QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Let’s lack no discipline, make no delay, for, lords, tomorrow is a busy day

PLAY: Richard III
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: King Richard III
CONTEXT:
KING RICHARD
Up with my tent!—Here will I lie tonight.
But where tomorrow? Well, all’s one for that.
Who hath descried the number of the traitors?
NORFOLK
Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.
KING RICHARD
Why, our battalia trebles that account.
Besides, the king’s name is a tower of strength
Which they upon the adverse party want.
Up with the tent!—Come, noble gentlemen,
Let us survey the vantage of the ground.
Call for some men of sound direction.
Let’s lack no discipline, make no delay,
For, lords, tomorrow is a busy day.

DUTCH:
Een deeg’lijk plan beraamd en ras gehandeld,
Want morgen, heeren, wordt een heete dag.


MORE:
Descried=Discovered
Battalia=Army
Account=Number
Want=Lack
Vantage of the ground=Vantage point
Sound direction=Used to taking orders
Compleat:
Vantage=Toegift, toemaat, overmaat, overwigt
To descry=Ontdekken, bespeuren
Want=Gebrek, nood
Sound (judicious)=Verstandig, schrander, gegrond

Topics: leadership, conflict, advantage/benefit, life

Call for some men of sound direction

PLAY: Richard III
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: King Richard III
CONTEXT:
KING RICHARD
Up with my tent!—Here will I lie tonight.
But where tomorrow? Well, all’s one for that.
Who hath descried the number of the traitors?
NORFOLK
Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.
KING RICHARD
Why, our battalia trebles that account.
Besides, the king’s name is a tower of strength
Which they upon the adverse party want.
Up with the tent!—Come, noble gentlemen,
Let us survey the vantage of the ground.
Call for some men of sound direction.
Let’s lack no discipline, make no delay,
For, lords, tomorrow is a busy day.

DUTCH:
Roept een’ge welervaren krijgers saam

MORE:
Descried=Discovered
Battalia=Army
Account=Number
Want=Lack
Vantage of the ground=Vantage point
Sound direction=Used to taking orders
Compleat:
Vantage=Toegift, toemaat, overmaat, overwigt
To descry=Ontdekken, bespeuren
Want=Gebrek, nood
Sound (judicious)=Verstandig, schrander, gegrond

Topics: leadership, conflict, advantage/benefit, life

My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, and every tongue brings in a several tale

PLAY: Richard III
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: King Richard III
CONTEXT:
KING RICHARD
Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds!
Have mercy, Jesu!—Soft, I did but dream.
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
The lights burn blue. It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? Myself? There’s none else by.
Richard loves Richard; that is, I and I.
Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am.
Then fly! What, from myself? Great reason why:
Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself?
Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For any good
That I myself have done unto myself?
O, no! Alas, I rather hate myself
For hateful deeds committed by myself.
I am a villain. Yet I lie. I am not.
Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter.
My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree;
Murder, stern murder, in the direst degree;
All several sins, all used in each degree,
Throng to the bar, crying all, “Guilty! guilty!”
I shall despair. There is no creature loves me,
And if I die no soul will pity me.
And wherefore should they, since that I myself
Find in myself no pity to myself?
Methought the souls of all that I had murdered
Came to my tent, and every one did threat
Tomorrow’s vengeance on the head of Richard.

DUTCH:
O, mijn geweten heeft veel duizend tongen,
En ied’re tong vertelt een ander stuk,
En ieder stuk veroordeelt mij als schurk.

MORE:
Fly=Flee
Several=Separate
Burn blue=Indicating spirits
Compleat:
Flee=Vlieden, vlugten
Several=Verscheyden

Topics: conscience, imagination, punishment, guilt, pity

Be not afraid of shadows

PLAY: Richard III
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: Ratcliffe
CONTEXT:
RATCLIFFE
Ratcliffe, my lord, ’tis I. The early village cock
Hath twice done salutation to the morn.
Your friends are up and buckle on their armor.
KING RICHARD
O Ratcliffe, I have dreamed a fearful dream!
What think’st thou, will our friends prove all true?
RATCLIFFE
No doubt, my lord.
KING RICHARD
O Ratcliffe, I fear, I fear.
RATCLIFFE
Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows.
KING RICHARD
By the apostle Paul, shadows tonight
Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard
Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers
Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.
‘Tis not yet near day. Come, go with me;
Under our tents I’ll play the eavesdropper
To see if any mean to shrink from me.

DUTCH:
Mijn beste heer, voed toch geen vrees voor schimmen.

MORE:
Threat=Threatens
Shadows=Ghosts, illusions
Proof=Impenetrable
Shallow=Inexperienced
Compleat:
To threaten=Dreygen
Shadow=Schim
Musquet-proof=Daar een musket koegel op afstuyten kan
Shallow=Ondiep
Shallowness, shallow wit=Kleinheid van begrip, dommelykheid

Topics: fate/destiny, loyalty

I’ll strive with troubled thoughts to take a nap

PLAY: Richard III
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: Richmond
CONTEXT:
RICHMOND
Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I’ll strive with troubled thoughts to take a nap,
Lest leaden slumber peise me down tomorrow,
When I should mount with wings of victory.
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen..
O Thou, whose captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye.
Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in the victory!
To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes.
Sleeping and waking, O, defend me still!

DUTCH:
Leidt, waarde lords, hem naar zijn schare op weg .
Ik tracht, verhit van hoofd, een wijl te sluim’ren,
Opdat geen looden slaap mij morgen drukk’,
Als ik op zegewieken stijgen moest.

MORE:
Strive with=Fight against
Peise=Weigh
Irons=Swords
Windows=Shutters
Compleat:
To strive against one=Tegen iemand stryven of stribbelen

Topics: conflict, imagination, conscience, punishment

Click on one of the Plays or Topics in the Shakespeare.Legal menu on the left for more Shakespeare quotes.

Go to Top