Richard III, Act 2 Scene 4 runs 79 lines of dialogue, spoken by 5 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 148 lines. This scene is part of Act 2 of Richard III.
Full Dialogue
Archbishop Of York ♂
Last night, I hear, they lay at Northampton;
At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.
At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.
Duchess Of York ♂
I long with all my heart to see the prince:
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
But I hear, no; they say my son of York
Hath almost overta'en him in his growth.
Hath almost overta'en him in his growth.
York ♂
Ay, mother; but I would not have it so.
Duchess Of York ♂
Why, my young cousin, it is good to grow.
York ♂
Grandam, one night, as we did sit at supper,
My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow
More than my brother: 'Ay,' quoth my uncle
Gloucester,
'Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace:'
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.
My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow
More than my brother: 'Ay,' quoth my uncle
Gloucester,
'Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace:'
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.
Duchess Of York ♂
Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
In him that did object the same to thee;
He was the wretched'st thing when he was young,
So long a-growing and so leisurely,
That, if this rule were true, he should be gracious.
In him that did object the same to thee;
He was the wretched'st thing when he was young,
So long a-growing and so leisurely,
That, if this rule were true, he should be gracious.
Archbishop Of York ♂
Why, madam, so, no doubt, he is.
Duchess Of York ♂
I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt.
York ♂
Now, by my troth, if I had been remember'd,
I could have given my uncle's grace a flout,
To touch his growth nearer than he touch'd mine.
I could have given my uncle's grace a flout,
To touch his growth nearer than he touch'd mine.
Duchess Of York ♂
How, my pretty York? I pray thee, let me hear it.
York ♂
Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old
'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.
That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old
'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.
Duchess Of York ♂
I pray thee, pretty York, who told thee this?
York ♂
Grandam, his nurse.
Duchess Of York ♂
His nurse! why, she was dead ere thou wert born.
York ♂
If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
A parlous boy: go to, you are too shrewd.
Archbishop Of York ♂
Good madam, be not angry with the child.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
Pitchers have ears.
Archbishop Of York ♂
Here comes a messenger. What news?
Messenger ♂
Such news, my lord, as grieves me to unfold.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
How fares the prince?
Messenger ♂
Well, madam, and in health.
Duchess Of York ♂
What is thy news then?
Messenger ♂
Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,
With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
Duchess Of York ♂
Who hath committed them?
Messenger ♂
The mighty dukes
Gloucester and Buckingham.
Gloucester and Buckingham.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
For what offence?
Messenger ♂
The sum of all I can, I have disclosed;
Why or for what these nobles were committed
Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady.
Why or for what these nobles were committed
Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
Ay me, I see the downfall of our house!
The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jet
Upon the innocent and aweless throne:
Welcome, destruction, death, and massacre!
I see, as in a map, the end of all.
The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jet
Upon the innocent and aweless throne:
Welcome, destruction, death, and massacre!
I see, as in a map, the end of all.
Duchess Of York ♂
Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,
How many of you have mine eyes beheld!
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were toss'd,
For me to joy and weep their gain and loss:
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors.
Make war upon themselves; blood against blood,
Self against self: O, preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!
How many of you have mine eyes beheld!
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were toss'd,
For me to joy and weep their gain and loss:
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors.
Make war upon themselves; blood against blood,
Self against self: O, preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!
Queen Elizabeth ♀
Come, come, my boy; we will to sanctuary.
Madam, farewell.
Madam, farewell.
Duchess Of York ♂
I'll go along with you.
Queen Elizabeth ♀
You have no cause.
Archbishop Of York ♂
My gracious lady, go;
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I'll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep: and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I'll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep: and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.
79 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Duchess Of York | 26 | 32.9% |
| York | 17 | 21.5% |
| Queen Elizabeth | 15 | 19.0% |
| Archbishop Of York | 12 | 15.2% |
| Messenger | 9 | 11.4% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 26 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 16 lines.
Total speakers on stage
5 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 2
This is Scene 4 of 4 in Act 2 of Richard III.
Scene length vs. play average
At 79 lines, this scene is shorter than the Richard III average scene in Richard III (~148 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 2 Scene 3 · Next: Act 3 Scene 1
About Act 2 Scene 4 of Richard III
Who carries Act 2 Scene 4 of Richard III?
Duchess Of York, with 26 lines — about 33% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 5 speakers and the lead holding 33% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.