wrong’st your children mightily.
Therein you wrong’st your children mightily.
hm
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.
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.
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.
yeah brutal
Ay, if thou wilt say ay to my request;
No, if thou dost say no to my demand.
Ay, if you will say ay to my request; No, if you do say no to my demand.
Ay, if you will say ay to my request; No, if you do say no to my demand.
hm
Then no, my lord. My suit is at an end.
Then no, my lord. My suit is at an end.
Then no, my lord. My suit is at an end.
hm
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 words does 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 you for his queen?
Her words does 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 you for his queen?
how did that even happen
’Tis better said than done, my gracious lord.
I am a subject fit to jest withal,
But far unfit to be a sovereign.
’Tis better said than done, my gracious lord. I am a subject fit to jest withal, But far unfit to be a sovereign.
’Tis better said than done, my gracious lord. I am a subject fit to jest withal, But far unfit to be a sovereign.
yeah brutal
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, by my state I swear to you, I speak no more than what my soul intends; And that is to enjoy you for my love.
Sweet widow, by my state I swear to you, I speak no more than what my soul intends; And that is to enjoy you for my love.
yeah brutal
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 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 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.
yeah brutal
You cavil, widow; I did mean my queen.
You cavil, widow; I did mean my queen.
You cavil, widow; I did mean my queen.
hm
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.
’Twill grieve your Grace my sons should call you father.
’Twill grieve your Grace my sons should call you father.
hm
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.
No more than when my daughters call you mother. you are a widow, and you have 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 you shall be my queen.
No more than when my daughters call you mother. you are a widow, and you have 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 you shall be my queen.
war blood death everything is chaos
Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had.
Richard and George come forward.
Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had. Richard and George come forward.
Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had. Richard and George come forward.
hm
The widow likes it not, for she looks very sad.
The widow likes it not, for she looks very sad.
The widow likes it not, for she looks very sad.
hm
You’d think it strange if I should marry her.
You’d think it strange if I should indeed her.
You’d think it strange if I should indeed her.
hm
To whom, my lord?
To whom, my lord?
To whom, my lord?
hm
Why, Clarence, to myself.
Why, Clarence, to myself.
Why, Clarence, to myself.
hm
That would be ten days’ wonder at the least.
That would be ten days’ wonder at the least.
That would be ten days’ wonder at the least.
how did that even happen
That’s a day longer than a wonder lasts.
That’s a day longer than a wonder lasts.
That’s a day longer than a wonder lasts.
how did that even happen
By so much is the wonder in extremes.
By so much is the wonder in extremes.
By so much is the wonder in extremes.
how did that even happen
Well, jest on, brothers. I can tell you both
Her suit is granted for her husband’s lands.
Well, jest on, brothers. I can tell you both Her suit is granted for her husband’s lands.
Well, jest on, brothers. I can tell you both Her suit is granted for her husband’s lands.
hm
My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken,
And brought your prisoner to your palace gate.
My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prisoner to your palace gate.
My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prisoner to your palace gate.
hm
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.
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.
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.
yeah brutal
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.
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 before 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 from there, 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.
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 before 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 from there, 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 can't get a crown? Tut, were it farther off, I’ll pluck it down.
proof right here how did that even happen
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.