Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight.
For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak.
Now here ends a period of violent conflicts. Away with Oxford to Hames Castle immediately. For Somerset, off with his guilty head. Go, carry them away; I will not hear them speak.
This chaos ends here. Get Oxford to Hames Castle right now. Somerset - cut off his head. Take them out of here; I don't want to hear another word.
chaos stops now ox to hames somerset's head go, don't let me hear them
For my part, I’ll not trouble thee with words.
For my part, I won't bother you with speech.
I'm not going to waste words arguing with you.
no point talking to you
Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
Nor will I, but I submit with patience to my fate.
And I won't either - I'll just accept what's coming with dignity.
i accept my fate
So part we sadly in this troublous world,
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
So we separate with sorrow in this troubled world, But we will meet again with happiness in heaven.
So we're saying goodbye in this sad, broken world - but we'll see each other again with joy in heaven.
goodbye cruel world see you in heaven
Is proclamation made that who finds Edward
Shall have a high reward, and he his life?
Is a proclamation made that whoever brings Edward to me gets a high reward, and the boy keeps his life?
Has anyone announced that whoever brings me Edward gets a reward and the kid gets to live?
rewards for finding edward he gets to live
It is, and lo where youthful Edward comes.
It is, and look where youthful Edward comes.
It is - and there comes young Edward now.
yes, there he is
Bring forth the gallant; let us hear him speak.
What, can so young a man begin to prick?
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turned me to?
Bring forth the brave one; let us hear him speak. What, can so young a man begin to rebel? Edward, what satisfaction can you make For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, And all the trouble you have turned me to?
Bring out this brave kid so we can hear what he has to say. What - is he trying to rebel against me? Edward, what can you possibly offer me to make up for taking up arms, stirring up my people, and all the chaos you've caused?
what's your excuse for fighting me for the mess you made
Speak like a subject, proud, ambitious York.
Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth;
Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee
Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
Speak like a subject, proud, ambitious York. Suppose that I am now my father's voice; resign your chair, and where I stand kneel you, while I propose the same words to you which, traitor, you would have me answer to.
Talk to me like I'm your king, you proud and ambitious York. Pretend I'm speaking for my father now. Get down from that throne and kneel where I'm standing, and I'll ask you the same questions you wanted to ask me, you traitor.
speak to me like a king get off that throne hear what you'd ask me
Ah, thy father had been so resolved!
Ah, if only your father had been so determined!
If only your father had shown such courage!
wish your dad had that guts
That you might still have worn the petticoat
And ne’er have stol’n the breech from Lancaster.
So that you might still have worn the dress and never stolen the power from Lancaster.
Then maybe you'd still be wearing a dress instead of stealing power from Lancaster.
you'd still be a woman not stealing from lancaster
Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night;
His currish riddle sorts not with this place.
Let Aesop tell fables in a winter's night; his dog-like riddle is not fitting for this place.
Tell your animal fables somewhere else; your rude nonsense doesn't belong here.
wrong place for dumb jokes
By heaven, brat, I’ll plague you for that word.
By heaven, brat, I'll make you suffer for that remark.
I swear, kid, you're going to pay for that.
you'll regret that brat
Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
Yes, you were born to be a curse to men.
Yes, you were born to be a disaster for everyone.
you're a curse to men
Historically, Prince Edward of Westminster died at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 — it's unclear whether he was killed in battle or executed afterward. Shakespeare chooses the more dramatic option: all three York brothers stab him in sequence, each for a personal reason. Edward strikes for the insults. Richard finishes because he enjoys it. Clarence stabs for the perjury taunt. The sequence matters dramatically because it implicates everyone. No single villain, no clean execution — a collaborative murder driven by pride, sadism, and petty personal grievance. It is also, as Shakespeare structures it, the answer to Margaret's speeches about courage and legacy: the Lancaster heir, who was everything his father was not, is killed for being exactly that.
For God’s sake, take away this captive scold.
For God's sake, take away this captive, scolding woman.
For heaven's sake, get this complaining prisoner out of here.
get her out of here
Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather.
No, take away this scolding hunchback instead.
No, why don't you get rid of this rude hunchback instead?
take the hunchback
Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
Peace, stubborn boy, or I will silence your tongue.
Quiet, stubborn kid, or I'll make sure you never speak again.
shut up or i will
Untutored lad, thou art too malapert.
Untaught boy, you are too bold and disrespectful.
You uneducated kid, you're way too bold and rude.
you're way too bold kid
I know my duty; you are all undutiful.
Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
And thou misshapen Dick, I tell ye all
I am your better, traitors as ye are,
And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine.
I know my duty; you are all undutiful. Lustful Edward, and you perjured George, And you misshapen Dick, I tell you all I am your better, traitors as you are, And you steal my father's right and mine.
I know what I'm supposed to do, and you're all failing at it. Edward, you're a lustful mess, George, you broke your oath, and Dick, you're twisted in body and soul. I'm telling all of you - I'm better than you are, you traitors, and you've stolen my father's throne and mine too.
i know my duty you don't i'm better than all of you thieves
Take that, the likeness of this railer here.
Take that, as payment for this rude speaker here.
That's what you get for your foul mouth.
that's for your mouth
Sprawl’st thou? Take that to end thy agony.
Are you sprawling? Take that to end your suffering.
You're dying? Here's an end to your pain.
here's your end
And there’s for twitting me with perjury.
And that's for mocking me about breaking my oath.
And that's for taunting me about betrayal.
that's for mocking me
O, kill me too!
Oh, kill me too!
Please, kill me as well!
kill me too
Marry, and shall.
Indeed, and I will.
Yes, I will.
done
Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much.
Stop, Richard, stop; for we have done too much.
Stop, Richard, stop - we've done enough.
stop, that's too much
Why should she live to fill the world with words?
Why should she live to fill the world with her speech?
Why let her live just to complain to everyone?
why let her talk
What, doth she swoon? Use means for her recovery.
Is she fainting? Use methods for her recovery.
Is she passing out? Do something to bring her back.
she's fainting revive her
Margaret's grief speech in this scene — particularly 'you have no children, butchers; if you had, the thought of them would have stirred up remorse' and 'may what came to this Prince come to you and yours' — seeds the dramatic ground of Richard III. In that play, Margaret appears as a kind of ghost, cursing from the sidelines as everything she prophesies here comes to pass: Edward IV's children die in the Tower, Clarence is drowned, Hastings loses his head. Her curses work. She is the conscience of the play that hasn't been written yet.
The reason this moment is worth noting is that it establishes Margaret as a character with tragic greatness that transcends the losing side. She has been called 'the She-Wolf of France' since 1 Henry VI. Here, grief strips all that away, and what remains is a mother who has lost her only child. The audience has to feel that, whatever they think about Lancaster.
Clarence, excuse me to the King my brother.
I’ll hence to London on a serious matter.
Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
Clarence, make my excuses to the King my brother. I'll go to London on a serious matter. Before you arrive there, be sure to hear some news.
Clarence, tell the King I'm going out. I'm heading to London for something important. By the time you get there, there'll be some interesting news to hear.
tell the king i'm gone to london stuff's about to go down
What? What?
What? What?
What's going on?
what's happening
The Tower, the Tower!
I'm going to the Tower, to the Tower!
Off to the Tower! That's where I'm headed!
heading to the tower
O Ned, sweet Ned, speak to thy mother, boy.
Canst thou not speak? O traitors, murderers!
They that stabbed Caesar shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by to equal it.
He was a man; this, in respect, a child,
And men ne’er spend their fury on a child.
What’s worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no, my heart will burst an if I speak;
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals!
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropped!
You have no children, butchers; if you had,
The thought of them would have stirred up remorse.
But if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off
As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince!
Oh Ned, sweet Ned, speak to your mother, boy. Can you not speak? Oh traitors, murderers! Those who stabbed Caesar shed no blood at all, did not offend, nor were not worthy of blame, if this foul deed were compared to equal it. He was a man; this, in comparison, a child, and men never spend their fury on a child. What is worse than murderer, that I may name it? No, no, my heart will burst if I speak; and I will speak, so that my heart may burst. Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals! How sweet a plant have you cut down before its time! You have no children, butchers; if you had, the thought of them would have stirred up pity. But if you ever chance to have a child, look to have him so cut off in his youth as, executioners, you have destroyed this sweet young prince!
Oh Ned, my sweet Ned, speak to your mother, boy. Can't you say anything? You traitors, you murderers! The men who killed Caesar didn't even shed blood - they'd be blameless compared to this. He was a grown man; your victim was just a child. Real men don't slaughter children. What could be worse than murder - I need words for what you are! No, I can't - my heart will break if I stay silent, but it'll break if I speak too. You're butchers, villains, cannibals! You've killed the sweetest, most innocent person. You have no children yourselves, but if you did, the thought of them might have stopped you. And if you ever have children of your own, I hope one day someone does to them what you've done to my innocent son.
ned speak to me why won't you answer you monsters killed a child i can't even say it butchers if you had kids you'd understand i hope this happens to yours
Away with her; go bear her hence perforce.
Away with her; go carry her away by force.
Get her out of here; carry her away by force if you have to.
get her out
Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here.
Here sheathe thy sword; I’ll pardon thee my death.
What, wilt thou not? Then, Clarence, do it thou.
No, don't take me away - kill me right here. Go ahead, use your sword; I forgive you in advance. What, won't you? Then Clarence, you do it.
No, don't drag me off - just kill me here. Take your sword and do it; I won't even blame you. What, you won't? Then Clarence, you do it.
kill me here i forgive you clarence will you do it
By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
By heaven, I will not give you such an easy death.
I swear I won't make it that easy for you.
i won't let you off easy
Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
Good Clarence, do it; sweet Clarence, do it yourself.
Please, Clarence, do it; sweet Clarence, kill me yourself.
please clarence do it
Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
Did you not hear me swear I would not do it?
Didn't you just hear me say I won't?
i just said no
Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself.
’Twas sin before, but now ’tis charity.
What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil’s butcher, Richard,
Hard-favoured Richard? Richard, where art thou?
Thou art not here. Murder is thy alms-deed;
Petitioners for blood thou ne’er putt’st back.
Yes, but you usually break your oaths. It was a sin before, but now it would be charity. What, will you not? Where is that devil's butcher, Richard, hard-featured Richard? Richard, where are you? You are not here. Murder is your charitable work; petitioners for killing you never turn away.
Yes, but you're always breaking your word. It would have been a sin before, but now it's the decent thing to do. Won't you? Where is Richard, that devil's butcher, that ugly Richard? Richard, where are you? You're not even here. Murder is your favorite act of charity; you never refuse anyone who asks you to kill.
you break oaths anyway this is charity where's richard the real butcher he never says no to murder
Away, I say! I charge ye, bear her hence.
Away, I say! I command you, carry her away.
Get out of here! I'm ordering you - take her with you!
go now
So come to you and yours as to this prince!
May the same fate come to you and yours as has come to this prince!
May you and your children suffer the same fate as my son!
may this happen to your kids
Where’s Richard gone?
Where has Richard gone?
Where did Richard go?
where's richard
To London all in post, and, as I guess,
To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
To London at full speed, and, as I guess, to prepare some bloodshed in the Tower.
To London as fast as he can ride, and I'd guess to prepare some bloodshed in the Tower.
london murder at the tower
He’s sudden if a thing comes in his head.
Now march we hence. Discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let’s away to London
And see our gentle Queen how well she fares.
By this, I hope, she hath a son for me.
He acts suddenly if something enters his head. Now let us go. Release the common soldiers with pay and thanks, and let's go away to London and see how our gentle Queen fares. By this time, I hope she has a son for me.
He acts on impulse the moment an idea hits him. Let's go now. Pay off the regular soldiers, thank them, and let's get to London to check on the Queen. I'm hoping she's had my son by now.
he acts on impulse let's go to london hope the queen had my son
The Reckoning
The play's most morally brutal scene. Three men stab a teenager who, moments before, was speaking with perfect princely composure. Margaret's grief speech is one of Shakespeare's great anguished monologues — and then she has to keep going because they won't kill her. Richard exits with 'The Tower, the Tower!' like a man who has somewhere to be. Edward says 'He's sudden if a thing comes in his head.' An understatement for all time.
If this happened today…
A new CEO walks in after a hostile takeover. The founder's son — twenty years old, clearly brilliant, absolutely refusing to concede anything — is brought in. He tells the CEO he's a fraud and he'll fight him until the end. The CEO punches him. His two brothers join in. The mother screams. Richard leaves immediately to deal with something else. 'He's impulsive when he gets an idea,' says Clarence. The mother is told she can live but she has to watch.