The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (45 page)

Tradition, form, and ceremonious duty;

For you have but mistook me all this while.

I live with bread like you, feel want,

Taste grief, need friends: subjected thus,

How can you say to me I am a king?

It doesn't matter where, let nobody talk about hope.

Let's talk about graves, worms and epitaphs,

let's make the dust our paper, and without tears

write of our sorrow on the face of the earth.

Let's choose executors and talk of our wills.

But let's not–for what can we leave

apart from our overthrown bodies to the grave?

Our lands, our lives and everything belong to Bolingbroke,

and there is nothing we can call our own except for death;

and that small mound of dead earth

which seals in and covers our bones.

For Godss sake let us sit upon the ground

and tell sad stories of the death of Kings:

how some have been deposed, some killed in war,

some haunted by the ghosts they have overthrown,

some poisoned by their wives, some killed when they were asleep,

all murdered–for within the hollow crown

which surrounds the mortal head of a king,

that's where death lives, the grinning skull sits there,

laughing at his royalty and grinning at his ceremony,

allowing him a breath, a little scene,

to be a king, to be feared and kill with a look;

he fills him with selfishness and vanity,

makes him think the flesh which contains our life

is impregnable brass; and, once he's made him feel like this,

death comes in the end, and drills through his castle wall

with a little pin, and that's the end of the King!

Cover your heads, and don't make fun of flesh and blood

by worshipping it; throw away respect,

tradition, formality and ceremonial duty;

you have been mistaken about me all this time.

I live on bread like you, I feel needs,

I know sorrow, I need friends–when I'm like this,

how can you say to me that I am a king?

CARLISLE.

My lord, wise men ne'er sit and wail their woes,

But presently prevent the ways to wail.

To fear the foe, since fear oppresseth strength,

Gives, in your weakness, strength unto your foe,

And so your follies fight against yourself.

Fear and be slain-no worse can come to fight;

And fight and die is death destroying death,

Where fearing dying pays death servile breath.

My lord, wise men never sit and bemoan their lot,

but find ways to ease their sorrows.

If you fear the enemy, since fear weakens your strength,

your weakness gives strength to your enemy,

and so your foolishness makes you fight against yourself.

Be afraid and be killed–perhaps the worst you can get from fighting;

to die fighting is to destroy death with death,

whereas to be afraid of death means you pay him your whole life.

AUMERLE.

My father hath a power; inquire of him,

And learn to make a body of a limb.

My father has some forces; call him up,

and learn to make a whole from a part.

KING RICHARD.

Thou chid'st me well. Proud Bolingbroke, I come

To change blows with thee for our day of doom.

This ague fit of fear is over-blown;

An easy task it is to win our own.

Say, Scroop, where lies our uncle with his power?

Speak sweetly, man, although thy looks be sour.

Your admonitions are correct. Proud Bolingbroke, I'm coming

to exchange blows with you to decide our fate.

This feverish fit of fear has blown over;

it will be easy to win our rights.

Tell me, Scroop, where is my uncle with his forces?

Speaks sweetly, man, although you look sour.

SCROOP.

Men judge by the complexion of the sky

The state in inclination of the day;

So may you by my dull and heavy eye,

My tongue hath but a heavier tale to say.

I play the torturer, by small and small

To lengthen out the worst that must be spoken:

Your uncle York is join'd with Bolingbroke;

And all your northern castles yielded up,

And all your southern gentlemen in arms

Upon his party.

Men judge what time of day it is

by the colour of the sky;

so you can judge by my sorrowful eye

that I still have worse things to say.

I am a torturer, bit by bit

I parcel out the worst things that can be said:

your uncle York has joined forces with Bolingbroke;

all your northern castles have surrendered,

and all your knights of the south

have joined with him.

KING RICHARD.

Thou hast said enough.

[To AUMERLE] Beshrew thee, cousin, which didst lead me

forth

Of that sweet way I was in to despair!

What say you now? What comfort have we now?

By heaven, I'll hate him everlastingly

That bids me be of comfort any more.

Go to Flint Castle; there I'll pine away;

A king, woe's slave, shall kingly woe obey.

That power I have, discharge; and let them go

To ear the land that hath some hope to grow,

For I have none. Let no man speak again

To alter this, for counsel is but vain.

You have said enough.

[To Aumerle] Damn you, cousin, who led me astray

from that sweet path of despair I was following!

Now what do you say? What hope do we have now?

By heaven, I will forever hate anyone who ever tells me

again to have hope.

Let's go to Flint Castle; there I shall pine away;

a King, the servant of sorrow, shall give in to his kingly sorrow.

Let the forces that I have go free; let them go

and plough the earth, if they have hopes that they can prosper,

I have none. Let no man speak against me on this,

their advice would be in vain.

AUMERLE.

My liege, one word.

dsMy lord, let me have just one word.

KING RICHARD.

He does me double wrong

That wounds me with the flatteries of his tongue.

Discharge my followers; let them hence away,

From Richard's night to Bolingbroke's fair day.

Anyone who wounds me with his flattery

is doubly wronging me.

Discharge my forces; let them go from here,

from Richard's night to the fair day of Bolingbroke.

Exeunt

Wales. Before Flint Castle

Enter, with drum and colours, BOLINGBROKE, YORK, NORTHUMBERLAND,

and forces

BOLINGBROKE.

So that by this intelligence we learn

The Welshmen are dispers'd; and Salisbury

Is gone to meet the King, who lately landed

With some few private friends upon this coast.

So from this information we learn

that the Welshmenhave disbanded; and Salisbury

has gone to meet the King, who recently landed

on this coast with a few private friends.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

The news is very fair and good, my lord.

Richard not far from hence hath hid his head.

The news is very good and favourable, my lord.

Richard has gone into hiding not far from here.

YORK.

It would beseem the Lord Northumberland

To say 'King Richard.' Alack the heavy day

When such a sacred king should hide his head!

It would be more suitable for the Lord Northumberland

to say ‘King Richard’. What a sad day

when such a sacred king has to hide himself away!

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Your Grace mistakes; only to be brief,

Left I his title out.

Your Grace misunderstands me; I only omitted

his title for the sake of brevity.

YORK.

The time hath been,

Would you have been so brief with him, he would

Have been so brief with you to shorten you,

For taking so the head, your whole head's length.

There was a time

when if you had referred to him so briefly, he would

have shortened you as well,

for taking the head off his title, he would have taken your head.

BOLINGBROKE.

Mistake not, uncle, further than you should.

Don't take more offence, uncle, than you should.

YORK.

Take not, good cousin, further than you should,

Lest you mistake. The heavens are over our heads.

Don't take more liberties, good cousin, than you should,

in case you make a mistake. God is watching us.

BOLINGBROKE.

I know it, uncle; and oppose not myself

Against their will. But who comes here?

Enter PERCY

Welcome, Harry. What, will not this castle yield?

I know it, uncle; and I don't want to go

against His will. But who is this?

Welcome, Harry. What, won't this castle surrender?

PIERCY.

The castle royally is mann'd, my lord,

Against thy entrance.

The castle is royally guarded, my lord,

against your entrance.

BOLINGBROKE.

Royally!

Why, it contains no king?

Royally!

Why, is there a king in there?

PERCY.

Yes, my good lord,

It doth contain a king; King Richard lies

Within the limits of yon lime and stone;

And with him are the Lord Aumerle, Lord Salisbury,

Sir Stephen Scroop, besides a clergyman

Of holy reverence; who, I cannot learn.

Yes, my good lord,

it does contain a king; King Richard is

within those walls of lime and stone;

and with him on the Lord Aumerle, Lord Salisbury,

Sir Stephen Scroop, as well as a clergyman

of high position; I can't find out who he is.

NORTHUMBERLAND.