in The True Tragedy of Richard the Third — Anonymous
Metadata
Play
The True Tragedy of Richard the Third
Author
Anonymous
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1591
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy; History
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Queen Elizabeth's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Oxf.
Words
395
Characters
2078
Typicality
0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A10730
BritDrama no.
839
Cluster
Cluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
If love of gold, or fear of many foes, Could once have daunted us in our attempts, Thy foot had never touched the English shore, And here Earl Oxford plites his faith to thee, Never to leave in what we have undertaken, But follow still with resolution, Till thou be crowned as conqueror in the field, Or loose thy life in following of thy right: Thy right brave Richmond, which we will maintain Maugre the proudest bird of Richard's brood. Then cousin Richmond being resolved thus, Let us straight to Aarms, & God and S. George for us. Why we have escaped the dangeroust brunt of all, Which was his garrison at Milford Haven, Shall we dismay, or daunt our friends to come? Because he took the Duke of Buckingham? No worthy friends, and loving countrymen, Oxford did never bear so base a mind, He will not wink at murders secretly put up, Nor suffer upstarts to enjoy our rights, Nor live in England under and usurping king, And this is Oxfords resolution. Well my Lord, we are now to strengthen our selves with friends, and not to reap up old quarrels, say that Arnoll Butler did injury you in the time of peace, the mends is twice made, if he stand with you in the time of wars. I pray my Lord, let me go along with you. Good my Lord have a care of your self, I Like not these night walks and scouting abroad in the evening's so disguised, for you must not now that you are in the usurpers dominions, and you are the only mark he aims at, and your last nights absence bred such amazement in our soldiers, that they Like men wanting the power to follow Arms, were on a sudden more liker to fly then to fight: therefore good my Lord, if I may not stand near, let me stand aloof off. And Oxford vows perpetual love to thee, wishing as many honours to Earl Richmond, as Caesar had in conquering the world, & I doubt not but if fair fortune follow thee, to see thee honoured amongst thy country men, as Hector was among the Lords of Troy, or Y lley amongst the Roman Senators. Henry the seventh, by the grace of God, King of Eng land, France, and Lord of Ireland, God save the King.
Plot summary
Plot — The True Tragedy of Richard the Third
Twenty-two years ago, the House of York seized the throne from Henry VI. Since then, RiéHard has sought to clear his path to the crown by murdering the deposed M@firy and his own brother, @IMFenee. The dying BGWardli] tries to make peace between Lord Hastings and Marquess Dorsét, and appoints Richard as Lord Protector during his son’s minority. As the new King travels to London for his coronation, Richard allies himself with his former enemy, BUCKingham. and Dorset and other noblemen flee the kingdom. Travelling to London with the new King, RIVERS is left behind to negotiate with Richard and Buckingham. Richard arranges to have him locked in his room at the inn where he is staying, and arrests him; he then catches up with the King and arrests the rest of the Queen’s family, despite the King’s protests. The QG@8H and her other children take sanctuary, but the Duke of WGrk is removed to the Tower to keep the King ===== PAGE 490 ===== company. Richard has the arrested men executed without trial. The King and York are declared bastards and the crown offered to Richard. Edward IV’s death is bad news for Mistress SHGFé, too: she loses all her influence at court and has to face the prospect of an enemy in power. Accused of plotting with her to bewitch the King and Buckingham with a view to seizing power, Lord Hastings is arrested and executed. Mistress Shore’s property is confiscated and Londoners ordered not to give her food or shelter; even those she helped in earlier times are afraid to help her now. Richard has the two princes smothered in the Tower. Buckingham turns against him and conspires with the Earl of Ri€him6nd, but is betrayed by a servant and executed, Richard begins to feel his conscience at work. He allows Lord Staml@y to leave the court, so long as he leaves his son G@@6rge as a hostage; he also seeks to secure his position by marrying the Queen Mother’s eldest daughter. Richmond lands, and noblemen join his forces. The two armies join battle at Bosworth, and, despite superior troop numbers, Richard is killed. Richmond is proclaimed King Henry VII and marries Bad@y§Blizabeth; and it emerges that George Stanley’s life has been spared by the men ordered to murder him. The Tudor dynasty begins.