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Henry VI, Part 3 - Act 5, scene 5
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Henry VI, Part 3 - Act 5, scene 5Act 5, scene 5
⌜Scene 5⌝
Synopsis:
Queen Margaret and other Lancastrian leaders are brought in as captives. King Edward sends out orders to find Prince Edward. When the prince is brought in, he refuses to treat Edward as king and thus enrages Edward, Richard, and Clarence, who each stab him in turn. Queen Margaret begs them to kill her, too, but they refuse. Richard slips away to travel to the Tower of London. Margaret is led into captivity.
Flourish. Enter ⌜King⌝ Edward, Richard, ⌜and⌝Clarence, ⌜all wearing the white rose, with Soldiers
guarding⌝ Queen ⌜Margaret,⌝ Oxford, ⌜and⌝ Somerset,
⌜all wearing the red rose, prisoners.⌝
KING EDWARD
2725 Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
2726 Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight.
2727 For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
2728 Go bear them hence. I will not hear them speak.
p.
237
OXFORD 2729 5 For my part, I’ll not trouble thee with words.
SOMERSET
2730 Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
QUEEN MARGARET
2731 So part we sadly in this troublous world
2732 To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
⌜Oxford and Somerset⌝ exit, ⌜under guard.⌝
KING EDWARD
2733 Is proclamation made that who finds Edward
2734 10 Shall have a high reward, and he his life?
RICHARD
2735 It is, and lo where youthful Edward comes.
Enter Prince ⌜Edward, wearing the red rose,
under guard.⌝
KING EDWARD
2736 Bring forth the gallant; let us hear him speak.
2737 What, can so young a thorn begin to prick?—
2738 Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
2739 15 For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
2740 And all the trouble thou hast turned me to?
PRINCE EDWARD
2741 Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York.
2742 Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth:
2743 Resign thy chair, and where I stand, kneel thou,
2744 20 Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee
2745 Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
QUEEN MARGARET
2746 Ah, that thy father had been so resolved!
RICHARD
2747 That you might still have worn the petticoat
2748 And ne’er have stol’n the breech from Lancaster.
PRINCE EDWARD
2749 25 Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night;
2750 His currish riddles sorts not with this place.
p.
239
RICHARD 2751 By heaven, brat, I’ll plague you for that word.
QUEEN MARGARET
2752 Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
RICHARD
2753 For God’s sake, take away this captive scold.
PRINCE EDWARD
2754 30 Nay, take away this scolding crookback, rather.
KING EDWARD
2755 Peace, willful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
CLARENCE, ⌜to Prince Edward⌝
2756 Untutored lad, thou art too malapert.
PRINCE EDWARD
2757 I know my duty. You are all undutiful.
2758 Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
2759 35 And thou misshapen Dick, I tell you all
2760 I am your better, traitors as you are,
2761 And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine.
KING EDWARD
2762 Take that, the likeness of this railer here!Stabs him.
RICHARD
2763 Sprawl’st thou? Take that to end thy agony!
Richard stabs him.
CLARENCE
2764 40 And there’s for twitting me with perjury.
Clarence stabs him.
QUEEN MARGARET 2765 O, kill me too!
RICHARD 2766 Marry, and shall.Offers to kill her.
KING EDWARD
2767 Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done too much.
RICHARD
2768 Why should she live to fill the world with words?
⌜Queen Margaret faints.⌝
KING EDWARD
2769 45 What, doth she swoon? Use means for her recovery.
⌜They attempt to revive her.⌝
p.
241
RICHARD, ⌜taking Clarence aside⌝ 2770 Clarence, excuse me to the King my brother.
2771 I’ll hence to London on a serious matter.
2772 Ere you come there, be sure to hear some news.
CLARENCE 2773 What? What?
RICHARD 2774 50⌜The⌝ Tower, the Tower!He exits.
QUEEN MARGARET, ⌜rising from her swoon⌝
2775 O Ned, sweet Ned, speak to thy mother, boy.
2776 Canst thou not speak? O traitors, murderers!
2777 They that stabbed Caesar shed no blood at all,
2778 Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
2779 55 If this foul deed were by to equal it.
2780 He was a man; this, in respect, a child,
2781 And men ne’er spend their fury on a child.
2782 What’s worse than murderer, that I may name it?
2783 No, no, my heart will burst an if I speak,
2784 60 And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.
2785 Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals,
2786 How sweet a plant have you untimely cropped!
2787 You have no children, butchers. If you had,
2788 The thought of them would have stirred up remorse.
2789 65 But if you ever chance to have a child,
2790 Look in his youth to have him so cut off
2791 As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince.
KING EDWARD
2792 Away with her. Go bear her hence perforce.
QUEEN MARGARET
2793 Nay, never bear me hence! Dispatch me here.
2794 70 Here sheathe thy sword; I’ll pardon thee my death.
2795 What, wilt thou not?—Then, Clarence, do it thou.
CLARENCE
2796 By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
QUEEN MARGARET
2797 Good Clarence, do! Sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
CLARENCE
2798 Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
p.
243
QUEEN MARGARET 2799 75 Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself.
2800 ’Twas sin before, but now ’tis charity.
2801 What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil’s butcher,
2802 Richard,
2803 Hard-favored Richard? Richard, where art thou?
2804 80 Thou art not here. Murder is thy alms-deed;
2805 Petitioners for blood thou ne’er putt’st back.
KING EDWARD
2806 Away, I say! ⌜(To Soldiers.)⌝ I charge you bear her
2807 hence.
QUEEN MARGARET
2808 So come to you and yours as to this prince!
Queen ⌜Margaret⌝ exits ⌜under guard.
Soldiers carry off Prince Edward’s body.⌝
KING EDWARD 2809 85Where’s Richard gone?
CLARENCE
2810 To London all in post, and, as I guess,
2811 To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
KING EDWARD
2812 He’s sudden if a thing comes in his head.
2813 Now march we hence. Discharge the common sort
2814 90 With pay and thanks, and let’s away to London
2815 And see our gentle queen how well she fares.
2816 By this I hope she hath a son for me.
⌜They⌝ exit.