Richard III (Act 1 Scene 1) Summary

  Richard, the duke of Gloucester, gives a short monologue addressed to himself and the audience, detailing his plot against his brother Clarence, who is before him inline for the throne. He complains that he was born with a deformity and was ugly. He vows to make everyone around him just as miserable as he was. He says he is power-hungry and wants to gain control over the entire court. He implies that his goal is to become king. Clarence then walks out onto the stage under armed guard.
       Richard asks him what the reason for his arrest is, and he replies that someone told King Edwards that a person with the name starting with the letter "G" would cause his family to lose the throne. Richard pretends to be sad to see him being made a prisoner and suggests to Clarence that his arrest is due to women plotting against him. He promises that he will try to have Clarence set free but has him led to the Tower and says to himself he will have Clarence permanently removed.
     Lord Hastings then emerges from the tower, where he was imprisoned under suspicion. Richard ignorantly asks for some news and Hastings tells him that Edward is very ill and after Hastings leaves, Richards celebrates Edwards ailment. He remarks that he will first have to get rid of Edward by killing him so that he will be heir to the throne. He also plots to marry Lady Anne Neville, who is the widow of Edward, Prince of Wales and the daughter-in-law of Henry VI, who Richard killed recently. Anne is mourning this death, and Richard is amused by the opportunity to persuade her under these circumstances.