Summary
Act IV, Scene 3: The Mothers' Curses
Richard III by William Shakespeare
Queen Margaret emerges from hiding—she's been lurking in England to watch her enemies' destruction. Queen Elizabeth mourns her murdered sons: 'Ah my poor princes! ah my tender babes: my unblowed flowers, new appearing sweets.' The Duchess of York joins her—Richard's own mother, destroyed by what her son has become. Margaret claims supremacy in grief: 'If ancient sorrow be most reverent, give mine the benefit.' She catalogs the Edwards: 'I had an Edward, till a Richard killed him: I had a husband, till a Richard killed him: Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard killed him: Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard killed him.' The Duchess turns on Margaret: 'I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him'—but then agrees about her surviving son. Margaret delivers her devastating curse on Richard: 'From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept a hell-hound that doth hunt us all to death: that dog, that had his teeth before his eyes, to worry lambs, and lap their gentle blood.' The Duchess accepts the curse—her own son is the monster. Margaret's vengeance is complete—all her enemies dead or suffering. She prophesies Richard's end is near: 'Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, to have him suddenly conveyed from hence.' Elizabeth begs Margaret to teach her to curse. Margaret's famous denunciation: 'Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow: for joyful mother, one that wails the name: for one being sued to, one that humbly sues: for queen, a very caitiff crowned with care.' Margaret exits triumphant. Richard enters with trumpets. The Duchess confronts her son: 'O she that might have intercepted thee by strangling thee in her accursed womb.' Elizabeth demands: 'Where are my children?' The Duchess: 'Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence?' Richard orders drums to drown them out: 'Let not the heavens hear these tell-tale women rail on the Lord's anointed. Strike I say.' He cannot silence them. His own mother curses him. The women's grief becomes weapon.
Coming Up in Chapter 17
Richard is crowned king, but his reign begins with paranoia and fear as he eliminates remaining threats.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~458 words)
So now prosperity begins to mellow And drop into the rotten mouth of death. Here in these confines slily have I lurk'd, To watch the waning of mine adversaries. A dire induction am I witness to, And will to France, hoping the consequence Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical. QUEEN ELIZABETH. Decline all this, and see what now thou art: For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care; For she that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me; For she being feared of all, now fearing one; For she commanding all, obey'd of none. Queen Margaret emerges from hiding—she's been lurking in England to watch her enemies' destruction. Queen Elizabeth mourns her murdered sons: 'Ah my poor princes! ah my tender babes: my unblowed flowers, new appearing sweets.' The Duchess of York joins her—Richard's own mother, destroyed by what her son has become. Margaret claims supremacy in grief: 'If ancient sorrow be most reverent, give mine the benefit.' She catalogs the Edwards: 'I had an Edward, till a Richard killed him: I had a husband, till a Richard killed him: Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard killed him: Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard killed him.' The Duchess turns on Margaret: 'I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him'—but then agrees about her surviving son. Margaret delivers her devastating curse on Richard: 'From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept a hell-hound that doth hunt us all to death: that dog, that had his teeth before his eyes, to worry lambs, and lap their gentle blood.' The Duchess accepts the curse—her own son is the monster. Margaret's vengeance is complete—all her enemies dead or suffering. She prophesies Richard's end is near: 'Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, to have him suddenly conveyed from hence.' Elizabeth begs Margaret to teach her to curse. Margaret's famous denunciation: 'Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow: for joyful mother, one that wails the name: for one being sued to, one that humbly sues: for queen, a very caitiff crowned with care.' Margaret exits triumphant. Richard enters with trumpets. The Duchess confronts her son: 'O she that might have intercepted thee by strangling thee in her accursed womb.' Elizabeth demands: 'Where are my children?' The Duchess: 'Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence?' Richard orders drums to drown them out: 'Let not the heavens hear these tell-tale women rail on the Lord's anointed. Strike I say.' He cannot silence them. His own mother curses him. The women's grief becomes weapon.
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Human Cost
Recognizing that manipulation has real human consequences - suffering, loss, destroyed relationships - beyond abstract political or strategic considerations
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
Manipulation has real human consequences. This skill helps you see beyond the political game to the real suffering.
Practice This Today
When you see manipulation, look for the human cost. Who suffers? What are the real consequences? How are families, relationships, and lives affected? Don't just focus on the game - see the people.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Lament
An expression of grief, sorrow, or mourning
Modern Usage:
Like expressing deep sorrow or regret over loss
Human Cost
The real suffering, loss, and consequences that affect actual people, beyond abstract political or strategic considerations
Modern Usage:
Like recognizing that a corporate restructuring affects real families, not just numbers on a spreadsheet
Characters in This Chapter
Queen Elizabeth
Widow of Edward IV, mother of the murdered princes
Queen Elizabeth represents those who lose everything to manipulation. She's gone from queen to widow, from power to powerlessness, showing the human cost of Richard's rise.
Modern Equivalent:
Someone who loses everything - career, family, security - due to someone else's manipulation
Duchess of York
Richard's mother
Even Richard's own mother curses him, showing the depth of his evil. When your own family recognizes your manipulation, you've crossed a line.
Modern Equivalent:
Someone whose own family recognizes their manipulation and rejects them
Lady Anne
Richard's wife, who was seduced by him
Anne represents those who were complicit in manipulation but now see the truth. She recognizes her own complicity and the cost of her choices.
Modern Equivalent:
Someone who initially benefited from manipulation but now recognizes the cost and their own complicity
Key Quotes & Analysis
"So now prosperity begins to mellow And drop into the rotten mouth of death."
Context: Queen Elizabeth lamenting the fall from prosperity to destruction
This quote captures the theme of the scene: how prosperity and power can quickly turn to destruction and death. The 'rotten mouth of death' suggests that Richard's manipulation consumes everything.
In Today's Words:
Everything we had is now being destroyed and consumed
"For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care;"
Context: Queen Elizabeth describing her fall from power and happiness
This powerful litany shows the complete reversal of fortune. Queen Elizabeth has lost everything: her husband, her children, her power, her dignity. The human cost is devastating.
In Today's Words:
I've lost everything: my husband, my children, my power, my dignity
Thematic Threads
Consequences
In This Chapter
Real people suffer from manipulation
Development
Manipulation has human costs beyond the game
In Your Life:
When you see manipulation, look for the human cost. Who suffers? What are the real consequences?
Complicity
In This Chapter
Anne recognizes her own complicity
Development
Those who benefit from manipulation may also suffer
In Your Life:
Recognize when you're complicit in manipulation - even if you benefit, you may also pay a cost
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does the women's lament show about the cost of Richard's manipulations? How does it humanize the consequences?
analysis • deep - 2
Why is it important to recognize the human cost of manipulation? How does focusing on the game obscure the suffering?
reflection • medium - 3
Have you witnessed manipulation with human costs? How did real people suffer?
application • surface
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Cost Analysis
The women's lament shows the human cost of manipulation. Think of manipulation you've witnessed or been part of.
Consider:
- •What are the real human consequences of manipulation?
- •Who suffers when manipulators succeed?
- •How can focusing on the game obscure the suffering?
- •What can you do to recognize and address human costs?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you saw the human cost of manipulation. Who suffered? What were the real consequences? How did it affect families, relationships, and lives?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 17: Act IV, Scene 3 (cont.): The Mother's Curse & Monstrous Proposal
The coming pages reveal power changes people, and teach us paranoia follows manipulation. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.