Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots to seize the crown from within his own family. The War of the Roses is over, leaving the House of York victorious over the House of Lancaster. He tells of his plans in the famous soliloquy that begins “Now is the winter of our discontent/ Made glorious summer by this son of York,” (1.1.1–2) and which refers to the success of his brother Edward, Duke of York, who has overthrown Henry VI of Lancaster and taken the English throne. Edward is just one of the players between Richard of Gloucester and the crown.
Richard halts the procession accompanying the casket of King Henry VI of Lancaster, whom Richard murdered in the Tower of London days before. Lady Anne Neville cries over the coffin of her father-in-law, as she is the widow of Henry’s only son Edward—whom Richard also murdered. Richard woos Anne and she agrees to become his bride. There is uneasy peace in the castle between the previously warring factions. Edward IV’s queen, Elizabeth Woodville, frequently butts heads with Richard as well as the deposed Queen Margaret of Anjou, widow of Henry VI. As political tensions rise, Margaret prophetically curses both sides.
Now married to Anne, Richard’s next step to the throne is to eliminate his older brother, the Duke of Clarence. After Clarence’s death, King Edward also dies from his pre-existing illness. With the throne now vacant, plans are set in motion to crown Edward IV’s oldest son. Richard supercedes these plans, rushes the coronation, and sends the princes to the Tower— supposedly to better protect them. After careful maneuvering among London’s political leaders, a clever planting of slander regarding the bastardy of Edward IV and his children, and gaining support of the citizens, Richard ascends to the throne as King Richard III. His first act as king is to manipulate the murders of the two young princes. He then rids himself of his wife and plans to solidify his claim to the throne by marrying his brother Edward’s daughter.
With the murder of the two boy princes confirmed, Richard meditates on the deeds he has performed to secure the throne, but his thoughts are interrupted by news that his most faithful ally, Buckingham, angered at the murders of the two princes and at Richard’s false dealings with him, has fled. To make matters more difficult, he is condemned by his own mother, as well as by the former queens. While Richard considers his future, the exiled Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor of the House Lancaster, has raised an army and nears the west coast of Britain. Yet, in one final ruthless act, Richard captures his former friend Buckingham and has him beheaded.
The final battle is set: former allies have turned against Richard to join forces with Richmond who has landed and marches inland to claim the crown. As the warriors sleep on the eve of the battle, the ghosts of all those whom Richard has slaughtered return to condemn him and to hearten Richmond. Richmond’s forces defeat Richard’s army at the Battle of Bosworth Field wherein Richard utters the famous cry: “A horse, a horse! my kingdom for a horse!” (5.4.7) as his mount is slain during the battle. Henry Tudor finally slays Richard, exclaiming “the bloody dog is dead” (5.5.2). Accepting the crown as Henry VII, he promises to marry Elizabeth of York, thus uniting the white rose (the Yorkists) and the red rose (the Lancastrians) and commencing the Tudor reign.
