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)
Richm.
Words
216
Characters
1228
Typicality
0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A10730
BritDrama no.
839
Cluster
Cluster 6 — Battlefield messengers & soldiers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Thanks Landoys, and here Earl Richmond's vows, If their kind promises take but effect, That as they have promised I be made King, I will so deal in governing the state, Which now lies Like a savage shultred grove, Where brambles, briers, and thorns, overgrow those sprigs, Which if they might but spring to their effect, And not be crossed so by their contraries, Making them subject to these outrages, Would prove such members of the Commonweal, That England should in them be honoured, As much as ever was the Roman state, When it was governed by the Counsels rule, And I will draw my sword brave countrymen, And never leave to follow my resolve, Till I have mowed those brambles, briers and thorns That hinder those that long to do us good. Yet good father, one word more ere you depart, What number do you think the kings power to be? And we hardly five thousand, being beset with many enemies, hoping upon a few friends, yet despair not Richmond, but remember thou fightest in right, to defend thy country from the tyranny of and usurping tyrant, therefore Richmond go forward, the more dangerous the battle is in attaining, it proves the more honourable being obtained. Then forward Richmond, God and saint George, for me.
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.