Lady Anne’s Monologue from Richard III, Act 1, Scene 2: "What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid?"
Synopsis
Lady Anne delivers this powerful and vitriolic monologue as she confronts Richard, Duke of Gloucester, over his role in the murders of her father-in-law, King Henry VI, and her husband, Edward of Westminster. Standing beside Henry’s coffin, she accuses Richard of being a devilish figure whose presence defiles the world and causes Henry’s wounds to bleed afresh, a supernatural sign of guilt in Elizabethan belief. Anne calls for divine and earthly retribution, expressing her horror and grief through a torrent of vivid imagery and raw emotion.
What’s just happened before this moment that’s relevant to the scene?
Lady Anne accompanies the funeral procession of King Henry VI. As the procession pauses, Richard appears and boldly engages her in conversation. Despite her grief and anger, Richard begins his seduction by manipulating her emotions. This monologue is her initial reaction, a fierce condemnation of Richard’s deeds and his malevolent presence.
Original Text
*"What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid?
Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal,
And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.
Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell!
Thou hadst but power over his mortal body:
His soul thou canst not have; therefore begone.
Foul devil, for God’s sake, hence, and trouble us not;
For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell,
Fill’d it with cursing cries and deep exclaims.
If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.
O gentlemen! See, see dead Henry’s wounds
Open their congeal’d mouths and bleed afresh.
Blush, Blush, thou lump of foul deformity,
For ’tis thy presence that exhales this blood
From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells:
Thy deed, inhuman and unnatural,
Provokes this deluge most unnatural.
O God! Which this blood mad’st, revenge his death;
O earth! Which this blood drink’st, revenge his death;
Either heav’n with lightning strike the murderer dead,
Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick,
As thou dost swallow up this good King’s blood
Which his hell-govern’d arm hath butchered."*
Translation of Text into Contemporary Language
*"What’s the matter? Are you all shaking and afraid?
I don’t blame you, since you’re human,
And humans can’t stand to look at the devil.
Go away, you dreadful servant of hell!
You only had power over his body,
But you can’t touch his soul, so leave!
Foul devil, for God’s sake, get out of here and stop troubling us.
You’ve turned this once-happy world into your personal hell,
Filling it with cries of suffering and grief.
If you enjoy looking at your evil deeds,
Look here at this example of your slaughter.
Gentlemen, look! See how Henry’s wounds
Are bleeding again, as if they’ve opened their mouths.
Blush, blush, you hideous monster,
Because your presence draws blood
From these cold, lifeless veins where no blood should flow.
Your unnatural, inhuman actions
Have caused this unnatural flood of blood.
Oh God, who created this blood, avenge his death!
Oh earth, which absorbs this blood, avenge his death!
Either let heaven strike the murderer with lightning,
Or let the earth open up and swallow him alive,
Just as it swallows up the blood of this good king,
Butchered by his hell-driven hand."*
Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words
Avaunt: Begone; go away.
Minister of hell: A servant of hell, referencing Richard’s wickedness.
Pattern of thy butcheries: Example or representation of your murderous acts.
Congeal’d mouths: Refers to the coagulated wounds, which seem to “speak” by bleeding anew.
Lump of foul deformity: A reference to Richard’s physical deformities, often portrayed as symbolic of his inner corruption.
Deluge most unnatural: A flood of blood caused by unnatural, heinous actions.
Quick: Alive; suggesting being swallowed alive by the earth.
Hell-govern’d arm: Richard’s arm, controlled by hellish influences.
Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing
"What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid? Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal, And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil. Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell!"
"Thou hadst but power over his mortal body: His soul thou canst not have; therefore begone."
"Foul devil, for God’s sake, hence, and trouble us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Fill’d it with cursing cries and deep exclaims."
"If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries. O gentlemen! See, see dead Henry’s wounds Open their congeal’d mouths and bleed afresh."
"Blush, Blush, thou lump of foul deformity, For ’tis thy presence that exhales this blood From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells: Thy deed, inhuman and unnatural Provokes this deluge most unnatural."
"O God! Which this blood mad’st, revenge his death; O earth! Which this blood drink’st, revenge his death; Either heav’n with lightning strike the murderer dead, Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick, As thou dost swallow up this good King’s blood Which his hell-govern’d arm hath butchered."
Journey Keypoints
Hook: Lady Anne opens with a fierce condemnation of Richard, likening him to the devil.
Turning Point: She accuses Richard of turning the world into a hellscape, listing his heinous deeds and their consequences.
Climax: The supernatural imagery of Henry’s bleeding wounds highlights the gravity of Richard’s guilt and the unnaturalness of his crimes.
Resolution: Anne calls upon divine and earthly forces to avenge Henry’s death and punish Richard.
Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role
Claire Bloom (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1955)
Annette Bening (Richard III, 1995 Film)
Kristin Scott Thomas (National Theatre, 1996)
Phoebe Fox (Almeida Theatre, 2016)
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