Richard III Society, American Branch
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Scene Listing

• Scene 1 - Richard declares his plot, greets Clarence on his way to imprisonment and Hastings on his way out.
• Scene 2 - Richard seduces Anne
• Scene 3 - Margaret' curses. Richard sends murders to Clarence.
• Scene 4 - Clarence's murder

Act II

• Scene 1 - King Edward makes "peace" with followers and is told of Clarence's death.
• Scene 2 - Queen Elizabeth and Duchess of York mourn the King's and Clarence's deaths
• Scene 3 - The citizens of London comment on the events of the day
• Scene 4 - Queen Elizabeth and Duchess of York are informed of the Prince of Wales' change in escorts and the Queen goes to sanctuary

Act III

• Scene 1 - Prince of Wales arrives in London. Duke of York brought from sanctuary and teases Richard. Richard and Buckingham make plans and send Catesby to sound out Hastings.
• Scene 2 - Hastings refuses Catesby's offer. He refuses Stanley's offer to run and chats up various citizens before Buckingham comes to take him to dinner.
• Scene 3 - Rivers, Grey and Vaughn executed at Pomfret.
• Scene 4 - Hastings accused and summarily executed.
• Scene 5 - Richard and Buckingham inform the Lord Mayor of Hasting's treason and Buckingham leaves to inform the citizenry at the Guildhall of the Prince's bastardy, etc.
• Scene 6 - The scrivener's scene
• Scene 7 - Buckingham, back from Guildhall, entreats Richard, standing between two priests, to accept the crown

Act IV

• Scene 1 - Anne, Duchess of York and Queen Elizabeth informed of Richard's coronation
• Scene 2 - (pg. 35) Richard sounds Buckingham out on murdering the Prince, he demurrs and Richard sends Tyrell instead. Buckingham flees.
• Scene 3 - Tyrell reports the murder and Richard informed of rebellion.
• Scene 4 - The Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret curse everything. Richard leads his army through and is cursed by the Duchess. He then tries to convince Queen Elizabeth to further his suit with her daughter. Richard receives news of the effect of bad weather on the rebels.
• Scene 5 - Lord Stanley sends a letter of support to Henry Tudor.

Act V

• Scene 1 - Buckingham is executed
• Scene 2 - Henry Tudor exhorts his friends into battle
• Scene 3 - Both armies camp at Bosworth Field. Both commanders receive ghostly visitors. Both commanders give their orations to their troops and the battle begins.
• Scene 4 - "My kingdom for a horse"
• Scene 5 - Henry Tudor kills Richard and gets the final word in.

Timeline

Date	Event and Play Reference
October 2, 1452	Richard born at Fotheringhay (7th son; 4th to survive)
1456	Anne Neville born
1459	Duke of York in exile in Ireland
November 1459	Duke of York's estates are confiscated
June 1460	Edward of March invades from Calais
July 10, 1460	Edward captures Henry VI at Northampton
September 1460	Duke of York returns to Wales, claims the throne and is named Henry VI's heir
December 30, 1460	Queen Margaret's Lancastrian army defeats the Yorkists at the battle of Wakefield. Duke of York and Earl of Rutland killed.
February 2-3, 1461	Edward of March defeats the Lancastrian army at the battle of Mortimer's Cross
February 17, 1461	Queen Margaret's Lancastrian army defeats Warwick at second battle of St. Albans
Spring 1461	Duchess Cecily of York sends George and Richard to the Duke of Burgundy for safety
March 4, 1461	Edward of March declared King Edward IV
March 29, 1461	Edward IV defeats the Lancastrians at the battle of Towton
June 1461	George and Richard return from Calais
June 26, 1461	George and Richard made Knights of the Bath
June 28, 1461	Edward IV crowned (at 18 years old)
November 1, 1461	Richard made Duke of Gloucester
Late 1461	Richard enters household of the Earl of Warwick at Middleham Castle
August 12, 1462	Richard granted lands and titles (but little income or power)
October 2, 1462	Richard appointed Admiral of England, Ireland & Aquitane (another empty title)
May 1464	Edward IV marries Elizabeth Woodville
May 1465	Elizabeth Woodville crowned Queen
Late 1465 to late 1468 or early 1469	Richard placed in the custody of the Earl of Warwick
1466	Princess Elizabeth born
1468	Richard's sister Margaret marries the Duke of Burgundy
June 18, 1469	Edward IV learns of Warwick and Clarence's rebellion
July 4, 1469	Clarence marries Isobel Neville
July 26, 1469	Edward IV loses to rebels at battle of Edgecote. King emprisoned at Warwick and Middleham Castles
September 10, 1469	Edward IV free in York
October 1469	Edward IV and Richard are back in London
October 17, 1469	Richard created Constable of England
November 7, 1469	Richard replaces Lord Hastings as Chief Justice of North Wales
February 7, 1470	Richard replaces Warwick as Chief Steward and Chamberlain of South Wales
February 1470	Warwick and Clarence rebel again
March 1470	Clarence is promised Warwick's lands
March 12, 1470	Edward IV disperses rebels at 'Lose-Cote' Field
May 1470	Warwick and Clarence flee to France
July 25, 1470	Anne Neville betrothed to Edward of Lancaster as part of deal between Warwick and Queen Margaret
August 26, 1470	Richard leaves Wales and becomes Warden of the West Marches toward Scotland
September 1470	Warwick's army sails for England
October 2, 1470	Edward IV and Richard flee for Low Countries
November 2, 1470	Edward, Prince of Wales born
March 11, 1471	Edward IV and Richard return to England
April 14, 1471	Edward IV defeats Warwick (and kills him) at the battle of Barnet
May 4, 1471	Edward IV defeats Queen Margaret and the remaining Lancastrians at the battle of Tewkesbury. Richard leads the vanguard. Prince Edward of Lancaster is killed and Queen Margaret is taken prisoner.
May 18, 1471	Richard named Great Chamberlain and Constable & Admiral of England (and other titles and grants)
May 21, 1471	Edward IV returns to London & Henry VI dies. (Act I, sc. 1)
May 20, 1472	Clarence given Richard's title of Great Chamberlain
February 17, 1472	Anne Neville and Richard agree to marry. Richard begins battle with Clarence over Anne's share of Warwick's lands (Act I, sc. 2)
March 25, 1472	Clarence created Earl of Warwick and Salisbury
Easter 1472	Anne Neville and Richard marry
November 1473	Edward IV takes back the land he granted to Clarence
May 1474	Warwick's lands split between Anne and her older sister Isobel disinheriting their mother.
1475	Richard accompanies Edward IV on invasion of France
1478	Clarence accused of treason by act of parliament (Act I, sc. 3)
February 15, 1478	Richard's son created Earl of Salisbury (one of Clarence's titles)
February 18, 1478	Clarence executed in the Tower Act I, sc. 4
February 21, 1478	Richard regains title of Great Chamberlain and Clarence's share of Warwick lands (Act II, sc. 1)
1481-1483	Scottish Wars
1482	Queen Margaret dies in France
April 9, 1483	Edward IV dies (at 40 years old) (Act II, sc. 2-3)
April 14, 1483	News of Edward's death reaches the Prince of Wales at Ludlow
April 17-20, 1483	Funeral rites for Edward IV
April 20, 1483	Richard travelling slowly towards Northampton
April 24, 1483	Prince leaves Ludlow for London
April 27, 1483	Council (excluding Richard & Buckingham) decides coronation date of May 4 and other administrative matters
April 29, 1483	Prince siezed from Earl Rivers at Stony Stratford by Richard &Buckingham
April 30, 1483	News of seisure of Prince and arrest of Rivers reaches London (Act II, sc. 4)
May 4, 1483	Prince arrives in London with Richard and Buckingham and 500 men (Act III, sc. 1)
May 10, 1483	Council meets and sets new coronation date of June 24th (later changed again to June 22nd). Richard named as Protector and other changes in great offices made.Buckingham receives spectacular list of new powers/titles/lands.
June 9, 1483	Negotiations with Queen Elizabeth to leave sanctuary break down
June 10-11, 1483	Richard sends letters to the north asking for aid against the Queen and the Woodvilles
June 13, 1483	Lord Hastings arrested and executed. Lord Stanley arrested. (Act III, sc. 2 & 4)
June 16, 1483	Cardinal of Canterbury sent to sanctuary to persuade the Queen to release the Duke of York.
June 17, 1483	The Duke of York is released into Richard's custody. Preparations for coronation stopped. Parliament scheduled for June 25 cancelled. (Act III, sc. 1)
June 20, 1483	Prince and Duke of York's attendants withdrawn(approx). Clarence's son brought to London and placed in the custody of his aunt, Anne Duchess of Gloucester
June 22, 1483	Richard claims the throne through Ralph Shaw's sermon at St. Paul's Cross
June 24-25, 1483	Buckingham advances Richard's claim in a speech at the Guildhall and to an assembly of lords and gentry. The assembly draws up a bill petitioning Richard to take the throne. (Act III, sc. 5)
June 25, 1483	Rivers, Grey, Vaughan and Haute beheaded at Pontefract (Act III, sc. 3)
June 26, 1483	Buckingham, the assembly, the mayor and aldermen of London presented the petition to Richard at Baynard's Castle. Richard agrees and assumed the throne. Coronation date fixed for July 6 (Act III, sc. 6-7)
July 6, 1483	Richard III crowned (Act IV, sc. 1)
Summer 1483	Edward V and Duke of York probably killed
July 13, 1483	Richard III promises Earldom of Hereford to Buckingham (Buckingham is richest landowner in England) (Act IV, sc. 2)
July 21 to September, 1483	Richard III makes first "progress"
September 8, 1483	Richard III and Anne's son invested at Prince of Wales
October 11, 1483	Duke of Norfolk responds to Buckingham's rebellion with orders to muster troops
October 12, 1483	Richard III aware of Buckingham's rebellion. He is surprised and shocked. (Act IV, sc. 3-5)
October 15, 1483	Unusually severe storm floods rivers and cuts off Buckingham; also scatters Henry Tudor's fleet
November 2, 1483	Buckingham, betrayed by a servant, is executed (Act V, sc. 1)
November 8, 1483	Richard III at Exeter, Henry Tudor and rebels flee to France
November 25, 1483	Richard III back in London
December 25, 1483	Henry Tudor pledges to marry Elizabeth of York if he gains the throne, rebels give homage.
January 1484	Rebels attainted for treason, their offices filled by northerners, as were following openings
January 23, 1484	Richard III holds his only parliament; Richard III's bastard daughter Katherine married to William Herbert, earl of Huntingdon
March 1, 1484	Dowager Queen Elizabeth and her daughters leave sanctuary
early April 1484	Richard III and Anne's son, Edward Prince of Wales, dies
May 1, 1484	Richard III issues general order of array against possible invasion
Summer 1484	War with Scotland continued
September 1484	Three year truce with Scotland signed; Henry Tudor leaves Brittany for France
November 1484	France grants Henry Tudor funds for an army
December 3, 1484	Henry Tudor and the rebels denounced in a general proclamation
December 8, 1484	Richard III again issues general order of array against possible invasion
early 1485	Queen Anne falls ill
January 1485	Richard III issues warrant to knights, esquires, etc. in Chester to obey Lords Stanley, Strange and Sir William Stanley
March 11, 1485	Richard III's bastard son John appointed captain of Calais
March 16, 1485	Queen Anne dies and Richard declares to the Council that he does not intend to marry Princess Elizabeth
June 22, 1485	Richard III issues next set of commissions of array
June 23, 1485	Henry Tudor and allies are proclaimed to be "murderers, adulterers and extortioners"
July 31 - August 1, 1485	Henry Tudor sails from Harfleur
August 7, 1485	Henry Tudor lands at Mill Bay
August 9, 1485	Henry Tudor lands at Milford Haven. Richard III at Nottingham
August 11, 1485	Richard learns of Henry's landing and sends out letters demanding instant support from supporters
August 14, 1485	Duke of Norfolk receives Richard's summons at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk
August 15, 1485	Henry Tudor at Shrewsbury (News reaches York)
August 21, 1485	Henry Tudor at Atherstone in Warwickshire
August 22, 1485	Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at Bosworth and is oroclaimed King Henry VII (Act V, sc. 2-5)

• Historical Notes for Act One
• Historical Notes for Act Two
• Historical Notes for Act Three
• Historical Notes for Act Four
• Historical Notes for Act Five
• Index, Shakespeare's Richard III
• Ricardian Online Bookshelf
• Richard III Onstage and Off
• Richard III Society Homepage