 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
Table of Contents Act I, SCENE 3 The scene is the field of battle between Sandal Castle and Wakefield. Alarums are heard. Rutland and his Tutor enter, and Rutland asks his Tutor how he will escape from Clifford, a man seeking revenge for his father's death. Just then Clifford and his soldiers enter and Clifford tells the soldiers to take away the Tutor. He, being a priest, can escape from death. But Rutland, being the son of York, shall certainly die. The Tutor requests Clifford to spare the life of Rutland who is only seventeen but he is mercilessly dragged away by the soldiers. Clifford tries to open the eyes of Rutland lying on the floor fearfully. Very humbly Rutland tells Clifford that the latter is like a pent-up lion looking over his prey lying trembling under his devouring paws. Rutland pleads Clifford to spare his life and let him live and let his revenge be directed against men and not boys like him. He also says that it is better Clifford kills him with his sword rather than look at him in this threatening manner. Clifford replies that the death of his father has blocked the way to his heart. Rutland says that Clifford can deal with his father York who is a man. In a heartless manner, Clifford says that his revenge will never be avenged even if kills all the York household, relatives and dug up the graves of their forefathers and hang their rotten coffins up in chains. All these will not be sufficient to ease his heart. Rutland's pleadings and words have no affect on Clifford, and he is killed. Notes The scene exposes Clifford's barbarous deed of killing the innocent Rutland, the youngest of York's sons and not even a warrior. This avenging instinct pervades the play and is probably the most tragic aspect of the trilogy, that in the play for power many innocent lives are lost. Rutland, being York's son, is not exempted from death though he pleads for his life in a persuasive manner. His soft words have no affect in the bloodthirsty mind of Clifford, whose heart he says is blocked by the blood of his dead father. Rutland compares Clifford to a hungry lion trying to devour the prey lying trembling under its paws. He says, 'Ah gentle Clifford kill me with thy sword, And not with such a cruel threatening look.' The lines are indicative of the nature of Clifford's bloodthirsty look and his barbarous ways of taking revenge. Though aged seventeen, Rutland appears to be mature for his age for his words are full of wisdom and humility. He tells Clifford to take revenge on older men and not on young boys like himself and to deal directly with his father, who is responsible for all this. He asks Clifford to take pity on him. Even at the time of his death he prays to God. He says, "The gods grant that this may be the peak of thy glory." Clifford's revenge is the main theme of the play. His mind is so quenched with revenge that he says that the sight of any member of the house of York is as a fury to torment his soul and until he roots out their accursed line and leave not one alive, he will live in hell. That shows the intensity of hatred and animosity Clifford nurtures against York. The Furies were tormentors who possessed the souls of the guilty with madness. Clifford's words are always connected with death, blood, graves, coffins and other horror invoking metaphors. 'No, if I digg'd up thy forefathers graves And hung their rotten coffins up in chains, It could not slake mine ire nor ease my heart' The scene exposes Clifford's barbarous, stone-hearted nature that leads to other main actions of the play. After killing Rutland, Clifford shouts in hurry and proclaims that he will wipe the blood of Rutland from his sword only after killing York, so that the two blood of father and son will mix together and be wiped off together. This indicates the future events to come. Table of Contents | |
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