Richard III, Act 4 Scene 2 runs 134 lines of dialogue, spoken by 6 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 148 lines. This scene is part of Act 4 of Richard III.
Full Dialogue
King Richard Iii ♂
Stand all apart Cousin of Buckingham!
Buckingham ♂
My gracious sovereign?
King Richard Iii ♂
Give me thy hand.
Thus high, by thy advice
And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;
But shall we wear these honours for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?
Thus high, by thy advice
And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;
But shall we wear these honours for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?
Buckingham ♂
Still live they and for ever may they last!
King Richard Iii ♂
O Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
To try if thou be current gold indeed
Young Edward lives: think now what I would say.
To try if thou be current gold indeed
Young Edward lives: think now what I would say.
Buckingham ♂
Say on, my loving lord.
King Richard Iii ♂
Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king,
Buckingham ♂
Why, so you are, my thrice renowned liege.
King Richard Iii ♂
Ha! am I king? 'tis so: but Edward lives.
Buckingham ♂
True, noble prince.
King Richard Iii ♂
O bitter consequence,
That Edward still should live! 'True, noble prince!'
Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull:
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What sayest thou? speak suddenly; be brief.
That Edward still should live! 'True, noble prince!'
Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull:
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What sayest thou? speak suddenly; be brief.
Buckingham ♂
Your grace may do your pleasure.
King Richard Iii ♂
Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezeth:
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
Buckingham ♂
Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord
Before I positively herein:
I will resolve your grace immediately.
Before I positively herein:
I will resolve your grace immediately.
Catesby ♂
[Aside to a stander by]
The king is angry: see, he bites the lip.
The king is angry: see, he bites the lip.
King Richard Iii ♂
I will converse with iron-witted fools
And unrespective boys: none are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes:
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!
And unrespective boys: none are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes:
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!
Page ♂
My lord?
King Richard Iii ♂
Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Page ♂
My lord, I know a discontented gentleman,
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind:
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind:
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
King Richard Iii ♂
What is his name?
Page ♂
His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
King Richard Iii ♂
I partly know the man: go, call him hither.
The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel:
Hath he so long held out with me untired,
And stops he now for breath?
How now! what news with you?
The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel:
Hath he so long held out with me untired,
And stops he now for breath?
How now! what news with you?
Stanley ♂
My lord, I hear the Marquis Dorset's fled
To Richmond, in those parts beyond the sea
Where he abides.
To Richmond, in those parts beyond the sea
Where he abides.
King Richard Iii ♂
Catesby!
Catesby ♂
My lord?
King Richard Iii ♂
Rumour it abroad
That Anne, my wife, is sick and like to die:
I will take order for her keeping close.
Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter:
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
Look, how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
That Anne my wife is sick and like to die:
About it; for it stands me much upon,
To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.
I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in
So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin:
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.
Is thy name Tyrrel?
That Anne, my wife, is sick and like to die:
I will take order for her keeping close.
Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter:
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
Look, how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
That Anne my wife is sick and like to die:
About it; for it stands me much upon,
To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.
I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in
So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin:
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.
Is thy name Tyrrel?
Tyrrel ♂
James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.
King Richard Iii ♂
Art thou, indeed?
Tyrrel ♂
Prove me, my gracious sovereign.
King Richard Iii ♂
Darest thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
Tyrrel ♂
Ay, my lord;
But I had rather kill two enemies.
But I had rather kill two enemies.
King Richard Iii ♂
Why, there thou hast it: two deep enemies,
Foes to my rest and my sweet sleep's disturbers
Are they that I would have thee deal upon:
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.
Foes to my rest and my sweet sleep's disturbers
Are they that I would have thee deal upon:
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.
Tyrrel ♂
Let me have open means to come to them,
And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.
And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.
King Richard Iii ♂
Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel
Go, by this token: rise, and lend thine ear:
There is no more but so: say it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee too.
Go, by this token: rise, and lend thine ear:
There is no more but so: say it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee too.
Tyrrel ♂
'Tis done, my gracious lord.
King Richard Iii ♂
Shall we hear from thee, Tyrrel, ere we sleep?
Tyrrel ♂
Ye shall, my Lord.
Buckingham ♂
My Lord, I have consider'd in my mind
The late demand that you did sound me in.
The late demand that you did sound me in.
King Richard Iii ♂
Well, let that pass. Dorset is fled to Richmond.
Buckingham ♂
I hear that news, my lord.
King Richard Iii ♂
Stanley, he is your wife's son well, look to it.
Buckingham ♂
My lord, I claim your gift, my due by promise,
For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
The earldom of Hereford and the moveables
The which you promised I should possess.
For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
The earldom of Hereford and the moveables
The which you promised I should possess.
King Richard Iii ♂
Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
Buckingham ♂
What says your highness to my just demand?
King Richard Iii ♂
As I remember, Henry the Sixth
Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king, perhaps, perhaps,–
Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king, perhaps, perhaps,–
Buckingham ♂
My lord!
King Richard Iii ♂
How chance the prophet could not at that time
Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?
Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?
Buckingham ♂
My lord, your promise for the earldom,–
King Richard Iii ♂
Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started,
Because a bard of Ireland told me once
I should not live long after I saw Richmond.
The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started,
Because a bard of Ireland told me once
I should not live long after I saw Richmond.
Buckingham ♂
My Lord!
King Richard Iii ♂
Ay, what's o'clock?
Buckingham ♂
I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
Of what you promised me.
Of what you promised me.
King Richard Iii ♂
Well, but what's o'clock?
Buckingham ♂
Upon the stroke of ten.
King Richard Iii ♂
Well, let it strike.
Buckingham ♂
Why let it strike?
King Richard Iii ♂
Because that, like a Jack, thou keep'st the stroke
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
I am not in the giving vein to-day.
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
I am not in the giving vein to-day.
Buckingham ♂
Why, then resolve me whether you will or no.
King Richard Iii ♂
Tut, tut,
Thou troublest me; am not in the vein.
Thou troublest me; am not in the vein.
Buckingham ♂
Is it even so? rewards he my true service
With such deep contempt made I him king for this?
O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone
To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on!
With such deep contempt made I him king for this?
O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone
To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on!
134 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Richard Iii | 85 | 63.4% |
| Buckingham | 29 | 21.6% |
| Tyrrel | 8 | 6.0% |
| Page | 6 | 4.5% |
| Catesby | 3 | 2.2% |
| Stanley | 3 | 2.2% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 85 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 22 lines.
Total speakers on stage
6 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 4
This is Scene 2 of 5 in Act 4 of Richard III.
Scene length vs. play average
At 134 lines, this scene is shorter than the Richard III average scene in Richard III (~148 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 4 Scene 1 · Next: Act 4 Scene 3
About Act 4 Scene 2 of Richard III
Who carries Act 4 Scene 2 of Richard III?
King Richard Iii, with 85 lines — about 63% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 6 speakers and the lead holding 63% of the lines, this scene is a showcase for the lead voice.