Anne speaks in the elevated rhetoric of grief — formal curses, invocations, passionate denunciations — and then, crucially, begins to slip into Richard's rhythm of verbal sparring. Watch for the moment her language starts to match his: that's when she's losing.
Set down, set down your honourable load,
If honour may be shrouded in a hearse,
Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament
Th’ untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.
Poor key-cold figure of a holy king,
Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster.
Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood,
Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost
To hear the lamentations of poor Anne,
Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered son,
Stabbed by the selfsame hand that made these wounds.
Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life
I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes.
O, cursed be the hand that made these holes;
Cursed the heart that had the heart to do it;
Cursed the blood that let this blood from hence.
More direful hap betide that hated wretch
That makes us wretched by the death of thee
Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toads,
Or any creeping venomed thing that lives.
If ever he have child, abortive be it,
Prodigious, and untimely brought to light,
Whose ugly and unnatural aspect
May fright the hopeful mother at the view,
And that be heir to his unhappiness.
If ever he have wife, let her be made
More miserable by the death of him
Than I am made by my young lord and thee.
Come now towards Chertsey with your holy load,
Taken from Paul’s to be interred there;
And still, as you are weary of this weight,
Rest you, whiles I lament King Henry’s corse.
Bearers, set down this honorable body. If honor can even rest in a coffin, set it here and let me speak my grief over it. Here lies the noble body of King Henry VI, murdered. And here lies my husband, Edward, murdered beside him. Both dead by the same hands.
Put it down, put it down. If there's any honor in a coffin, put this one down here. This is King Henry—dead. And my husband Edward—dead too. Both murdered. Both gone.
put the body down king henry's dead my husband's dead both murdered both gone
Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down.
Stop—all of you—set down that coffin.
Hold it. Put the coffin down. Now.
stop put it down
What black magician conjures up this fiend
To stop devoted charitable deeds?
What sorcerer has summoned this demon to stop me in my charitable duty?
What the hell? Who brought this monster here to block me?
what demon is this? who called him? why is he here?
Villains, set down the corse or, by Saint Paul,
I’ll make a corse of him that disobeys!
Set the coffin down, all of you, or by Saint Paul I'll make a corpse of anyone who refuses!
Put that coffin down right now or I'll kill whoever doesn't obey!
set it down or i'll kill you i swear it
The Gentleman (one of Anne's escorts) speaks only to be intimidated into silence — a function, not a character. His brief intervention shows us how Richard's physical authority works in public.
My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass.
My lord, stand back and let the coffin pass, please.
Sir, come on. Let us get through with the body.
let us pass please
Unmannered dog, stand thou, when I command!
Advance thy halberd higher than my breast,
Or by Saint Paul I’ll strike thee to my foot
And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness.
Rude dog, obey when I command! If you raise that halberd higher than my breast, by Saint Paul I'll strike you to the ground and kick you like a beggar for your boldness!
You rude bastard! When I tell you to stand down, you stand down! Raise that weapon above my shoulder and I'll knock you down and stomp on you!
rude dog obey me raise that weapon and i'll destroy you
What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid?
Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal,
And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.
Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell!
Thou hadst but power over his mortal body;
His soul thou canst not have; therefore begone.
Do you tremble? Are you all afraid? I understand—mortal eyes cannot endure to look upon the devil. Go away, you horrible servant of hell! You had power only over his mortal body; his soul you cannot have. So go!
You're shaking? You're all scared? I get it—no human can look at the devil without flinching. Get out of here, you demon! You killed his body but not his soul. Leave!
you're afraid the devil his soul you can't have get out
Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst.
Sweet saint, for the sake of charity, don't be so harsh.
Come on, lady. Have some mercy. Show some charity.
sweet saint have mercy be kind
Foul devil, for God’s sake, hence, and trouble us not;
For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell,
Filled it with cursing cries and deep exclaims.
If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.
O, gentlemen, see, see dead Henry’s wounds
Open their congealed mouths and bleed afresh!
Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity,
For ’tis thy presence that exhales this blood
From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells.
Thy deeds, inhuman and unnatural,
Provokes this deluge most unnatural.
O God, which this blood mad’st, revenge his death!
O earth, which this blood drink’st, revenge his death!
Either heaven with lightning strike the murderer dead,
Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick,
As thou dost swallow up this good King’s blood,
Which his hell-governed arm hath butchered.
Foul devil, for God's sake, leave us. You've turned this happy earth into hell itself, filled it with screams and curses. If you delight in seeing your murders, then look at this—the result of your butchery. Gentlemen, see how King Henry's wounds open and bleed fresh! Blush, you lump of deformity! Your very presence makes this dead blood flow from veins that should be empty. Your deeds are inhuman and monstrous. O God, who made this blood, avenge his death! O earth, who drinks this blood, avenge his death! Strike the murderer dead with lightning, or open up and swallow him whole, just as you swallow up this good king's blood that his hell-governed arm has spilled.
Get out of here, you devil. For God's sake, leave us alone. You've made this beautiful earth into hell, filled with screaming and cursing. If you want to see what you've done, look at this—look at what you murdered. Gentlemen, see—King Henry's wounds are opening and bleeding fresh! How can you not be ashamed, you twisted thing? Your being here makes dead blood pour from corpses that should be dry. What you did is monstrous and against nature. God, who made this blood, take revenge! Earth, who drinks this blood, take revenge! Strike this murderer dead with lightning, or open up and swallow him whole!
get out you've made hell here's your murder king henry's wounds bleed blush shame the blood flows God avenge Earth swallow
Lady, you know no rules of charity,
Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.
Lady, you know not the rules of charity, which teaches us to return good for evil and blessings for curses.
Lady, charity means giving good for bad, not cursing back.
charity good for evil blessings for curses
Villain, thou know’st nor law of God nor man.
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.
Villain, you know neither God's law nor man's law. Even the fiercest beast shows some pity.
You don't know God's law or human law. Even wild animals show mercy sometimes.
you know no law no beast refuses pity but you
But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
But I know no pity, and therefore I am no beast.
I know no pity, so I'm not a beast. I'm something worse.
i know no pity so i'm no beast i'm something worse
O wonderful, when devils tell the truth!
How wonderful when devils tell the truth!
Amazing—when devils actually admit what they are!
devils tell truth? rarely
More wonderful when angels are so angry.
Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman,
Of these supposed crimes to give me leave,
By circumstance, but to acquit myself.
Even more wonderful when an angel grows so angry. Perfect lady, allow me to explain myself—let me defend myself against these charges, if you'll hear me.
Even more amazing when an angel is so angry. Perfect lady, let me defend myself. Give me a chance to explain.
angels angry? rare lady listen to me let me explain
Vouchsafe, diffused infection of a man,
Of these known evils but to give me leave,
By circumstance, to accuse thy cursed self.
Poisoned man, let me use your own logic to accuse you of these known evils.
Poisoned man, let me throw your own words back at you and accuse you of what everyone knows you've done.
poisoned man let me accuse you with your own words
Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have
Some patient leisure to excuse myself.
You are more beautiful than any tongue can name. Give me a moment to excuse myself.
You're more beautiful than words can say. Just let me explain myself for a minute.
beautiful fairer than words let me explain
Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make
No excuse current but to hang thyself.
Fouler than the human heart could imagine, you cannot offer any excuse except to hang yourself.
You're uglier than anything I can think of. Your only escape is a rope.
fouler than heart can think you only excuse is to hang yourself
By such despair I should accuse myself.
By that despair, I would only condemn myself.
That kind of thinking just ends with me condemning myself.
despair condemns me to myself
And by despairing shalt thou stand excused
For doing worthy vengeance on thyself
That didst unworthy slaughter upon others.
And by despairing, you would be rightly excused—for committing a righteous murder of yourself, after committing unrighteous murder of others.
Yeah, despair would excuse you—because you'd finally be killing the right person. You murdered innocent people, so kill yourself and balance the scales.
despair excuses you kill yourself that's righteous vengeance for your murders
Say that I slew them not?
Say that I did not kill them?
So what if I say I didn't do it?
say i didn't kill them
Then say they were not slain.
But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee.
Then say they were never killed. But they are dead, and by your wicked hand.
Then I guess they're alive. Except they're not—you killed them, you devil.
then they're alive they're dead devilish slave you killed them
I did not kill your husband.
I did not kill your husband.
I didn't kill your husband.
i didn't kill your husband
Why then he is alive.
Then he is alive.
Then he's still alive.
then he's alive
Nay, he is dead, and slain by Edward’s hand.
No, he is dead, and murdered by Edward's hand.
No, he's dead—but Edward did the killing, not me.
he's dead slain by edward's hand not mine
In thy foul throat thou liest. Queen Margaret saw
Thy murd’rous falchion smoking in his blood,
The which thou once didst bend against her breast,
But that thy brothers beat aside the point.
You lie in your foul throat. Queen Margaret saw your bloody sword smoking in his blood. You were about to turn that same sword against her breast, except your brothers knocked it aside.
You're lying through your teeth. Queen Margaret saw your sword still bloody from his blood. You were about to stab her too, but your brothers stopped you.
you lie queen margaret saw your sword smoking in his blood you'd have killed her too
I was provoked by her sland’rous tongue,
That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders.
I was provoked by her slanderous tongue, which placed their guilt upon my innocent shoulders.
She provoked me with her lies, blaming me for things I didn't do.
her slander provoked me she blamed me for things i didn't do
Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind,
That never dream’st on aught but butcheries.
Didst thou not kill this King?
No, you were provoked by your own bloody mind, which never dreams of anything but murder. Did you not kill this king?
It's your mind that provokes you—the one that thinks about nothing but killing people. And you murdered this king, didn't you?
your bloody mind provokes you never dreams but butcheries you killed the king
I grant ye.
I admit it.
Yeah, I did.
i grant ye i did it
Dost grant me, hedgehog? Then, God grant me too
Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed.
O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.
Do you admit it, hedgehog? Then God grant me too—that you be damned for that wicked deed. Oh, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.
You admit it, you deformed thing? God, I hope you're damned for that. He was kind and good, and you destroyed him.
you admit it hedgehog God damn you he was gentle mild virtuous
The better for the King of Heaven that hath him.
All the better for the King of Heaven that he now has him.
Heaven's better off having him—I sent him there.
better for heaven he's there now i sent him
He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come.
He is in heaven, where you will never come.
He's in heaven. You'll never get there.
he's in heaven you'll never come there
Let him thank me that holp to send him thither,
For he was fitter for that place than earth.
Let him thank me for helping to send him there, because he was better suited to that place than to this earth.
He should thank me for sending him there—he was too good for this world anyway.
thank me i sent him there he was fitter for that place than earth
And thou unfit for any place but hell.
And you are unfit for any place but hell.
You belong in hell and nowhere else.
you unfit for any place but hell
Directors and actors have puzzled over this scene for four centuries. How does a man who openly murdered Anne's husband and father-in-law, who is performing contrition over the actual corpse, somehow succeed in getting her to accept his ring? Several things are happening. First, Richard controls the entire frame of the conversation — he decides when to be abusive, when to flatter, when to be vulnerable, when to press. Anne never sets the terms. Second, Richard makes every accusation simultaneously an occasion for a compliment: 'your beauty drove me to murder' is horrible, but it is also the most extravagant praise anyone has ever paid her. Third, the sword scene is decisive: he kneels and bares his chest, transferring all the moral weight to her. She cannot kill him. The moment she doesn't, she has ceded the high ground. Fourth — and most important — Richard is uniquely truthful with Anne. He admits the murders. He says what he means. He doesn't hide. In a court full of polite liars, this brutal directness is disorienting. Anne's 'I wish I knew your heart' tells us she's never had anyone be this honest with her. And Richard, monstrous as he is, means what he says about her beauty. The tragedy is that his love — if it is love — is the most real thing about him, and it is also instrumental.
Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it.
Yes, there is one other place, if you will allow me to name it.
There is one other place—if you want to hear where.
one place else if you'll hear me name it
Some dungeon.
A dungeon.
A prison.
a dungeon
Your bed-chamber.
Your bedchamber.
Your bed.
your bedchamber
Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest!
May ill rest befall the chamber where you lie!
I curse that bedroom—may you never sleep there in peace.
ill rest betide the chamber where you lie
So will it, madam, till I lie with you.
That will be so, madam, until I lie with you.
It will be—until I'm in your bed.
ill rest will come til i lie with you
I hope so.
I hope so.
I hope you do.
i hope so
I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne,
To leave this keen encounter of our wits,
And fall something into a slower method:
Is not the causer of the timeless deaths
Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward,
As blameful as the executioner?
I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne, let us abandon this sharp contest of words and move toward a slower method of discussion. Tell me: is not the one who ordered the deaths of these Plantagenets—Henry and Edward—as much to blame as the one who executed them?
I know it. But Lady Anne, let's stop this word fight and talk slower. Here's a real question: the person who ordered the murders—isn't he as guilty as the person who carried them out?
i know so but stop this word fight who ordered the deaths who executed them both guilty?
Thou wast the cause and most accursed effect.
You are the cause and most accursed effect.
You're both—you ordered it and you did it.
you caused it you did it accursed effect
Your beauty was the cause of that effect:
Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep
To undertake the death of all the world,
So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.
Your beauty was the cause of that effect. Your beauty, which haunted me in my sleep and compelled me to undertake the death of the entire world, so that I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.
You caused it all. Your beauty haunted me, made me kill everyone, just for one hour with you.
your beauty haunted me in my sleep made me murder the whole world for one hour in your arms
If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide,
These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks.
If I believed that, I tell you, murderer, these nails would rend that beauty from my own cheeks.
If I thought that was true, I'd scratch my own face off. I'm not believing that lie.
if i believed that homicide i'd rend beauty from my cheeks
These eyes could not endure that beauty’s wrack;
You should not blemish it if I stood by.
As all the world is cheered by the sun,
So I by that; it is my day, my life.
These eyes could not endure your beauty's ruin. You should not blemish it if I stood beside you. As all the world is made cheerful by the sun, so am I by that beauty. It is my day, my life.
I couldn't stand to see you hurt yourself. I'd protect you. You're my whole world—like the sun is the world's light, you're mine.
i couldn't bear to see you blemish your beauty you're my sun my day my life
Black night o’ershade thy day, and death thy life.
May black night overshadow your day, and death take your life.
I wish darkness on you and death.
black night shade your day death take your life
Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both.
Do not curse yourself, fair creature. You are both my day and my night.
Don't wish death on yourself. You're everything to me—day and night.
curse not thyself fair creature thou art both day and night
I would I were, to be revenged on thee.
I wish I were, so I could take revenge on you.
I wish. Then I could kill you.
i wish i were to be revenged on thee
It is a quarrel most unnatural,
To be revenged on him that loveth thee.
That would be a quarrel unnatural—to take revenge on one who loves you.
That would be wrong—taking revenge on someone who loves you.
quarrel unnatural to revenge those who love thee
It is a quarrel just and reasonable,
To be revenged on him that killed my husband.
No, it is a quarrel just and reasonable—to take revenge on the one who murdered my husband.
It's just and right—because you murdered my husband.
quarrel just and reasonable revenged on who killed husband
He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband,
Did it to help thee to a better husband.
He who took your husband from you, lady, did so to help you obtain a better husband.
The one who took your husband was doing you a favor—getting you someone better.
took your husband to help you get a better one
His better doth not breathe upon the earth.
His better does not breathe upon this earth.
There's no one better alive.
his better doth not breathe upon earth
He lives that loves thee better than he could.
There lives one who loves you better than he could.
I love you more than he ever could.
one lives who loves thee better than he could
Name him.
Name him.
Who?
name him
Plantagenet.
Plantagenet.
Richard of the House of Plantagenet.
plantagenet
Why, that was he.
Why, that was him.
That was my husband.
that was he
The selfsame name, but one of better nature.
The same name, but of a better nature.
The same name—but I'm better.
same name but better nature
Where is he?
Where is he?
Show me.
where is he
Here.
Here.
Right here.
here
Would it were mortal poison, for thy sake.
I wish it were mortal poison, for your sake.
I wish it was poison so it would kill you.
would it were mortal poison for thy sake
Never came poison from so sweet a place.
Poison never came from so beautiful a place.
Poison would never come from such a beautiful mouth.
never came poison from so sweet a place
Never hung poison on a fouler toad.
Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.
Never did a fouler toad carry poison on its back. Leave my sight! Your very presence infects my eyes.
That's a lie—poison sits right on you like a toad. Get away! You're poisoning me with your presence.
never hung poison on fouler toad out of my sight thou infects mine eyes
Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine.
Your eyes, sweet lady, have infected me.
Your beauty has infected me—completely taken over.
thine eyes sweet lady have infected mine
Would they were basilisks to strike thee dead!
I wish they were basilisks, so they could kill you with their gaze!
I wish I could kill you just by looking at you.
would they were basilisks to strike thee dead
I would they were, that I might die at once;
For now they kill me with a living death.
Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears,
Shamed their aspects with store of childish drops.
These eyes, which never shed remorseful tear,
No, when my father York and Edward wept
To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made
When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him;
Nor when thy warlike father, like a child,
Told the sad story of my father’s death,
And twenty times made pause to sob and weep,
That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks
Like trees bedashed with rain. In that sad time
My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear;
And what these sorrows could not thence exhale,
Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping.
I never sued to friend nor enemy;
My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word;
But now thy beauty is proposed my fee,
My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to speak.
I wish they were, so that I could die at once. For now they kill me with a living death. Your eyes have drawn real tears from mine—eyes that never shed remorseful tears before. Not even when my father York and Edward wept, hearing the miserable cries that young Rutland made when black-faced Clifford threatened him with his sword. Nor when your own father, with a soldier's courage turned to sorrow, told the painful story of my father's death and paused twenty times to sob. The men around him all wept like rain-soaked trees. But my eyes—my soldier's eyes—never fell to such weakness. I was proud. My tears were locked away. But what my past sorrows could not force from me, your beauty has now unlocked. You have blinded me with weeping. I have never begged from friend or foe. My tongue never learned to speak soft words. But now your beauty has bought my heart, and my proud heart is suing to speak.
I wish they were deadly so I could just die. Because your eyes are killing me slowly. You made me cry. I never cried before—not when my father died, not even when my father's friend told the story and everybody else was sobbing. But you? You broke something in me. Your beauty made me feel things I've never felt. I've never had to ask anyone for anything before. I'm not good with soft words. I'm blunt. But you've changed all that. Now I'm begging you with everything I have.
your eyes kill me with living death they draw salt tears from mine that never wept for remorse before not for my father's death not for ruth nor sorrow but your beauty brings the flood i never begged never spoke soft words but now you've made my proud heart sue and speak
To understand why Anne capitulates, you need to understand her situation. She is the widow of a Lancastrian prince, living in a Yorkist state. She has no political protection, no income of her own, and no family to defend her. She is mourning over a corpse she cannot legally even bury without Yorkist permission. Richard is the one man in England with enough power to give her security — and he's offering it. The 'romance' is inseparable from the power differential. This is not an excuse; it's a context. Shakespeare is not asking us to approve of Anne's choice. He's asking us to understand it. And there's one more thing: Richard is not asking Anne to do anything monstrous. He's asking her to believe he loves her. She might be wrong to believe it — she almost certainly is — but the desire to believe someone loves you is not a character flaw. It's the most human thing in the world. Anne will pay for it.
Arise, dissembler. Though I wish thy death,
I will not be thy executioner.
Arise, you faker. Although I wish you dead, I will not be your killer.
Get up, liar. I want you dead, but I won't be the one to kill you.
arise dissembler i wish thy death but i will not be executioner
Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
Then command me to kill myself, and I will do it.
Then just tell me to kill myself and I'll do it.
bid me kill myself and i will do it
I have already.
I have already.
Already did.
i have already
That was in thy rage.
Speak it again, and even with the word,
This hand, which for thy love did kill thy love,
Shall for thy love kill a far truer love.
To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
That was said in anger. Speak it again calmly, and as you speak, this hand—which for your love killed your love—shall for your love kill a far truer love. You will be responsible for both deaths.
You were just angry when you said that. But if you really mean it, my hand that killed your husband will kill me too—and that's on you. You'll be guilty of both deaths.
that was rage speak again this hand that killed your love shall kill true love you accessory
I would I knew thy heart.
I wish I knew what your heart truly contains.
I want to know if you really mean any of this.
i would i knew thy heart
’Tis figured in my tongue.
It is written in my tongue—all I've spoken is true.
Every word I've said is true. My words are my heart.
it is figured in my tongue
I fear me both are false.
I fear me both are false.
I think you're lying about all of it.
i fear me both are false
Then never was man true.
Then no man was ever true.
Then nobody's ever been honest about anything.
never was man true
Well, well, put up your sword.
Well, then, put up your sword.
Fine. Put the sword away.
put up your sword
Say then my peace is made.
Then tell me that my peace is made.
So that means you forgive me?
say then my peace is made
That shalt thou know hereafter.
That you will learn later.
You'll find out soon enough.
that shalt thou know hereafter
But shall I live in hope?
But shall I live in hope?
Can I at least hope?
but shall i live in hope
All men, I hope, live so.
All men, I hope, live so—with hope.
Everyone lives with hope, don't they?
all men i hope live so
Vouchsafe to wear this ring.
Then please wear this ring.
Then wear my ring.
vouchsafe to wear this ring
To take is not to give.
To take is not to give.
Taking something isn't the same as agreeing to it.
to take is not to give
Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger;
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart;
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
And if thy poor devoted servant may
But beg one favour at thy gracious hand,
Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever.
Look how my ring encircles your finger. Even so, your breast encloses my poor heart. Wear both of them, because both belong to you. And if your poor devoted servant may ask one favor at your gracious hand, you will confirm his happiness forever.
See how this ring fits around your finger? That's how you wrap around my heart. Wear both—the ring and my heart. And if you could just do one thing for me, I'd be happy forever.
ring encircles thy finger thy breast encloses my heart wear both one favor confirms happiness
What is it?
What is it?
What do you want?
what is it
That it may please you leave these sad designs
To him that hath most cause to be a mourner,
And presently repair to Crosby Place;
Where, after I have solemnly interred
At Chertsey monastery this noble King,
And wet his grave with my repentant tears,
I will with all expedient duty see you.
For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you,
Grant me this boon.
That you leave off these sad mourning duties—let me, who has most cause for sorrow, take that burden. Come to Crosby Place. After I've properly buried this noble king at Chertsey monastery and bathed his grave with my repentant tears, I will with all speed come see you. For reasons I cannot explain, I beg this favor of you.
Stop mourning and let me handle it. I'll bury the king with tears and respect. Come wait for me at Crosby Place. I'll come get you as soon as I can.
leave sad designs to me with cause repair to crosby place i'll inter this noble king with repentant tears then see you
With all my heart, and much it joys me too
To see you are become so penitent.
Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me.
With all my heart, and I am very glad to see you have become so penitent. Tressel and Berkeley, come along with me.
Yes, gladly. I'm so happy you've changed. You two, let's go.
all my heart glad to see you penitent tressel berkeley go with me
Bid me farewell.
Say farewell to me.
Kiss me goodbye.
bid me farewell
’Tis more than you deserve;
But since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I have said farewell already.
It is more than you deserve. But since you've taught me how to flatter you, imagine I've already said farewell.
You don't deserve it. But you've made me good at your game now, so pretend I already said it.
more than deserve but you taught me how to flatter you imagine i said it already
Sirs, take up the corse.
Take up the corpse.
Pick up the body.
take up the corse
Towards Chertsey, noble lord?
Toward Chertsey, my lord?
To Chertsey, sir?
towards chertsey noble lord
No, to White Friars; there attend my coming.
No, to White Friars. Wait for me there.
No, take it to White Friars instead.
no to white friars attend my coming
The corpse of Henry VI is not a prop — it is the third character in the scene. Everything Richard and Anne say is said in front of it, beside it, over it. The traditional blocking had Richard literally standing between Anne and the coffin. The reported miracle — that Henry's wounds bleed in Richard's presence — may have been staged with a bladder of animal blood beneath the shroud, visible to the audience. This was the 'cruentation' belief, taken seriously as legal evidence in contemporary trials. The theatrical use of it puts Anne's accusations on the most literal physical ground possible: the body of the murdered man is testifying against his murderer. Richard cannot deny it. He doesn't try. Instead he accepts it, confesses, and uses the confession as a launching pad for the most bizarre love declaration in dramatic history. The corpse that begins the scene as Anne's only witness becomes, by the end, Richard's alibi.
The Reckoning
This is perhaps the most audacious seduction in all of Shakespeare. Richard is wooing a widow over the corpse of the king he killed — while also being the man who killed her husband. By the end, Anne has accepted his ring. When he's alone, Richard can barely believe it himself, and that astonishment is the most honest thing we see him express. The audience is left asking the same question Richard asks: how did that work?
If this happened today…
A man shows up at his ex-girlfriend's father's funeral — a father he helped destroy in a hostile takeover. He intercepts her at the graveside, admits he orchestrated the collapse but insists he did it for love of her, then proceeds to have an argument so stylized and controlled that she ends up accepting his business card. He turns to the camera afterward, genuinely baffled: 'I just did that with nothing but my own nerve, with the body right there, and it worked.' This is the Richard III courtship. It should be impossible. It almost is.