Chapter 12
Act III, Scenes 5-7: The Propaganda Machine
Enter Richard, and Buckingham, in rotten Armour, maruellous ill-fauoured. Richard. Come Cousin, Canst thou quake, and change thy colour, Murther thy breath in middle of a word, And then againe begin, and stop againe, As if thou were distraught, and mad with terror? Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit the deepe Tragedian, Speake, and looke backe, and prie on euery side, Tremble and start at wagging of a Straw: Intending deepe suspition, gastly Lookes Are at my seruice, like enforced Smiles; And both are readie in their Offices, At any time to grace my Stratagemes. But what, is Catesby gone? Rich.…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"So deare I lou'd the man, that I must weepe: I tooke him for the plainest harmelesse Creature, That breath'd vpon the Earth, a Christian."
Context: Richard to the Mayor after Hastings's head is displayed
Richard performs grief over the man he ordered killed hours ago. The Christian language and book-of-soul metaphor sell innocence to the Mayor while the head is still warm.
In Today's Words:
Richard says he loved Hastings so dearly he must weep and took him for the plainest harmless Christian on earth. Performance grief follows ordered removal: the leader who wanted the head now speaks as if wounded. When someone eulogizes an ally they eliminated the same day, treat the tears as script.
"Who is so grosse, that cannot see this palpable deuice? Yet who so bold, but sayes he sees it not?"
Context: The scrivener alone after copying Hastings's pre-written indictment
The scrivener names the fraud everyone will pretend not to see. The indictment was engrossed while Hastings still lived free; these two lines are the moral of the whole propaganda machine.
In Today's Words:
The scrivener asks who is so blind not to see this obvious setup and who is bold enough to say so aloud. Visible fraud survives on enforced silence. When the room sees the document came first and still performs shock, note who profits from your discretion and who needs you to keep quiet.
"But like dumbe Statues, or breathing Stones, Star'd each on other, and look'd deadly pale"
Context: Buckingham reporting the Guildhall citizens' silence to Richard
The crowd refuses to play Richard's script. Silence is its own verdict, which Buckingham will replace with planted applause and call general wisdom.
In Today's Words:
Buckingham says the citizens stood like dumb statues or breathing stones, staring at each other, deadly pale. Public silence after a propaganda pitch is data: the room is not buying the story. When a leader spins silence into applause using hired voices, count who spoke first and who needed prompting.
"And looke you get a Prayer-Booke in your hand, And stand betweene two Church-men, good my Lord, For on that ground Ile make a holy Descant: And be not easily wonne to our requests, Play the Maids part, still answer nay, and take it"
Context: Buckingham coaching Richard before the Mayor visits Baynard's Castle
When the lie fails in the street, Richard will sell reluctance in church dress. Buckingham scripts piety, delay, and a maiden's no that means yes.
In Today's Words:
Buckingham tells Richard to hold a prayer book, stand between two churchmen, and play the maid's part by answering nay until he accepts. Reluctance can be manufactured like accusation. When a power grab arrives dressed as prayer and repeated refusal, watch who wrote the blocking and who wins when the no finally breaks.
Thematic Threads
Paper Before the Crime
In This Chapter
The scrivener's indictment was engrossed overnight while Hastings still lived free and unexamined
Development
The Guildhall script and Baynard's Castle staging follow the same logic: verdict first, theater second
In Your Life:
When documents or talking points exist before the meeting that will condemn someone, the outcome was fixed before you were invited.
Silence Bought with Plants
In This Chapter
Guildhall citizens stand mute as statues until Buckingham's followers hurl caps and ten voices cry for Richard
Development
Failed public consent triggers the prayer-book performance and maiden's nay at Baynard's Castle
In Your Life:
If applause starts from one corner after a silent room, ask who planted the cheer before you call it consensus.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
Why do Richard and Buckingham rehearse terror in rotten armor before the Mayor sees Hastings's head?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
They coach each other to tremble like frightened innocents so the Mayor sees victims of conspiracy, not architects of execution. The costume precedes the head and frames Richard as reluctant enforcer of law.
- 2
What does the scrivener's indictment prove about the timing of Hastings's condemnation?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
The indictment was written in eleven hours from a precedent sent while Hastings still lived free and untainted. The timeline proves the condemnation was fixed before any crime the council could name.
- 3
How does Buckingham convert silent citizens and ten planted voices into general applause?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Citizens stand mute until Buckingham's plants hurl caps and cry God save King Richard. Manufactured enthusiasm gives silent observers permission to treat the outcome as already decided.
- 4
What does coaching Richard to play the maid's part reveal about the next step in Richard's rise?
application • deepOne way to read it
Richard must perform holy reluctance between bishops so the crown looks given by prayerful modesty, not seized by the man who just displayed Hastings's head.
- 5
When have you seen a decision defended with process after the outcome was already fixed?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
When paperwork, hearings, or timelines arrive after the result is visible, process is costume. Ask what was decided before the meeting started and who needed the record to look legitimate.
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Process Analysis
Richard uses legitimate process to mask manipulation. Think of a time when you saw process manipulation - when legitimate procedures were used for illegitimate ends.
Consider:
- •How can you tell when process is genuine versus when it's a mask?
- •What are the signs of process manipulation?
- •How do manipulators control process to control outcomes?
- •What can you do when you recognize process manipulation?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you saw process manipulation. How was legitimate process used for illegitimate ends? How did you recognize it?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 13: Act III, Scene 7 (cont.): The Reluctant King
Buckingham and the Mayor beg Richard to accept the crown; he refuses, threatens to leave, then yields on condition their enforcement clears him of every impure stain.
