Click on any scene below for a side-by-side translation from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Act 1, Scene 1
Welcome to the streets of London, where Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the future King Richard III) delivers a famous soliloquy. (Psst: a soliloquy is just a speech that reveals a character's innermo...
Act 1, Scene 2
A coffin holding King Henry VI's corpse is being carried through the streets by a group of pallbearers. Henry's grieving daughter-in-law, Lady Anne, follows.Lady Anne orders the pallbearers to stop...
Act 1, Scene 3
At the royal palace of Westminster, Queen Elizabeth (the wife of the current King Edward IV) is wringing her hands because her husband is at death's door. Like any devoted wife, Elizabeth wants to...
Act 1, Scene 4
We cut to George, Duke of Clarence, imprisoned in the Tower of London.Clarence tells the prison-keeper about a nightmare he had the night before. He dreamed he'd escaped from the Tower and was on a...
Act 2, Scene 1
At the palace in London, the sickly King Edward IV is gathered with Queen Elizabeth, her two sons Dorset and Gray, her brother Rivers, and Hastings, Catesby, and Buckingham (who have been fighting...
Act 2, Scene 2
Act 2, Scene 3
Three citizens meet on a street in London, chatting about the latest
news. They wonder what the heck is going to happen to England now that
King Edward IV is dead.
Act 2, Scene 4
At the palace in London, Queen Elizabeth chills out with the Duchess of York, the cardinal, and her young son, the Duke of York.Everyone's excited and a little worried about little Prince Edward ma...
Act 3, Scene 1
On a London street, Buckingham and Richard talk with young Prince Edward, who has just arrived in the city.The young Prince asks why his other uncles have not come to greet him. (He has no idea the...
Act 3, Scene 2
Lord Hastings is sleeping peacefully at home when he's awoken by a messenger knocking loudly at his door at four in the morning.The messenger brings news from Lord Stanley, who is a bit of a wreck....
Act 3, Scene 3
The queen's brother Earl Rivers, her son Lord Gray, and their friend Sir Thomas Vaughn face their executions at Pomfret.Rivers declares they're all dying for their duty, and Vaughn declares that al...
Act 3, Scene 4
The time has come for one of Richard's council meetings.Before Richard arrives, those assembled confirm the purpose of the meeting: to discuss the coronation date of the young King Edward (the day...
Act 3, Scene 5
At the Tower of London, Richard makes Buckingham promise that he'll do whatever Richard says.Catesby enters with the mayor of London. Richard and Buckingham make a great show of declaring their vig...
Act 3, Scene 6
On a street in London, a scrivener (a guy who copies documents for a living) enters, holding the indictment of Lord Hastings that's to be read to the people of London that day (even though Hast...
Act 3, Scene 7
Richard and Buckingham meet at Baynard's Castle. Buckingham reports that the citizens weren't very excited about the big speech he made about why Richard should be crowned king. Nor were they buyi...
Act 4, Scene 1
The ladies of the court are gathered before the Tower of London. The old
Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth, and Lady Anne (leading Clarence's
young daughter, Margaret Plantagenet) all greet each o...
Act 4, Scene 2
Back at the palace, Richard has taken the throne, but he's super paranoid. Richard worries aloud that his glory might be too short as king. He points out that Prince Edward (the rightful heir to th...
Act 4, Scene 3
Tyrrell, the murderer, arrives back at the palace in London and reports that the two princes are dead.Tyrrell says he feels guilty and explains that he hired two hit men, Dighton and Forrest, to sm...
Act 4, Scene 4
Back in front of the palace, Queen Margaret is doing her usual bitter, creepy lurking-in-the-shadows act.She says she's happy to witness the tragic downfall of this whole lot of people, and she'll...
Act 4, Scene 5
At Lord Stanley's house in London, Stanley has a secret meeting with a priest on Richmond's side.Stanley laments that he can't openly fight on Richmond's side, because then Richard would kill his s...
Act 5, Scene 1
Buckingham has been captured and forcefully taken to Salisbury. His requests to speak with Richard have been denied.Knowing he's been absolutely forsaken by the wicked king, Buckingham notes that t...
Act 5, Scene 2
Richmond has made camp at Tamworth, only a day's march from where Richard is encamped at Leicester.As Richmond and his men have been marching across England to face Richard, he has been receiving e...
Act 5, Scene 3
Richard and his followers are at Bosworth Field in Leicester. He gets his men to pitch their tents, but he notes that they seem to be looking a bit unhappy.Nonetheless, Richard seems unshakable in...
Act 5, Scene 4
[Note: In the Folger's edition, this is still Scene 3.]As Richard is throwing around his weight, Richmond enters the scene on another part of the stage. (This is a theatrical device for indicating...
Act 5, Scene 5
[Note: In the Folger's edition, this is still Scene 3.] Back at Richard's camp at Bosworth Field, Richard is also making
preparations for battle. He is not focused on troop movements or even
the...
Act 5, Scene 6
[Note: In the Folger's edition, this is still Scene 3.]As Richmond takes to the field, Richard is still trying to get the weather report. He notes that the sun should have risen an hour ago but has...
Act 5, Scene 7
[Note: In the Folger's edition, this is Scene 4.]On the battlefield, Catesby calls out to Norfolk for help, as Richard seems to have taken to the battlefield in mad desperation.Richard's horse has...
Act 5, Scene 8
[Note: In the Folger's edition, this is Scene 5.]Richard and Richmond are onstage together in a fierce battle. Richmond slays Richard.Now it's time for speeches, and the counting of the dead. Georg...