Flourish. Enter King Edward, Richard, and
Clarence, all wearing the white rose, with Soldiers
guarding Queen Margaret, Oxford, and Somerset,
all wearing the red rose, prisoners. KING EDWARD
Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight.
For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
Go bear them hence. I will not hear them speak. OXFORD
For my part, I’ll not trouble thee with words. 5 SOMERSET
Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. QUEEN MARGARET
So part we sadly in this troublous world
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. Oxford and Somerset exit, under guard. | Back at the palace, all our favorite players from both sides enter. We
figure that Edward has won the war because he orders that Oxford be sent
to Hames Castle (a prison) and Somerset's head be cut off. |
KING EDWARD
Is proclamation made that who finds Edward
Shall have a high reward, and he his life? 10 RICHARD
It is, and lo where youthful Edward comes. Enter Prince Edward, wearing the red rose,
under guard. KING EDWARD
Bring forth the gallant; let us hear him speak.
What, can so young a thorn begin to prick?—
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, 15
And all the trouble thou hast turned me to? PRINCE EDWARD
Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York.
Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth:
Resign thy chair, and where I stand, kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee 20
Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. | Young Prince Edward has a few things to say before Edward decides what
to do with him. He's being held prisoner, but he demands that Edward
give up his throne. He calls Edward a traitor. |
QUEEN MARGARET
Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! RICHARD
That you might still have worn the petticoat
And ne’er have stol’n the breech from Lancaster. PRINCE EDWARD
Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night; 25
His currish riddles sorts not with this place. RICHARD
By heaven, brat, I’ll plague you for that word. QUEEN MARGARET
Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. RICHARD
For God’s sake, take away this captive scold. PRINCE EDWARD
Nay, take away this scolding crookback, rather. 30 KING EDWARD
Peace, willful boy, or I will charm your tongue. CLARENCE, to Prince Edward
Untutored lad, thou art too malapert. PRINCE EDWARD
I know my duty. You are all undutiful.
Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
And thou misshapen Dick, I tell you all 35
I am your better, traitors as you are,
And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine. KING EDWARD
Take that, the likeness of this railer here! Stabs him. RICHARD
Sprawl’st thou? Take that to end thy agony!
Richard stabs him. CLARENCE
And there’s for twitting me with perjury. 40
Clarence stabs him. | Richard and George go back and forth with Edward. Each side calls the
other the rudest things they can think of before Edward finally stabs
Prince Edward. |
QUEEN MARGARET O, kill me too! RICHARD Marry, and shall. Offers to kill her. KING EDWARD
Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done too much. RICHARD
Why should she live to fill the world with words?
Queen Margaret faints. KING EDWARD
What, doth she swoon? Use means for her recovery. 45
They attempt to revive her. RICHARD, taking Clarence aside
Clarence, excuse me to the King my brother.
I’ll hence to London on a serious matter.
Ere you come there, be sure to hear some news. CLARENCE What? What? RICHARD The Tower, the Tower! He exits. 50 | After seeing her son stabbed, Margaret says she wants to die. Richard offers to do it, but Edward stops him. Edward notices that she swooned, and he thinks they've done enough. Richard tells George to tell Edward that he has to attend to a serious matter at the Tower. He excuses himself. |
QUEEN MARGARET, rising from her swoon
O Ned, sweet Ned, speak to thy mother, boy.
Canst thou not speak? O traitors, murderers!
They that stabbed Caesar shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by to equal it. 55
He was a man; this, in respect, a child,
And men ne’er spend their fury on a child.
What’s worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no, my heart will burst an if I speak,
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. 60
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals,
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropped!
You have no children, butchers. If you had,
The thought of them would have stirred up remorse.
But if you ever chance to have a child, 65
Look in his youth to have him so cut off
As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince. KING EDWARD
Away with her. Go bear her hence perforce. QUEEN MARGARET
Nay, never bear me hence! Dispatch me here.
Here sheathe thy sword; I’ll pardon thee my death. 70
What, wilt thou not?—Then, Clarence, do it thou. CLARENCE
By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. QUEEN MARGARET
Good Clarence, do! Sweet Clarence, do thou do it. CLARENCE
Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it? QUEEN MARGARET
Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself. 75
’Twas sin before, but now ’tis charity.
What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil’s butcher,
Richard,
Hard-favored Richard? Richard, where art thou?
Thou art not here. Murder is thy alms-deed; 80
Petitioners for blood thou ne’er putt’st back. KING EDWARD
Away, I say! (To Soldiers.) I charge you bear her
hence. QUEEN MARGARET
So come to you and yours as to this prince! Queen Margaret exits under guard.
Soldiers carry off Prince Edward’s body. | Margaret mourns her son and calls Edward and George murderers. She begs
to be killed as well, but Edward orders for her to be taken away
instead. |
KING EDWARD Where’s Richard gone? 85 CLARENCE
To London all in post, and, as I guess,
To make a bloody supper in the Tower. KING EDWARD
He’s sudden if a thing comes in his head.
Now march we hence. Discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let’s away to London 90
And see our gentle queen how well she fares.
By this I hope she hath a son for me.
They exit. | Edward asks where Richard is, and George says he's gone to the Tower. Well, no matter, because Edward needs to check on his own queen: she's pregnant and in labor, so he might have a son soon. |