Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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The sign of the Castle Inn is displayed. Alarms.
Enter Warwick, wearing the white rose. WARWICK
Clifford of Cumberland, ’tis Warwick calls!
An if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,
Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarum
And dead men’s cries do fill the empty air,
Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me; 5
Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,
Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms. Enter York, wearing the white rose. How now, my noble lord? What, all afoot? YORK
The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed,
But match to match I have encountered him 10
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he loved so well. Enter old Clifford, wearing the red rose. | Warwick and York enter the battlefield and talk about what's happening. Then Clifford enters, ready to fight. |
WARWICK
Of one or both of us the time is come. YORK
Hold, Warwick! Seek thee out some other chase,
For I myself must hunt this deer to death. 15 WARWICK
Then, nobly, York! ’Tis for a crown thou fight’st.—
As I intend, Clifford, to thrive today,
It grieves my soul to leave thee unassailed.
Warwick exits. | York tells Warwick to beat it. He wants to take on Clifford alone. |
CLIFFORD
What seest thou in me, York? Why dost thou pause? YORK
With thy brave bearing should I be in love, 20
But that thou art so fast mine enemy. CLIFFORD
Nor should thy prowess want praise and esteem,
But that ’tis shown ignobly and in treason. YORK
So let it help me now against thy sword
As I in justice and true right express it! 25 CLIFFORD
My soul and body on the action both! YORK
A dreadful lay! Address thee instantly.
They fight and Clifford falls. CLIFFORD
La fin courrone les oeuvres. He dies. YORK
Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still.
Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will! 30
He exits. | Words and swords clash. York tells Clifford he'll be the winner today.
Turns out he's right: as Clifford dies, York tells him to find peace in
heaven. |
Enter young Clifford, wearing the red rose. YOUNG CLIFFORD
Shame and confusion! All is on the rout.
Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds
Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part 35
Hot coals of vengeance! Let no soldier fly.
He that is truly dedicate to war
Hath no self-love; nor he that loves himself
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valor. He sees his father, lying dead. O, 40
let the vile world end
And the premised flames of the last day
Knit Earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds 45
To cease! Wast thou ordained, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advisèd age,
And, in thy reverence and thy chair-days, thus
To die in ruffian battle? Even at this sight 50
My heart is turned to stone, and while ’tis mine,
It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
No more will I their babes. Tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims, 55
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth I will not have to do with pity.
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it
As wild Medea young Absyrtis did. 60
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
He takes his father’s body onto his back.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford’s house;
As did Aeneas old Anchises bear,
So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders.
But then Aeneas bare a living load, 65
Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine. He exits. | After York leaves, Clifford Jr. comes on talking of valor and soldiers. He finds his father's body. Isn't it strange, Clifford Jr. wonders, that his dad lived in peace all his life, and then died in war as an old man? Clifford Jr. promises to kill anyone siding with York—even an infant—in revenge for his dad's death. He leaves, carrying his dad's body. |
Enter Richard, wearing the white rose, and Somerset,
wearing the red rose, to fight. Richard kills Somerset under the sign of Castle Inn. RICHARD So lie thou there.
For underneath an alehouse’ paltry sign,
The Castle in Saint Albans, Somerset
Hath made the wizard famous in his death. 70
Sword, hold thy temper! Heart, be wrathful still!
Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill. He exits. | Richard and Somerset fight, and Somerset is killed in the battle. Richard notices that his enemy died under an alehouse sign: it's from a castle at St. Albans. Hey, didn't the witch say something about Somerset needing to avoid castles way back when? As Richard leaves, he tells us he plans to kill more people instead of praying for them. |
Fight. Excursions. Enter King Henry, Queen
Margaret, both wearing the red rose, and Others. QUEEN MARGARET
Away, my lord! You are slow. For shame, away! KING HENRY
Can we outrun the heavens? Good Margaret, stay! QUEEN MARGARET
What are you made of? You’ll nor fight nor fly. 75
Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defense
To give the enemy way, and to secure us
By what we can, which can no more but fly. Alarum afar off. If you be ta’en, we then should see the bottom
Of all our fortunes; but if we haply scape, 80
As well we may—if not through your neglect—
We shall to London get, where you are loved
And where this breach now in our fortunes made
May readily be stopped. | Over at Henry's tent, Margaret and Henry are talking about what they should do. Henry is too scared to fight, so Margaret suggests he run away. Henry doesn't want to do that, either. Margaret is embarrassed and angry. How can Henry do nothing? He won't fight, but he also won't flee. She decides they should go to London, where the people love him. |
Enter Young Clifford, wearing the red rose. YOUNG CLIFFORD
But that my heart’s on future mischief set, 85
I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly;
But fly you must. Uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.
Away, for your relief! And we will live
To see their day and them our fortune give. 90
Away, my lord, away! They exit. | Clifford Jr. comes in and talks about how bad it is out there, where people are dying. He encourages Henry to get out of there—now. Henry and Margaret leave. |