 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 4 The scene is the field of battle between Sandal Castle and Wakefield. Alarums are heard and Richard and the Duke of York enter. York laments that the Queen's army has got the field and both of his uncles who had come to save him have been killed. All his soldiers are flying away like ships before the wind, or lambs chased by wolves. He expresses his concern about his sons and says they are like men born to be famous by life or death. Thrice, Richard had inspired him to fight bravely. Edward has come to his side with a curved sword, with the edge on the convex, blood covered with the blood of those who had fought with him. They fought with all their strength, but failed. They became exhausted as they have seen a swan fighting against the tide with all her strength and spending her strength with over-matching waves. York is so weary that when the alarum is heard announcing the arrival of his foes, he is not able to run away and stays there itself to meet his end. The Queen enters with Clifford, Northumberland, the young Prince and soldiers. Clifford and Northumberland ask York to surrender to their mercy. York scornfully says his ashes will bring forth a new force like the phoenix bird which existed single and rose again form its own ashes. He expresses hope that his enemies will soon be encountered and that he is not afraid of death and punishment. Clifford says mockingly that cowards speak thus when they know that their end is near. He compares York's cowardice to doves pecking the falcon's piercing feathers when they know that they will soon be prey to the falcon. So do thieves, when they know that their lives are hopeless, breathe out invectives against the officers. York reminds Clifford that the latter had once fainted and ran away at the sight of York's frown and it is meaningless to slander York as a coward. Both of them lay their hands on York who struggles. The Queen asks them to make York stand on the molehill that reached up to the mountains. She taunts York about his ambitions to take over the crown and wonders where his sons were to help him. She then reveals a napkin that is stained with Rutland's blood. Sarcastically, she offers that napkin to York to wipe his eyes if he has the intention of crying for his son's death. She makes fun of him and puts a paper crown on his head and proclaims that now he looks like a king. She condemns York for taking King Henry's chair, becoming his adopted heir and also for breaking his solemn oath, which is an unpardonable fault. The queen then orders to have his head removed along with the crown. York addresses the queen as 'She-wolf of France, but worse than the wolves of France', whose tongue is more poisonous than the adder's tooth. He says it is very uncommon for a female to triumph like an Amazonian - a shameless female warrior alluding to her leadership of the army. York defames the queen's lineage as well as her lack of beauty and morals. She is lacking in virtue, self-discipline and bears no resemblance to a woman. Women are usually soft, mild, pitiful, flexible but the queen is stern, flinty, rough and remorseless. Even Northumberland is moved by York's final words although the Queen laughs at his softness. She reminds Northumberland of all the wrong deeds York has done to them that will prevent him from crying. Both Clifford and the queen stab York and he dies praying to God to open the gates of mercy so that his soul will fly through these wounds to heaven. The Queen orders the head of York to be placed on the gates of York so that he may overlook the town. Table of Contents | |
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