Apish Courtesy

They do me wrong, and I will not endure it. 

I fear our happiness is at its height. 

Who is it that complains unto the king

 that I, forsooth, am stern, and love them not? 

Because I cannot flatter... 

Look fair, smile in men's faces,

deceive, cog, duck with 

French nods and apish courtesy

I must be held a rancorous enemy. 

 

The World they live in... 

The World they exist in is privy 

to these kinds of... 

internecine family quarrel. 

That's right. 

They are clawing at each other 

for the throne. 

 

Brother Gloucester, we know your meaning. You envy my advancement and my friends'. 

God grant we may never have need of you! 

Meantime, God grants that I have need of you. Our brother is imprison'd by your means... ...myself disgraced... ...the nobility of the house held in contempt... ...while great promotions are daily given to ennoble those... ...that scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. 

By Him that raised me to this careful height... 

from that contented hap which I enjoy'd

I never did incense his majesty 

against the Duke of Clarence. 

You're gonna say you are not the mean of 

my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment? 

 

You see? Richard's stirring the pot. 

The King is Dying, 

so he's fearful and paranoid,
sending people to jail --

This is a situation Richard loves. 

 

He can use the fear, the turmoil to his advantage. 

He knows they hate each other. 

He'll use their hatred to manipulate them. 

You know, to divide, then conquer. 

 

My Lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne

these blunt upbraidings and these bitter scoffs. By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty 

of these gross taunts. 

I'd rather be a country servant... 

 

What! Threat you me with telling of the king? 

Tell him, and spare not. 

Let me put it in your minds, if you forget.

what you are ere this, and what you are. 

Withal, what I have been, 

and what I am. 

 

 

A murderous villain, 

and so still thou art. 

 

Well, it is a complicated play too. 

All those relationships and the wives --

The Queen Margaret stuff is difficult. 

Hear me, you wrangling pirates, 

that fall out in sharing

 that which you have pill'd from me! 

 

Margaret was The Queen before The War. 

She was a Lancaster, 

and she was dethroned 

by The Yorks. 

 

She's a ghost of The Past, 

haunting Yhe Yorks with her curses. 

 

A husband and a son... 

 

Don't you think she rants and raves 

around the castle like this a lot? 

 

No! 

 

No? 

 

I don't think so --

I think she just comes in this day... 

...because it's a crisis time, 

and she FEELS it! 

 

Give way, dull clouds, 

to my quick curses! 

 

It's primordial. 

She brings that kind of Music 

 into this experience. 

 

Poor painted queen. 

The day will come that thou shalt 

wish for me to help thee

curse this poisonous bunchback'd toad. 

 

Reading this play, as I take word by word... 

...everything She Says happens. 

 

Beware of yonder dog! 

Look. Have not to do with him, 

beware of him. 

Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him...

 ...and all their messengers await on him. 

 

Thou hateful wither'd hag, 

have done thy charm.  

 

And leave out thee? 

Stay, dog, for thou shalt hear me.

 

The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul. 

Thou elvish-mark'd, abortive, rooting hog....

 

Live each of you the subjects to his hate... 

...and he to yours, and all of you 

to God's! 

 

We don't say a word. 

We let her go. 

 

The Music... Literally, I mean The Music... 

... and the thoughts and the concepts... 

... and the feelings have not been divorced 

from The Words.

 

And in England,  

You've had centuries 

in which Word 

 has been totally divorced... 

...from Truth --

 

And that's A Problem 

for Us-actors. 

 

 

If we think words are things and have no feelings in words... 

...then we say things to each other that mean nothing. 

But if we felt what we said, we'd say less and mean more.