A loud alarum. Enter Clifford,
wearing the red rose, wounded. CLIFFORD
Here burns my candle out; ay, here it dies,
Which whiles it lasted gave King Henry light.
O Lancaster, I fear thy overthrow
More than my body’s parting with my soul!
My love and fear glued many friends to thee; 5
And now I fall, thy tough commixtures melts,
Impairing Henry, strength’ning misproud York;
And whither fly the gnats but to the sun?
And who shines now but Henry’s enemies?
O Phoebus, hadst thou never given consent 10
That Phaëton should check thy fiery steeds,
Thy burning car never had scorched the Earth!
And Henry, hadst thou swayed as kings should do,
Or as thy father and his father did,
Giving no ground unto the house of York, 15
They never then had sprung like summer flies;
I and ten thousand in this luckless realm
Had left no mourning widows for our death,
And thou this day hadst kept thy chair in peace.
For what doth cherish weeds but gentle air? 20
And what makes robbers bold but too much lenity?
Bootless are plaints, and cureless are my wounds;
No way to fly, no strength to hold out flight.
The foe is merciless and will not pity,
For at their hands I have deserved no pity. 25
The air hath got into my deadly wounds,
And much effuse of blood doth make me faint.
Come, York and Richard, Warwick and the rest.
I stabbed your fathers’ bosoms; split my breast. | Get out the first aid kit, because Clifford is injured. He's got a bunch of regrets, but not the kind you'd expect: he wishes he didn't have to die, and he wishes that Henry weren't such a weak king. Why couldn't Henry be like his dad (Henry V) and granddad (Henry IV)? They fought like real kings and didn't give away the crown to anybody. |
He faints. Alarum and retreat. Enter Edward, Warwick,
Richard, and Soldiers, Montague, and George,
all wearing the white rose. EDWARD
Now breathe we, lords. Good fortune bids us pause 30
And smooth the frowns of war with peaceful looks.
Some troops pursue the bloody-minded queen
That led calm Henry, though he were a king,
As doth a sail filled with a fretting gust
Command an argosy to stem the waves. 35
But think you, lords, that Clifford fled with them? WARWICK
No, ’tis impossible he should escape,
For, though before his face I speak the words,
Your brother Richard marked him for the grave,
And wheresoe’er he is, he’s surely dead. 40 Clifford groans, and dies. | Clifford faints and—speak of the devil—the York family and supporters waltz in. Edward tells everyone that they've had a bit of luck and can take a break. He asks if anyone has seen Clifford. Warwick says he hasn't. Then the guys hear a groan and decide to check out where it came from. |
RICHARD
Whose soul is that which takes her heavy leave?
A deadly groan, like life and death’s departing. EDWARD
See who it is; and, now the battle’s ended,
If friend or foe, let him be gently used. RICHARD
Revoke that doom of mercy, for ’tis Clifford, 45
Who not contented that he lopped the branch
In hewing Rutland when his leaves put forth,
But set his murd’ring knife unto the root
From whence that tender spray did sweetly spring,
I mean our princely father, Duke of York. 50 WARWICK
From off the gates of York fetch down the head,
Your father’s head, which Clifford placèd there;
Instead whereof let this supply the room.
Measure for measure must be answerèd. | Richard finds Clifford and says a few callous words about Clifford killing his brother and dad. Warwick suggests they put Clifford's head up on the city gates instead of York's. They want to show everyone how cruel Henry's peeps were when they put York's head on that fence. They'll replace it with Clifford's head to show that they're different. Because, you know, logic. |
EDWARD
Bring forth that fatal screech owl to our house 55
That nothing sung but death to us and ours;
Now death shall stop his dismal threat’ning sound,
And his ill-boding tongue no more shall speak. WARWICK
I think his understanding is bereft.—
Speak, Clifford, dost thou know who speaks to 60
thee?—
Dark cloudy death o’ershades his beams of life,
And he nor sees nor hears us what we say. RICHARD
O, would he did—and so, perhaps, he doth!
’Tis but his policy to counterfeit, 65
Because he would avoid such bitter taunts
Which in the time of death he gave our father. GEORGE
If so thou think’st, vex him with eager words. RICHARD
Clifford, ask mercy and obtain no grace. EDWARD
Clifford, repent in bootless penitence. 70 WARWICK
Clifford, devise excuses for thy faults. GEORGE
While we devise fell tortures for thy faults. RICHARD
Thou didst love York, and I am son to York. EDWARD
Thou pitied’st Rutland; I will pity thee. GEORGE
Where’s Captain Margaret to fence you now? 75 WARWICK
They mock thee, Clifford; swear as thou wast wont. RICHARD
What, not an oath? Nay, then, the world goes hard
When Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath.
I know by that he’s dead; and, by my soul,
If this right hand would buy but two hours’ life 80
That I in all despite might rail at him,
This hand should chop it off, and with the issuing
blood
Stifle the villain whose unstaunchèd thirst
York and young Rutland could not satisfy. 85 WARWICK
Ay, but he’s dead. Off with the traitor’s head,
And rear it in the place your father’s stands.
And now to London with triumphant march,
There to be crownèd England’s royal king,
From whence shall Warwick cut the sea to France 90
And ask the Lady Bona for thy queen;
So shalt thou sinew both these lands together,
And having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread
The scattered foe that hopes to rise again;
For though they cannot greatly sting to hurt, 95
Yet look to have them buzz to offend thine ears.
First will I see the coronation,
And then to Brittany I’ll cross the sea
To effect this marriage, so it please my lord. | As the guys take Clifford's body, they mock him. You can't answer back now, can you? they say. They all laugh. It's all very funny (not) until Warwick brings the brothers back to reality by reminding them that they've got a crown to steal. Sure, they've defeated the enemy, but they need to secure their victory by actually taking the throne. Warwick thinks they should ally with France; that way, they'll have enough troops to battle Margaret if she messes with them again. |
EDWARD
Even as thou wilt, sweet Warwick, let it be; 100
For in thy shoulder do I build my seat,
And never will I undertake the thing
Wherein thy counsel and consent is wanting.—
Richard, I will create thee Duke of Gloucester,
And George, of Clarence. Warwick as ourself 105
Shall do and undo as him pleaseth best. RICHARD
Let me be Duke of Clarence, George of Gloucester,
For Gloucester’s dukedom is too ominous. WARWICK
Tut, that’s a foolish observation.
Richard, be Duke of Gloucester. Now to London, 110
To see these honors in possession. They exit, with Clifford’s body. | Edward agrees. Before they all leave, he makes Richard the Duke of Gloucester and George the Duke of Clarence. Richard says he doesn't want to be the Duke of Gloucester, since the last guy who had that title died really horribly. He wants to switch titles. No way, says Warwick. That's just silly. |