Richard III (1995)

Ian McKellen: Richard III - Duke of Gloucester

Photos 

Quotes 

• Richard : Why, I can smile... And murder while I smile!

• Richard III : Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York.

• [last lines] 

  Richard III : Let us to't pell-mell, if not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.

• Richard III : A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!

• Queen Elizabeth : I have no more sons of the royal blood for you to slaughter.

  Richard III : You have a daughter.

• Richard : [to the Duke of Buckingham]  Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead.

• Lady Anne : No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.

  Richard III : But I know none, and therefore am no beast.

• Richard III : [to the camera]  I am not made of stone.

• Young Prince : I shall not sleep in quiet at the tower.

  Richard III : Why? What should you fear?

  Young Prince : My Uncle Clarence's angry ghost: My grandma told me he was murdered there.

  Prince Edward : I fear no Uncles dead.

  Richard III : Nor none who live, I hope.

• Richard III : [to the camera]  Plots have I laid.

• Richard : [to the camera]  I'll have her, but I'll not keep her long.

• Queen Elizabeth : Shall I be tempted by the devil thus?

  Richard III : Yes, if the devil tempt you to do good.

• Duchess of York : Are you my son?

  Richard : Yes. I thank God, my father, and yourself.

• Lord Rivers : To whom in all this presence speaks your grace?

  Richard III : To you, who have neither honesty, nor Grace.

• Richard : Since I cannot prove a lover, I am determined to prove a villain - and hate the idle pleasures of these days.

• Lady Anne : Did you not kill my husband?

  Richard : I grant you, yes.

  Lady Anne : You grant me, hedgehog?

• Richard : I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, nor made to court an amorous looking-glass. I, that am rudely stamped, deformed, unfinished, sent before my time, into this breathing world scarce half made up. And that so lamely and unfashionable, that dogs bark at me as I halt by them. Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, have no delight to pass away the time, unless to spy my shadow in the sun and descant on mine own deformity.

• Richard : And now, I'll marry. What though I killed her husband and his father?

• Richard : The world is grown so bad that wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch!

• Richard : But shall I live in hope?

  Lady Anne : All men, I hope, live so.

• Lady Anne : He was gentle, mild and virtuous.

  Richard : The fitter for the King of Heaven who has him.

  Lady Anne : And you unfit for any place but hell!

  Richard : Yes, but one place else, if you will hear me name it.

  Lady Anne : Some dungeon!

  Richard : Your bedchamber.

• Richard : I am in so far in blood that sin will pluck on sin.

• Richard : [to the Duke of Buckingham]  I am not in the giving vein today.

• Richard III : Madam, mother, I do humbly crave your blessing.

  Duchess of York : God comfort you; and put meekness in your breast, love, charity, obedience and true duty!

  Richard III : Amen;

  [aside] 

  Richard III : and make me die a good old man! That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing.

• Queen Elizabeth : But you did kill my children.

  Richard III : But in your daughter's womb, I bury them: Where, in that nest of spicery, they will breed.

• Richard III : Conscience is but a word cowards use.

• Duke of Buckingham : My Lord protector, what should we do if we perceive Hastings will not yield to our plans?

  Richard : Chop off his head.

• Richard III : [to the camera]  Simple, plain Clarence! I do love you so, that I shall shortly send your soul to heaven. If heaven will take the present from my hands.

• Richard III : [to Lady Anne]  Your beauty which did haunt me in my sleep could make me undertake the death of all the world.

• Richard : Who is it that complains unto the King that I, in truth, am stern and love them not? Because I cannot flatter and look fair smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive and cog, I must be held a rancorous enemy. Cannot a plain man live and think no harm?

• Richard : Teach not your lip such scorn, for it was made for kissing, lady, not for such contempt.

• Richard : Let's leave this keen encounter of our wits. Your beauty, which did haunt me in my sleep, could make me undertake the death of all the world - so I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.

• Richard : Say that I did all this for love of her.

  Queen Elizabeth : Well, then, she cannot choose but hate you.

• Richard : Harp not on that string, madam, that is past!

  Queen Elizabeth : Harp on it still shall I till heartstrings break!

• Richard : We have many goodly days to see. The liquid drops of tears that you have shed, shall come again, transformed to orient pearl.

• Lord William Hastings, Prime Minister : If she hath done this deed, my lord...

  Richard III : If! Thou protector of this damned strumpet, talk'st thou to me of if? Thou art a traitor! Off with his head. By St Paul I shall not dine until I see the same. Those who love me stand and follow me!

  James Tyrell, Richard's Chief Henchman : [to Hastings]  His grace would have dinner.

• Richard III : [to the camera]  I must be married now, to young Elizabeth, or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.

• Richard III : Relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!

• Richard III : I did but dream. Oh, coward conscience. What do I fear? There's none else by. Richard loves Richard. That is, I am I. Is there a murderer here? No. Yes... I am. I love myself. But why? For any good that I myself have done unto myself? Oh, no. Alack, I rather hate myself... For hateful deeds committed by myself. I am a villain. But I lie. I am not. Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter. My conscience has a thousand, several tongues thronged 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.

• Richard III : [to Richmond and his last words]  Let's do it pell-mell. If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.

• Richard : This it is when men are ruled by women.

• Richard : Your eyes drop millstones when fools' eyes fall tears.

• Queen Elizabeth : My dear brother-in-law, in those busy days, when now you try to prove us enemies, we followed then Edward, our lawful king.

  Lord Rivers : So should she you, if you should be her king.

  Richard III : If I should be? I'd rather be a pedlar!

• Richard : Let me put in your mind, if you forget what you have been before and what you are; indeed what I have been and what I am.

  Queen Elizabeth : A bottled spider!

• Duchess of York : Are you my son?

  Richard : Yes, I thank God, my father and yourself.

  Duchess of York : You toad! Where are the princes and your wife?

• Richard : What is done cannot be now amended.

• Richard : Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes.

• Richard : Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

• Richard : When these troops of mine have chastised the petty rebel Richmond and dull-brained Buckingham, bound with triumphant garlands will I come and lead your daughter to a conqueror's bed.

• Richard : Remember whom you are to cope with - all a sort of vagabonds, rascals and runaways. And who does lead 'em but a paltry fellow, a milksop? If we be conquered, let men conquer us. Let's whip these stragglers over the seas again! Shall these enjoy our lambs? Lie with our wives? Ravish our daughters?

• Richard : Be sudden in the execution. For Clarence is well spoken and perhaps may move your hearts to pity.

  James Tyrell, Richard's Chief Henchman : We go to use our hands and not our tongues.

• Richard : [exposing deformed arm]  Let your eyes be the witness to their evil!