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- $Unique_ID{SSP02376}
- $Title{King Henry VI, Part III: Act V, Scene V}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*02350.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- KING HENRY VI, PART III
- (written about 1591-92)
-
-
- ACT V
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE V: Another part of the field.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE,
- and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and
- SOMERSET, prisoners.}
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
- Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight:
- For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
- Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak.
-
- OXFORD: For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words.
-
- SOMERSET: Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
-
- [Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded.]
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: So part we sadly in this troublous world,
- To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward
- Shall have a high reward, and he his life? 10
-
- GLOUCESTER: It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes!
-
- {Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD.}
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak.
- What! can so young a thorn begin to prick?
- Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
- For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
- And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to?
-
- PRINCE EDWARD: Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York!
- Suppose that I am now my father's mouth;
- Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou,
- Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee, 20
- Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Ah, that thy father had been so resolved!
-
- GLOUCESTER: That you might still have worn the petticoat,
- And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster.
-
- PRINCE EDWARD: Let AEsop fable in a winter's night;
- His currish riddles sort not with this place.
-
- GLOUCESTER: By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
-
- GLOUCESTER: For God's sake, take away this captive scold.
-
- PRINCE EDWARD: Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. 30
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
-
- CLARENCE: Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.
-
- PRINCE EDWARD: I know my duty; you are all undutiful:
- Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
- And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all
- I am your better, traitors as ye are:
- And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine.
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Take that, thou likeness of this railer here.
-
- [Stabs him.]
-
- GLOUCESTER: Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony.
-
- [Stabs him.]
-
- CLARENCE: And there's for twitting me with perjury. 40
-
- [Stabs him.]
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: O, kill me too!
-
- GLOUCESTER: Marry, and shall.
-
- [Offers to kill her.]
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much.
-
- GLOUCESTER: Why should she live, to fill the world with words?
-
- KING EDWARD IV: What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery.
-
- GLOUCESTER: Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother;
- I'll hence to London on a serious matter:
- Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
-
- CLARENCE: What? what?
-
- GLOUCESTER: The Tower, the Tower. 50
-
- [Exit.]
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy!
- Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers!
- They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,
- Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
- If this foul deed were by to equal it:
- He was a man; this, in respect, a child:
- And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
- What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?
- No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak: 60
- And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.
- Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals!
- How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
- You have no children, butchers! if you had,
- The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse:
- But if you ever chance to have a child,
- Look in his youth to have him so cut off
- As, deathmen, you have rid this sweet young prince!
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here,
- Here sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death: 70
- What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou.
-
- CLARENCE: By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
-
- CLARENCE: Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself:
- 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity.
- What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher,
- Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou?
- Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed;
- Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. 80
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: So come to you and yours, as to this Prince!
-
- [Exit, led out forcibly.]
-
- KING EDWARD IV: Where's Richard gone?
-
- CLARENCE: To London, all in post; and, as I guess,
- To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
-
- KING EDWARD IV: He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head.
- Now march we hence: discharge the common sort
- With pay and thanks, and let's away to London
- And see our gentle queen how well she fares:
- By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. 90
-
- [Exeunt.]