Richard III – Act 4 Scene 2

KING RICHARD III

Stand all apart. Cousin of Buckingham –

Move out the way. My cousin, Buckingham…

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My gracious sovereign?

My gracious king?

KING RICHARD III

Give me thy hand.

Give me your hand.

[Here he ascendeth the throne. Sound.]

Thus high, by thy advice

Because of your advice,

And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;

And help, I’m now King Richard, on this throne;

But shall we wear these glories for a day?

But will I just be ruler for a day?

Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

Or will I rule for longer, and be happy?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Still live they, and forever let them last!

You are still king; I hope you’ll be forever!

KING RICHARD III

Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,

I’m testing purity, now, Buckingham,

To try if thou be current gold indeed.

To see if you are truly made of gold.

Young Edward lives: think now what I would speak.

Prince Edward lives: what do you think I’ll say next?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Say on, my loving lord.

Tell me, my loving lord.

KING RICHARD III

Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king.

Well, Buckingham, I’d say I should be king.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned lord.

And that you are, my most admired lord.

KING RICHARD III

Ha? Am I king? ’Tis so – but Edward lives.

What? Am I king? I am…but Edward lives.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

True, noble prince.

True, noble prince.

KING RICHARD III

O bitter consequence,

Well, it is such a shame

That Edward still should live true noble prince!

That Edward still lives as a noble prince!

Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull.

Cousin, you haven’t always been so stupid.

Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead,

Shall I be clear? I want those bastards dead,

And I would have it suddenly performed.

And I would like it done immediately.

What say’st thou now? Speak suddenly, be brief.

What do you say now? Speak up and be brief.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Your Grace may do your pleasure.

You can do anything you like, your Grace.

KING RICHARD III

Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes.

Oh dear, you’ve gone all cold, and rather frosty.

Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?

Do you agree that both of them should die?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord,

Give me some breathing space and time, my lord,

Before I positively speak in this.

Before I give an answer either way.

I will resolve you herein presently.

I’ll share my own opinion with you shortly.

SIR WILLIAM CATESBY

[Aside to a stander-by.]

The King is angry, see, he gnaws his lip.

The King’s annoyed; look how he bites his lip.

KING RICHARD III

[Aside]

I will converse with iron-witted fools

I’ll only talk with idiotic fools

And unrespective boys; none are for me

And careless boys; I have no use for those

That look into me with considerate eyes.

Who try to understand what I am thinking.

High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.

Ambitious Buckingham is growing prudent.

Boy!

Boy!

PAGE

My lord?

My lord?

KING RICHARD III

Know’st thou not any whom corrupting gold

Do you know anyone who might be tempted

Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?

By gold to secretly kill somebody?

PAGE

I know a discontented gentleman

I know a man who isn’t very happy

Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit.

Because his lack of wealth has hurt his pride.

Gold were as good as twenty orators,

He thinks that money talks, and I am sure

And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.

He could be tempted into anything.

KING RICHARD III

What is his name?

What is his name?

PAGE

His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.

His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.

KING RICHARD III

I partly know the man; go call him hither, boy.

I know a bit about him; bring him here, boy.

[EXIT PAGE.]

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham

The clever and deep-thinking Buckingham

No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels.

Will no more know the details of my plans.

Hath he so long held out with me untired,

How come he hasn’t tired supporting me

And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so.

But now he wants to stop for breath? Well, OK.

[ENTER STANLEY.]

How now, Lord Stanley, what’s the news?

Hello, Lord Stanley! What’s the news?

LORD STANLEY

Know, my loving lord,

You need to know, my lord,

The Marquess Dorset, as I hear, is fled

The Marquess Dorset, I have heard, has fled

To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

To join with Richmond, where he now abides.

[Stands apart.]

KING RICHARD III

Come hither, Catesby. Rumour it abroad

Come closer, Catesby. Go and spread a rumour

That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;

That Anne, my wife, has fallen very ill;

I will take order for her keeping close.

I will ensure that she’s kept out of sight.

Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,

And go and find a poor, disgruntled fellow

Whom I will marry straight to Clarence’ daughter;

Whom I can marry off to Clarence’ daughter;

The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.

His son is stupid, and I do not fear him.

Look how thou dream’st! I say again, give out

Stop daydreaming! I say again, spread rumours

That Anne, my queen, is sick and like to die.

Queen Anne is sick, and likely she will die.

About it, for it stands me much upon

Get on with it, for it’s important to me

To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.

That I destroy all things that might afflict me.

[EXIT CATESBY.]

I must be married to my brother’s daughter,

I have to wed my brother Edward’s daughter,

Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.

Or else I’ll have a fragile kingdom, glass-like.

Murder her brothers and then marry her –

I’ll kill her brothers then I’ll marry her –

Uncertain way of gain! But I am in

It’s risky! But I am now so committed

So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin.

In blood, each sin requires another sin.

Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

There’ll be no tears of pity in these eyes.

[ENTER PAGE WITH SIR JAMES TYRREL.]

Is thy name Tyrrel?

Is your name Tyrrel?

SIR JAMES TYRREL

James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

James Tyrrel, and I am your faithful servant.

KING RICHARD III

Art thou indeed?

Are you indeed?

SIR JAMES TYRREL

Prove me, my gracious lord.

Test me, my gracious lord.

KING RICHARD III

Dar’st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?

Tell me, would you dare kill a friend of mine?

SIR JAMES TYRREL

Please you;

If you say so;

But I had rather kill two enemies.

But I would rather kill two enemies.

KING RICHARD III

Why, there thou hast it; two deep enemies,

Well, there you go; two dreadful enemies,

Foes to my rest and my sweet sleep’s disturbers,

Preventing me from getting rest and sleep,

Are they that I would have thee deal upon:

Are they that I would like you now to deal with:

Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.

Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.

SIR JAMES TYRREL

Let me have open means to come to them,

Give me an easy way to access them,

And soon I’ll rid you from the fear of them.

And quickly I’ll erase your fear of them.

KING RICHARD III

Thou sing’st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel.

That’s music to my ears. Come here, and listen.

Go, by this token. Rise, and lend thine ear.

Go, take this badge. Stand up, and listen up.

[Whispers.]

There is no more but so; say it is done,

There’s nothing more to do; just say it’s done,

And I will love thee and prefer thee for it.

And I will love you and promote you for it.

SIR JAMES TYRREL

I will dispatch it straight.

I’ll do it straight away.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My lord, I have considered in my mind

My lord, I’ve given due consideration

The late request that you did sound me in.

To what it was you asked me earlier.

KING RICHARD III

Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond.

Well, that can wait. Dorset has fled to Richmond.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

I hear the news, my lord.

I’ve heard that news, my lord.

KING RICHARD III

Stanley, he is your wive’s son: well, look unto it.

Stanley, he is your wife’s son: sort it out.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise,

My lord, I’d like to claim my promised gift

For which your honour and your faith is pawned,

That, in good faith, you’d offered for my service,

Th’ earldom of Herford, and the moveables,

To be the Earl of Hereford, and assets,

Which you have promised I shall possess.

Which you have promised that you’ll give to me.

KING RICHARD III

Stanley, look to your wife. If she convey

Stanley, observe your wife. If she is sending

Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Letters to Richmond, you’re accountable.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

What says your Highness to my just request?

What does your Highness say to my petition?

KING RICHARD III

I do remember me, Henry the Sixth

I can remember when Henry the Sixth

Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,

Did prophesy that Richmond would be king,

When Richmond was a little peevish boy.

When Richmond was a silly little boy.

A king – perhaps – perhaps –

A king…maybe…maybe…

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My lord –

My lord…

KING RICHARD III

How chance the prophet could not at that time

Back then, I have to wonder why the prophet

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?

Did not – though I was there – tell me to kill him?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My lord, your promise for the earldom –

My lord, you promised I would be an earl…

KING RICHARD III

Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,

‘Richmond!’ When I was last in Exeter,

The mayor in courtesy showed me the castle,

The mayor kindly showed me round the castle,

And called it Rouge-mount, at which name I started,

And called it ‘Rougemont’; that name startled me,

Because a bard of Ireland told me once

Because an Irish poet told me once

I should not live long after I saw Richmond.

I would not live long after I saw ‘Richmond’.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

My lord –

My lord…

KING RICHARD III

Ay, what’s a’ clock?

Hey, what’s the time?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind

I boldly must remind your Grace about

Of what you promised me.

What you have promised me.

KING RICHARD III

Well, but what’s a’ clock?

Well, what’s the time?

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Upon the stroke of ten.

It’s almost ten o’clock.

KING RICHARD III

Well, let it strike.

Well, let it strike.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Why let it strike?

Why ‘let it strike’?

KING RICHARD III

Because that like a Jack thou keep’st the stroke

Because, just like the man that strikes the bell,

Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

Your begging’s interrupting all my thoughts.

I am not in the giving vein today.

I am not in a giving mood today.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

May it please you to resolve me in my suit.

Please tell me if you’ll grant it me or not.

KING RICHARD III

Thou troubles! Me, I am not in the vein.

You’re bothering me! I am not in the mood.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

And is it thus? Repays he my deep service

And this is how it is? He pays me back

With such contempt? Made I him king for this?

With deep contempt? I made him king for this?

O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone

I’ll leave, recalling Hastings now is dead,

To Brecknock while my fearful head is on!

And go to Wales while I still have my head!