The life and death of King III
Act One, Scene 1,2 and 3
In the first scene, Richard, the duke of Gloucester, appears at the stage alone.
He says that after a very long civil war (Tewksbury battle), peace has returned to the royal house of England. As King Edward IV now possesses the throne, the royal house is celebrating, except for Richard III as he complains about being deformed and ugly, not made for love.
“But I,-that am not shap’d for sportive tricks, Nor made to court an amorous looking glass;” … “Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, Deform’d, unfinish’d, sent before my time into this breathing world scarce half made up….”
He also includes in his monologue a briefing of his plot against his brother Clarence, who comes before him as heir to the throne of England. Therefore, Richard wants to set Clarence and Edward IV in deadly hate the one against the other by planting rumours to make Edward suspicious of Clarence.
Richard has just succeeded in having Clarence arrested and as a prisoner is how he walks onto the stage, guarded. As Clarence is not allowed to talk, he is taken to the Tower of London.
Having just been delivered, Lord Hastings tells Richard that King Edward IV is sick and cannot hope to live much longer.
At the end, he also comments about his plot to marry Lady Anne, the widow of Edward, the son of Henry VI and Queen Margaret, whom Richard as just killed in the Battle.
In the second scene, Lady Anne enters the scene while some men carry the open coffin of Henry IV. Lady Anne laments the death of the king and then curses any future children which Richard III might have.
The Essay on Richard The Lionheart King Henry
Richard Plantagenet (Richard the Lionheart) was a king of England. He was born on September 8, 1157, at Oxford. Richard was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He had an older brother named Henry and two younger brothers named John and Geoffrey. When Richard was born, King Henry gave Richard the Duchy of Aquitaine which belonged to his mother Eleanor. So Richard's full name became ...
Then Richard III enters the stage and tries to woo her praising Anne’s gentleness and beauty. But she scorns him after every attempt. He confesses that he has killed her husband so that he alone could love her. Finally he proposes marriage and succeeds in her to wear is ring. Anne says that she may take the ring but that she will not give him her hand.
He finally feasts his conquer.
In the third scene, Queen Elizabeth, Edward IV‘s wife, enters the stage. Queen Elizabeth talks with Lord Rivers and Lord Grey about Edward´s illness and what would happen if Edward dies. Richard and Lord Hastings enter the room. Richard then blames Lord Rivers and Elizabeth for the recent imprisonment of Lord Hastings, and for the jailing of Clarence.
Queen Margaret arrives and she remarks that Queen Elizabeth has to thank her for the throne, and calls Richard a devil. Richard defends himself and the arguing continues. Following several curses made by Margaret, most of which are directed at Richard. Everybody leave and he announces that he has set all his plans and is deceiving everybody into thinking that he is really a good person. Two men enter, who are murders whom Richard has hired to suppress Clarence.
