Richard III (Modern Library Classics)

  51. Katherine Duncan-Jones, Times Literary Supplement, 11 May 2001.

  52. Taylor, Independent, 13 August 1992.

  53. Wardle, Times, 5 November 1980.

  54. B. A. Young, Financial Times, 5 November 1980.

  55. Nightingale, New Statesman, 24 April 1970.

  56. Katherine Duncan-Jones, Times Literary Supplement, 11 November 2001.

  57. R. Chris Hassel Jr., Shakespeare Quarterly 36 (1985).

  58. Penny Downie, "Queen Margaret," in Players of Shakespeare 3.

  59. Andrew St. George, Financial Times, 13 August 1992.

  60. Taylor, Independent, 13 August 1992.

  61. Taylor, Independent, 13 August 1992.

  62. Sean Holmes on directing the RSC's 2003 production, Richard III Online Playguide, www.rsc.org.uk/richard/current/home.html.

  63. Lesser, "Richard of Gloucester."

  64. Troughton, "Richard III."

  65. Hassel, Jr., Shakespeare Quarterly 36.

  66. Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 27 April 2001.

  67. Barbara Hodgdon, "The RSC's 'Long Sonata of the Dead': Shakespeare-history and Imagined Community," in Revisions of Shakespeare, ed. Evelyn Gajowski (2004), p. 77.

  68. Michael Billington, Guardian, 5 November 1980.

  69. Paul Taylor, Independent, 30 October 1998.

  70. Jones, Listener, 23 April 1970.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  AND PICTURE CREDITS

  Preparation of "Richard III in Performance" was assisted by generous grants from the CAPITAL Centre (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning) of the University of Warwick, for research in the RSC archive at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded a term's research leave that enabled Jonathan Bate to work on "The Director's Cut."

  Picture research by Helen Robson and Jan Sewell. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.

  Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company's official archives. It is open to the public free of charge.

  For more information see www.shakespeare.org.uk.

  1. Portrait of David Garrick (1745). Reproduced by permission of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

  2. Directed by Bill Alexander (1984). Joe Cocks Studio Collection (c) Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

  3. Directed by Sean Holmes (2003). Malcolm Davies (c) Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

  4. Photograph of the set design for Richard III (2008). Lucy Barriball (c) Royal Shakespeare Company.

  5. Directed by Sam Mendes (1992). (c) Michael Le Poer Trench.

  6. Richard III directed by Michael Boyd (2008). Ellie Kurttz (c) Royal Shakespeare Company.

  7. Reconstructed Elizabethan Playhouse (c) Charcoalblue.

  THE MODERN LIBRARY EDITORIAL BOARD

  Maya Angelou

  *

  A. S. Byatt

  *

  Caleb Carr

  *

  Christopher Cerf

  *

  Harold Evans

  *

  Charles Frazier

  *

  Vartan Gregorian

  *

  Jessica Hagedorn

  *

  Richard Howard

  *

  Charles Johnson

  *

  Jon Krakauer

  *

  Edmund Morris

  *

  Azar Nafisi

  *

  Joyce Carol Oates

  *

  Elaine Pagels

  *

  John Richardson

  *

  Salman Rushdie

  *

  Oliver Sacks

  *

  Carolyn See

  *

  Gore Vidal

  GREY ... DORSET in the early scenes, these two may be treated as one figure widow historically she was betrothed, not married, to Prince Edward (son of King Henry VI), but in the play (following Hall's chronicle) she is described as his wife/widow Act 1 Scene 1

  1.1 Location: near the Tower of London

  1.1 solus alone

  2 son of York i.e. Edward IV, whose father was Richard Duke of York (puns on "sun," the emblem of the House of York) 3 loured frowned threateningly house family (of York) 6 arms armor, weapons for as

  7 alarums calls to arms/sudden attacks

  8 dreadful fearsome, inspiring dread

  8 measures stately dances

  9 front forehead

  10 barbed armored

  11 fearful frightened (or possibly "frightening")

  12 capers dances with leaping movements/has sex

  12 chamber plays on the sense of "vagina"

  13 pleasing attraction, delight

  14 sportive pleasurable/amorous/sexual

  14 tricks behavior, skills/sexual acts

  15 court ... looking-glass i.e. gaze lovingly at myself in a mirror, flirt with my own reflection 16 rudely stamped crudely formed, roughly printed with an image 16 want lack

  17 wanton flirtatious, lascivious

  17 ambling sauntering, walking with a sexy rolling gait

  18 curtailed deprived, cut short (literally refers to the docking of a dog's tail) 19 feature a pleasing shape

  19 dissembling cheating, deceitful

  20 sent ... time i.e. born prematurely

  21 made up fully formed

  22 unfashionable odd-looking, inelegant/poorly shaped

  23 halt limp

  24 piping characterized by pastoral pipes, rather than warlike instruments/shrill, weak, contemptible 27 descant improvise variations on (musical term), i.e. ponder, comment 29 entertain pass enjoyably

  29 well-spoken courteous, harmonious

  30 determined resolved/destined

  32 inductions initial steps, preparations

  37 subtle cunning, sly

  37 false dishonest, disloyal

  38 mewed up imprisoned, cooped up (like a caged bird of prey) 39 About as a result of

  39 "G" Clarence's first name is George; Richard, however, is the Duke of Gloucester 43 waits upon attends

  45 Tend'ring holding dear, being concerned for (ironic)

  46 conduct escort

  46 th'Tower the Tower of London

  50 commit imprison

  50 godfathers sometimes responsible for the naming of the child at baptism 51 belike probably/perhaps

  52 new-christened a grim anticipation of Clarence's death by drowning 53 matter reason

  54 protest declare

  56 hearkens after listens to

  57 cross-row alphabet (prefixed by a cross in children's primers) 59 issue children

  60 for because

  62 toys whims, trifles

  66 lady Grey Elizabeth's title before her marriage to Edward: Richard is being contemptuous 68 worship repute, honor

  69 Anthony Woodville i.e. Earl Rivers

  71 delivered released

  74 night-walking heralds secret, night-time messengers (a night-walker also meant a thief or a prostitute) 75 trudge betwixt go to and fro between

  75 Mistress usual title for a woman; perhaps here with suggestive play on the sense of "lover" or even "female master"

  75 Mistress Shore Jane Shore, wife of a London goldsmith and Edward IV's lover; she later became Hastings' mistress 76 suppliant petitioner

  77 delivery release from prison

  78 complaining appealing, lamenting, pleading

  78 her deity a mocking title for Mistress Shore

  79 Lord Chamberlain i.e. Hastings

  82 men servants (perhaps with sexual connotations)

  82 livery uniform indicating whom one served (wear her livery may play on a sense of "have sex with her") 83 o'erworn worn out (like
old clothing/sexually)

  83 widow i.e. Queen Elizabeth

  84 dubbed them conferred on them the rank of

  85 gossips chatterers/godparents

  87 straitly ... charge strictly ordered

  89 Of ... soever regardless of social rank

  90 an if it

  94 Well ... years well advanced in age (Richard seems to pretend to mean "mature, wise" or "well-preserved") 94 fair attractive/just

  96 passing surpassingly, exceptionally

  101 doth naught Richard shifts the sense to "sexually penetrates her vagina"

  104 betray me i.e. by making me name the king as Shore's lover 105 withal moreover

  106 Forbear restrain, cease

  107 charge duty, instructions

  108 abjects varies "subjects" to incorporate sense of "contemptible outcasts"

  112 enfranchise free

  114 Touches affects

  117 lie for you take your place in prison (playing on the sense of "lie about you") 119 perforce of necessity ("patience perforce" was proverbial) 123 present gift

  124 new-delivered recently released

  128 brooked tolerated

  130 give them thanks i.e. pay them back, have revenge 135 mewed caged

  136 kites and buzzards inferior birds of prey

  137 abroad in the world

  140 him for him

  142 diet lifestyle

  149 packed packed off, dispatched

  149 post-horse all possible speed

  151 steeled strengthened with steel, reinforced

  152 deep cunning/secret

  155 bustle busy myself, be active

  156 Warwick's youngest daughter i.e. Lady Anne Neville: having changed sides, the Earl of Warwick died fighting against the House of York 157 her husband Anne Neville was not in fact married to Prince Edward (Henry VI's son) although she had been betrothed to him before his death 157 father father-in-law. i.e. Henry VI

  161 close concealed

  162 reach unto strive to carry out

  163 run ... market i.e. get ahead of myself (proverbial) Act 1 Scene 2

  1.2 Location: a London street

  1.2 halberds long-handled weapons with axelike heads 2 shrouded concealed/wrapped in a shroud

  2 hearse probably here an open coffin, or litter beneath a frame supporting a funereal cloth 3 obsequiously in a manner proper to the dead

  4 Lancaster i.e. Henry VI, former head of the House of Lancaster 5 key-cold cold as a metal key (proverbial)

  6 ashes i.e. remains, lifeless body

  8 Be it let it be

  8 invocate invoke, call upon

  12 Lo look

  12 windows vents, i.e. wounds

  13 balm healing ointment/substance with which the dead are anointed (i.e. tears) 17 direful hap dreadful fortune

  17 betide befall, happen to

  19 spiders, toads thought to be poisonous

  21 abortive monstrous, deformed

  22 Prodigious unnatural/ill-omened

  23 aspect appearance

  25 that may that (child)

  25 unhappiness ill fortune/misery

  29 Chertsey on the River Thames, in Surrey; site of a famous monastery 30 Paul's St. Paul's Cathedral in London

  31 still as whenever

  35 devoted holy, devout

  40 Advance raise

  42 spurn upon kick

  46 Avaunt be gone

  49 curst ill-tempered/cursed, damnable

  50 hence get hence, go away

  52 exclaims outcries, exclamations

  54 pattern example, model

  58 thy ... blood it was popularly believed that the wounds of a murder victim would bleed in the presence of the murderer 58 exhales draws forth

  71 so is so

  73 wonderful extraordinary, astonishing

  73 devils ... truth Anne interprets Richard's am no beast to mean that, as neither man nor beast, he must be a devil 75 Vouchsafe permit, consent

  76 leave permission

  77 circumstance detailed explanation

  78 defused dispersed, spreading

  82 leisure time, opportunity

  84 current genuine, valid

  85 despair spiritual hopelessness (thought to precede suicide) 87 worthy ... thyself i.e. committing suicide (a highly sinful act) 88 unworthy dishonorable, contemptible/causeless, unjustified 91 slave villain, wretch

  95 In ... liest i.e. you lie outrageously

  96 falchion curved sword

  97 once at once

  102 aught anything

  105 hedgehog a contemptuous reference to Richard's crest, which featured a wild boar 110 holp helped

  115 bedchamber like hell, "chamber" could also be euphemistic for the vagina 118 I hope so i.e. I certainly hope it will, as I shall never lie with you (in an ironic anticipation of future events, however, the phrase may also be construed as "I hope to lie with you") 120 keen sharp/eager

  120 encounter ... wits plays on the sense of "sexual encounter of our genitals"

  122 timeless untimely, premature

  125 effect agent, perpetrator (Richard then shifts the sense to "outcome") 130 homicide murderer

  137 thou art both i.e. day and life

  138 would wish

  146 He lives i.e. there is a man

  148 Plantagenet the name was used by Richard Duke of York, Richard's father 157 infected mine both disease and love were thought to enter through the eyes 158 basilisks mythical reptiles whose gaze could kill

  159 die plays on the sense of "achieve sexual orgasm"

  162 aspects appearance/looks, gazes

  164 No, when not even when

  165 Rutland Richard's younger brother; his death is depicted in 3 Henry VI, Act 1 Scene 3

  166 black-faced evil, threatening, devilish

  167 father i.e. the Earl of Warwick (originally a Yorkist, although he later changed sides) 170 That so that

  171 bedashed splattered

  172 humble lowly

  173 exhale draw out

  175 sued entreated, begged (for favor)

  176 smoothing flattering

  177 fee payment, reward

  186.1 lays ... open bares his chest

  186.2 offers aims, makes to thrust

  190 set me on this probably has connotations of sexual arousal like provoked

  190.1 falls lets fall

  191 take up me accept me (perhaps with connotations of "possess me sexually/make my penis erect"; Anne interprets "raise me from my kneeling position") 192 dissembler deceiver

  199 truer love i.e. Richard himself (supposedly a truer lover than the murdered Edward) 202 figured in represented by

  212 Even so in just such a way

  220 presently immediately

  220 Crosby House Richard's London house, in Bishopsgate Street; later referred to as Crosby Place 224 expedient duty dutiful haste

  225 divers various, several

  225 unknown private, that cannot be divulged

  226 boon request, favor

  229 Tressell and Berkeley minor characters, not mentioned again in the play 235 Whitefriars a priory in London

  236 humour manner, style, way

  242 bleeding witness i.e. Henry's body

  242 by nearby

  243 bars obstacles

  244 suit courtship/formal supplication

  244 withal with

  246 all ... nothing i.e. against huge odds, with everything stacked against me 248 brave splendid, noble

  250 mood fit of fury

  250 Tewkesbury site of the Gloucestershire battle where the Lancastrians were defeated; Edward's murder took place after the battle and is dramatized in 3 Henry VI, Act 5 Scene 5

  252 Framed ... nature created when nature was most generous, lavish 253 royal majestic, noble

  256 prime youthful manhood/springtime

  258 whose ... moiety the entirety of whom is not worth half of Edward 259 halts limps

  259 misshapen deformed

  260 denier
small coin worth one tenth of a penny

  263 proper handsome, fine

  264 be ... for buy, spend money on

  265 entertain employ

  265 score ... of twenty or forty

  269 in into

  271 glass mirror, looking-glass

  272 shadow also means "reflection"; the shadow cast by the sun will substitute for the mirror's image Act 1 Scene 3

  1.3 Location: the royal court, London

  3 brook it ill endure it with difficulty, take it badly

  4 entertain good comfort take comfort, be cheerful

  6 betide on happen to, befall

  8 includes incorporates, is the sum of

  9 goodly splendid, fine

  14 concluded legally finalized

  14 Protector guardian, who ruled on behalf of a king who was too young to do so 16 miscarry die

  20 Countess Richmond Margaret Beaufort, Derby's wife; by her first husband, Edmund Tudor, she was mother to Henry, Earl of Richmond (later Henry VII) 20 good my my good

  26 envious malicious

  29 wayward obstinate, willful

  36 atonement reconciliation

  37 brothers only one brother, Anthony Woodville (Earl Rivers), appears in the play, but Shakespeare may have thought of him as two characters: Rivers and Woodville are listed separately in the opening stage directions at Act 2 Scene 1, and are addressed separately later in that scene 39 warn summon

  41 happiness good fortune

  44 forsooth indeed, in truth

  44 stern harsh, unfriendly

  45 lightly little

  46 dissentious inflammatory, quarrelsome

  47 fair pleasing, charming

  48 smooth flatter

  48 cog fawn, flatter, deceive

  49 Duck ... nods i.e. bow in an affected, courtly manner 49 apish idiotic/imitative

  51 plain unaffected, simple, honest

  53 silken smooth-tongued, ingratiating/elaborately dressed 53 jacks knaves, low-born men; plays on Jack, a common name 54 presence company/royal presence

  55 nor neither

  55 grace virtue/propriety/nobility (picking up on grace as a form of address in the previous line) 60 breathing-while time to draw breath

  61 lewd wicked/ignorant/lowly

  65 belike probably/perhaps

  68 to send summon (you)

  70 wrens small, gentle birds (unlike large, predatory eagles) 74 friends relatives

  77 brother i.e. George, Duke of Clarence

  81 noble gold coin worth about a third of a pound (puns on ennoble) 82 careful full of cares

  83 hap fortune

  88 draw me implicate me/represent me

  88 suspects suspicions

  90 late recent

  94 preferments promotions, advancements

  96 desert deserving, merit

  97 marry by the Virgin Mary (Richard goes on to shift the sense to "wed") 100 stripling young man

  101 Iwis indeed, certainly

  101 grandam grandmother

  105 gross base/wicked/excessive

  108.1 Queen Margaret historically, the widow of Henry VI was imprisoned after the battle of Tewkesbury, and later exiled to her native France 111 state rank