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| Character | Gloucester (future Richard III) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | |
| Age Range(s) | Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Descriptive, Lamenting, Talking to the audience, Rejoicing/Excited, Reminiscing life story/Telling a story, Malicious/scheming | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | Renaissance | |
| Genre | Historical, Drama | |
| Description | "Now is the winter of our discontent..." | |
| Location | ACT I, Scene 1 | |
Summary
Richard III is the sequel to Henry VI part 3. After years of civil war between the House of Lancaster led by the previous king Henry VI and the House of York, led by the Duke of York, England has finally found peace again. The Duke of York died during the war and his son Edward IV is now king of England. His younger brothers are George, the Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
This monologue is at the beginning of the play. There is finally peace in England, he says and the "sun of York" is victorious. His older brother Edward is king and everybody is celebrating except for him. He laments the fact that he is ugly and deformed, not made for "sportive tricks" or court "an amorous looking glass". He vows to make everyone miserable too and tells the audience that he will become a villain. He plans to become king and his first victim will be his brother Clarence. He has spread some rumors against him to make his brother Edward suspicious about him. His brother Clarence enters and the monologue ends.
This monologue is at the beginning of the play. There is finally peace in England, he says and the "sun of York" is victorious. His older brother Edward is king and everybody is celebrating except for him. He laments the fact that he is ugly and deformed, not made for "sportive tricks" or court "an amorous looking glass". He vows to make everyone miserable too and tells the audience that he will become a villain. He plans to become king and his first victim will be his brother Clarence. He has spread some rumors against him to make his brother Edward suspicious about him. His brother Clarence enters and the monologue ends.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
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| GLOUCESTER Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths; Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings, Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front; And now, instead of mounting barded steeds To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass; I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up, And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me as I halt by them; Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to spy my shadow in the sun And descant on mine own deformity: And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain And hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams, To set my brother Clarence and the king In deadly hate the one against the other: And if King Edward be as true and just As I am subtle, false and treacherous, This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up, About a prophecy, which says that 'G' Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be. Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here Clarence comes. [Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY] Brother, good day; what means this armed guard That waits upon your grace? |
Comments
The monologue can be divided in two parts, the first being the description of the current political situation in England (up to "to the lascivious pleasing of a lute") and the second starting from "But I...." where he laments his deformity and ugliness and confesses his schemes to the audience. The first part could be addressed to himself and the rest directly to the audience. Remember the character is deformed when performing the monologue!
