Richard III

The chapter opens at Pomfret Castle where Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan are led to execution. Rivers calls it 'bloody prison' where Richard II was murdered. Grey remembers Margaret's curse—she cursed them all for standing by when Richard stabbed her son. 'Now Margaret's curse is fallen upon our heads,' he says. They embrace and go to their deaths, Margaret's prophecy fulfilled. The scene shifts to the Tower council meeting to plan Prince Edward's coronation. Hastings cheerfully declares Richard 'knows me well and loves me well.' Richard arrives in excellent spirits, casually requesting strawberries from the Bishop of Ely's garden—a detail that makes what follows even more chilling. Richard and Buckingham step aside. Buckingham reports Catesby's test: Hastings 'will lose his head' before consenting to Richard taking the throne. Minutes later, Richard returns transformed—raging, demanding to know what conspirators against him deserve. Hastings eagerly condemns them: 'They have deserved death.' Richard displays his withered arm (which he's had since birth) and absurdly claims Queen Elizabeth and Mistress Shore bewitched it. Hastings cautiously says 'If they have done this deed...' Richard explodes at the word 'if': 'Talk'st thou to me of ifs? Thou art a traitor. Off with his head! Now by Saint Paul I swear, I will not dine until I see the same.' Instant execution. No trial. No evidence. Just rage and death. Left with guards, Hastings finally sees clearly—Stanley's prophetic dream of the boar, his horse stumbling three times at the Tower, all the warnings he scorned. His last words: 'O momentary grace of mortal men, which we more hunt for than the grace of God! Who builds his hope in air of your good looks, lives like a drunken sailor on a mast, ready with every nod to tumble down into the fatal bowels of the deep.' He prophesies 'the fearfullest time' for England. Immediately, Richard and Buckingham don old armor and stage a theatrical performance for the Mayor—pretending to be under attack, creating false justification. Lowell and Ratcliffe enter with Hastings's severed head. Richard instantly switches to fake grief: 'So dear I loved the man that I must weep.' He claims Hastings was a secret traitor who fooled everyone. The execution and the performance happen so quickly that Hastings's blood is still wet while Richard manipulates public opinion. This is tyranny perfected: arbitrary execution paired with theatrical lies.