William Shakespeare

Name: King Richard III
Author: William Shakespeare

Summary

William Shakespeare’s King Richard III (1592), a history play centered on the titular Duke of Gloucester, explores themes of betrayal, tyranny, and divine retribution through Richard’s Machiavellian ascent and fall. The narrative follows his ruthless pursuit of power, marked by the murder of rivals like Hastings and Clarence, and the haunting legacy of Queen Margaret’s curse.

Central to the drama are violence, divided loyalties, and the moral price of ambition, culminating in Richard’s downfall as his misdeeds come to light. The play’s structure intertwines political maneuvering with supernatural elements, framing his rule as a tragic cycle of conflict and retribution.

Quotes from King Richard III (William Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.
GREY.
Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads,
When she exclaimed on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by when Richard stabbed her son.
RIVERS.
Then cursed she Richard, then cursed she Buckingham,
Then cursed she Hastings. O, remember, God,
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us!
And for my sister and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
Which, as thou know’st, unjustly must be spilt.
RATCLIFFE.
Make haste. The hour of death is expiate.
RIVERS.
Come, Grey, come, Vaughan, let us here embrace. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ For Edward our son, that was Prince of Wales,
Die in his youth by like untimely violence.
Thyself a queen, for me that was a queen,
Outlive thy glory, like my wretched self.
Long mayst thou live to wail thy children’s death,
And see another, as I see thee now,
Decked in thy rights, as thou art stalled in mine;
Long die thy happy days before thy death,
And, after many lengthened hours of grief,
Die neither mother, wife, nor England’s Queen.
Rivers and Dorset, you were standers-by,
And so wast thou, Lord Hastings, when my son
Was stabbed with bloody daggers. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ RIVERS.
We wait upon your Grace.
[Exeunt all but Richard.]
RICHARD.
I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl.
The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
Clarence, whom I indeed have cast in darkness,
I do beweep to many simple gulls,
Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham;
And tell them ’tis the Queen and her allies
That stir the King against the Duke my brother.
Now they believe it, and withal whet me
To be revenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey.
But then I sigh, and, with a piece of Scripture,
Tell them that God bids us do good for evil ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ RICHARD.
To fight on Edward’s party for the crown;
And for his meed, poor lord, he is mewed up.
I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward’s,
Or Edward’s soft and pitiful, like mine.
I am too childish-foolish for this world.
QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world,
Thou cacodemon! There thy kingdom is.
RIVERS.
My lord of Gloucester, in those busy days
Which here you urge to prove us enemies,
We followed then our lord, our sovereign king.
So should we you, if you should be our king.
RICHARD.
If I should be! I had rather be a pedler. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ RICHMOND.
Why, then ’tis time to arm and give direction.
His oration to his soldiers.
More than I have said, loving countrymen,
The leisure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell upon. Yet remember this:
God, and our good cause, fight upon our side;
The prayers of holy saints and wronged souls,
Like high-reared bulwarks, stand before our faces.
Richard except, those whom we fight against
Had rather have us win than him they follow.
For what is he they follow? Truly, gentlemen,
A bloody tyrant and a homicide;
One raised in blood, and one in blood established ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ A Room in the palace Enter King Edward, sick, Queen Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey and others.
KING EDWARD.
Why, so. Now have I done a good day’s work.
You peers, continue this united league.
I every day expect an embassage
From my Redeemer, to redeem me hence;
And more at peace my soul shall part to heaven
Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.
Rivers and Hastings, take each other’s hand;
Dissemble not your hatred. Swear your love.
RIVERS.
By heaven, my soul is purged from grudging hate,
And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ QUEEN MARGARET. Bear with me; I am hungry for revenge,
And now I cloy me with beholding it.
Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward;
The other Edward dead, to quit my Edward;
Young York he is but boot, because both they
Match'd not the high perfection of my loss.
Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb'd my Edward;
And the beholders of this frantic play,
Th' adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey,
Untimely smother'd in their dusky graves.
Richard yet lives, hell's black intelligencer;
Only reserv'd their factor to buy souls
And send them thither. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ HASTINGS. And so swear I. [They embrace]
KING EDWARD. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this
league
With thy embracements to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity.
BUCKINGHAM. [To the QUEEN] Whenever Buckingham
doth turn his hate
Upon your Grace, but with all duteous love
Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me
With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend
And most assured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile,
Be he unto me! This do I beg of God
When I am cold in love to you or yours. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ Think on Lord Hastings. Despair and die.
[To RICHMOND] Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!
Enter the GHOSTS of the two young PRINCES
GHOSTS. [To RICHARD] Dream on thy cousins smothered in
the Tower.
Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die.
[To RICHMOND] Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and
wake in joy;
Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy!
Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ DORSET. It touches you, my lord, as much as me.
GLOUCESTER. Ay, and much more; but I was born so high,
Our aery buildeth in the cedar's top,
And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun.
QUEEN MARGARET. And turns the sun to shade-alas! alas!
Witness my son, now in the shade of death,
Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy wrath
Hath in eternal darkness folded up.
Your aery buildeth in our aery's nest.
O God that seest it, do not suffer it;
As it is won with blood, lost be it so!
BUCKINGHAM. Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity! ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ RATCLIFFE.
Not I, my lord.
KING RICHARD.
Then he disdains to shine, for by the book
He should have braved the east an hour ago.
A black day will it be to somebody.
Ratcliffe!
RATCLIFFE.
My lord?
KING RICHARD.
The sun will not be seen today!
The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.
I would these dewy tears were from the ground.
Not shine today? Why, what is that to me
More than to Richmond? For the selfsame heaven
That frowns on me looks sadly upon him.
Enter Norfolk.
NORFOLK.
Arm, arm, my lord. The foe vaunts in the field. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ To help thee curse this poisonous bunch-back'd toad.
HASTINGS. False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse,
Lest to thy harm thou move our patience.
QUEEN MARGARET. Foul shame upon you! you have all
mov'd mine.
RIVERS. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught your
duty.
QUEEN MARGARET. To serve me well you all should do me
duty,
Teach me to be your queen and you my subjects.
O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty!
DORSET. Dispute not with her; she is lunatic.
QUEEN MARGARET. Peace, Master Marquis, you are malapert;
Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood!
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!
Enter a Messenger.
What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power?
MESSENGER.
My lord, he doth deny to come.
KING RICHARD.
Off with his son George’s head!
NORFOLK.
My lord, the enemy is past the marsh.
After the battle let George Stanley die.
KING RICHARD.
A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.
Advance our standards! Set upon our foes!
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ I had an Edward, till a Richard killed him;
I had a husband, till a Richard killed him.
Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard killed him;
Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard killed him.
DUCHESS.
I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him;
I had a Rutland too; thou holp’st to kill him.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard killed him.
From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept
A hell-hound that doth hunt us all to death:
That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ The King enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger.
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death.
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost.
Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD
KING RICHARD. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
CATESBY. Withdraw, my lord! I'll help you to a horse.
KING RICHARD. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast
And I Will stand the hazard of the die.
I think there be six Richmonds in the field;
Five have I slain to-day instead of him.
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Exeunt
SCENE 5. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ And there the little souls of Edward’s children
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies
And promise them success and victory.
Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end.
Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend.
[Exit.]
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse
Abides in me, I say amen to her.
KING RICHARD.
Stay, madam, I must talk a word with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
I have no more sons of the royal blood
For thee to slaughter. For my daughters, Richard,
They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens,
And therefore level not to hit their lives. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ STANLEY. Know, my loving lord,
The Marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides. [Stands apart]
KING RICHARD. Come hither, Catesby. Rumour it abroad
That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;
I will take order for her keeping close.
Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter-
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
Look how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
That Anne, my queen, is sick and like to die.
About it; for it stands me much upon
To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ That none of you may live his natural age,
But by some unlook'd accident cut off!
GLOUCESTER. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wither'd
hag.
QUEEN MARGARET. And leave out thee? Stay, dog, for thou
shalt hear me.
If heaven have any grievous plague in store
Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee,
O, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe,
And then hurl down their indignation
On thee, the troubler of the poor world's peace!
The worm of conscience still be-gnaw thy soul!
Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liv'st,
And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends! ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ If he were dead, what would betide on me?
GREY.
No other harm but loss of such a lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
GREY.
The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son
To be your comforter when he is gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Ah, he is young, and his minority
Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,
A man that loves not me, nor none of you.
RIVERS.
Is it concluded he shall be Protector?
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
It is determined, not concluded yet;
But so it must be, if the King miscarry.
Enter Buckingham and Stanley, Earl of Derby. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ RICHARD.
Why, this it is when men are ruled by women.
’Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower;
My Lady Grey his wife, Clarence, ’tis she
That tempers him to this extremity.
Was it not she and that good man of worship,
Antony Woodville, her brother there,
That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower,
From whence this present day he is delivered?
We are not safe, Clarence; we are not safe.
CLARENCE.
By heaven, I think there is no man secure
But the Queen’s kindred, and night-walking heralds
That trudge betwixt the King and Mistress Shore. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ ANNE.
Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make
No excuse current but to hang thyself.
RICHARD.
By such despair I should accuse myself.
ANNE.
And by despairing shalt thou stand excused
For doing worthy vengeance on thyself
That didst unworthy slaughter upon others.
RICHARD.
Say that I slew them not?
ANNE.
Then say they were not slain.
But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee.
RICHARD.
I did not kill your husband.
ANNE.
Why then he is alive.
RICHARD.
Nay, he is dead, and slain by Edward’s hand.
ANNE.
In thy foul throat thou liest. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ KING RICHARD.
Wrong not her birth; she is a royal princess.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
To save her life I’ll say she is not so.
KING RICHARD.
Her life is safest only in her birth.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
And only in that safety died her brothers.
KING RICHARD.
Lo, at their births good stars were opposite.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
No, to their lives ill friends were contrary.
KING RICHARD.
All unavoided is the doom of destiny.
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
True, when avoided grace makes destiny.
My babes were destined to a fairer death,
If grace had blessed thee with a fairer life. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Gutenberg

William Shakespeare, King Richard III

“ As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I need the priest that spake to me!
I now repent I told the pursuivant,
As too triumphing, how mine enemies
To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.
O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head!
RATCLIFF. Come, come, dispatch; the Duke would be at
dinner.
Make a short shrift; he longs to see your head.
HASTINGS. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! ”

William Shakespeare

Summary

Quotes from King Richard III (William Shakespeare)

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature