Richard III (36 page)

Preparation of
“Richard III
in Performance” was assisted by generous grants from the CAPITAL Centre (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning) of the University of Warwick, for research in the RSC archive at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded a term’s research leave that enabled Jonathan Bate to work on “The Director’s Cut.”

Picture research by Helen Robson and Jan Sewell. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.

Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s official archives. It is open to the public free of charge.

For more information see
www.shakespeare.org.uk
.

Maya Angelou
•
A. S. Byatt
•
Caleb Carr
•
Christopher Cerf
•
Harold Evans
•
Charles Frazier
•
Vartan Gregorian
•
Jessica Hagedorn
•
Richard Howard
•
Charles Johnson
•
Jon Krakauer
•
Edmund Morris
•
Azar Nafisi
•
Joyce Carol Oates
•
Elaine Pagels
•
John Richardson
•
Salman Rushdie
•
Oliver Sacks
•
Carolyn See
•
Gore Vidal

GREY … DORSET
in the early scenes, these two may be treated as one figure

widow
historically she was betrothed, not married, to Prince Edward (son of King Henry VI), but in the play (following Hall’s chronicle) she is described as his wife/widow

Act 1 Scene 1

1.1
Location: near the Tower of London

1.1
solus
alone

2
son of York
i.e. Edward IV, whose father was Richard Duke of York (puns on “sun,” the emblem of the House of York)

3
loured
frowned threateningly
house
family (of York)

6
arms
armor, weapons
for
as

7
alarums
calls to arms/sudden attacks

8
dreadful
fearsome, inspiring dread

8
measures
stately dances

9
front
forehead

10
barbèd
armored

11
fearful
frightened (or possibly “frightening”)

12
capers
dances with leaping movements/has sex

12
chamber
plays on the sense of “vagina”

13
pleasing
attraction, delight

14
sportive
pleasurable/amorous/sexual

14
tricks
behavior, skills/sexual acts

15
court … looking-glass
i.e. gaze lovingly at myself in a mirror, flirt with my own reflection

16
rudely stamped
crudely formed, roughly printed with an image

16
want
lack

17
wanton
flirtatious, lascivious

17
ambling
sauntering, walking with a sexy rolling gait

18
curtailed
deprived, cut short (literally refers to the docking of a dog’s tail)

19
feature
a pleasing shape

19
dissembling
cheating, deceitful

20
sent … time
i.e. born prematurely

21
made up
fully formed

22
unfashionable
odd-looking, inelegant/poorly shaped

23
halt
limp

24
piping
characterized by pastoral pipes, rather than warlike instruments/shrill, weak, contemptible

27
descant
improvise variations on (musical term), i.e. ponder, comment

29
entertain
pass enjoyably

29
well-spoken
courteous, harmonious

30
determinèd
resolved/destined

32
inductions
initial steps, preparations

37
subtle
cunning, sly

37
false
dishonest, disloyal

38
mewed up
imprisoned, cooped up (like a caged bird of prey)

39
About
as a result of

39
“G”
Clarence’s first name is George; Richard, however, is the Duke of Gloucester

43
waits upon
attends

45
Tend’ring
holding dear, being concerned for (ironic)

46
conduct
escort

46
th’Tower
the Tower of London

50
commit
imprison

50
godfathers
sometimes responsible for the naming of the child at baptism

51
belike
probably/perhaps

52
new-christened
a grim anticipation of Clarence’s death by drowning

53
matter
reason

54
protest
declare

56
hearkens after
listens to

57
cross-row
alphabet (prefixed by a cross in children’s primers)

59
issue
children

60
for
because

62
toys
whims, trifles

66
lady Grey
Elizabeth’s title before her marriage to Edward: Richard is being contemptuous

68
worship
repute, honor

69
Anthony Woodville
i.e. Earl Rivers

71
delivered
released

74
night-walking heralds
secret, night-time messengers (a night-walker also meant a thief or a prostitute)

75
trudge betwixt
go to and fro between

75
Mistress
usual title for a woman; perhaps here with suggestive play on the sense of “lover” or even “female master”

75
Mistress Shore
Jane Shore, wife of a London goldsmith and Edward IV’s lover; she later became Hastings’ mistress

76
suppliant
petitioner

77
delivery
release from prison

78
complaining
appealing, lamenting, pleading

78
her deity
a mocking title for Mistress Shore

79
Lord Chamberlain
i.e. Hastings

82
men
servants (perhaps with sexual connotations)

82
livery
uniform indicating whom one served (
wear her livery
may play on a sense of “have sex with her”)

83
o’erworn
worn out (like old clothing/sexually)

83
widow
i.e. Queen Elizabeth

84
dubbed them
conferred on them the rank of

85
gossips
chatterers/godparents

87
straitly … charge
strictly ordered

89
Of … soever
regardless of social rank

90
an
if it

94
Well … years
well advanced in age (Richard seems to pretend to mean “mature, wise” or “well-preserved”)

94
fair
attractive/just

96
passing
surpassingly, exceptionally

101
doth naught
Richard shifts the sense to “sexually penetrates her vagina”

104
betray me
i.e. by making me name the king as Shore’s lover

105
withal
moreover

106
Forbear
restrain, cease

107
charge
duty, instructions

108
abjects
varies “subjects” to incorporate sense of “contemptible outcasts”

112
enfranchise
free

114
Touches
affects

117
lie for you
take your place in prison (playing on the sense of “lie about you”)

119
perforce
of necessity (“patience perforce” was proverbial)

123
present
gift

124
new-delivered
recently released

128
brooked
tolerated

130
give them thanks
i.e. pay them back, have revenge

135
mewed
caged

136
kites and buzzards
inferior birds of prey

137
abroad
in the world

140
him
for him

142
diet
lifestyle

149
packed
packed off, dispatched

149
post-horse
all possible speed

151
steeled
strengthened with steel, reinforced

152
deep
cunning/secret

155
bustle
busy myself, be active

156
Warwick’s youngest daughter
i.e. Lady Anne Neville: having changed sides, the Earl of Warwick died fighting against the House of York

157
her husband
Anne Neville was not in fact married to Prince Edward (Henry VI’s son) although she had been betrothed to him before his death

157
father
father-in-law. i.e. Henry VI

161
close
concealed

162
reach unto
strive to carry out

163
run … market
i.e. get ahead of myself (proverbial)

Act 1 Scene 2

1.2
Location: a London street

1.2
halberds
long-handled weapons with axelike heads

2
shrouded
concealed/wrapped in a shroud

2
hearse
probably here an open coffin, or litter beneath a frame supporting a funereal cloth

3
obsequiously
in a manner proper to the dead

4
Lancaster
i.e. Henry VI, former head of the House of Lancaster

5
key-cold
cold as a metal key (proverbial)

6
ashes
i.e. remains, lifeless body

8
Be it
let it be

8
invocate
invoke, call upon

12
Lo
look

12
windows
vents, i.e. wounds

13
balm
healing ointment/substance with which the dead are anointed (i.e. tears)

17
direful hap
dreadful fortune

17
betide
befall, happen to

19
spiders, toads
thought to be poisonous

21
abortive
monstrous, deformed