Read the full text of Richard III Act 2 Scene 4 with a side-by-side translation HERE.
- At the palace in London, Queen Elizabeth chills out with the Duchess of York, the cardinal, and her young son, the Duke of York.
- Everyone's excited and a little worried about little Prince Edward making it to the castle OK – who knows what could happen to him before he can be crowned King?
- Prince Edward's little brother, the Duke of York, jokes around with the adults and shows that he's a pretty sharp little kid. He tells his mom and grandmother that his Uncle Richard used to bag on him and tease him about growing like a weed.
- The Duchess of York points out that Richard wasn't exactly a healthy child – he grew pretty slowly when he was young.
- The little Duke of York says he heard that his Uncle Richard was born with teeth and Queen Elizabeth tells him to quit being a little brat – it's not nice to gossip about adults.
- A messenger arrives with bad news: Lord Rivers, Lord Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughn have been thrown in the slammer at Pomfret Castle. (Pomfret is the castle where King Richard II died.)
- Everyone knows this is bad news. Imprisonment there is usually just one step away from execution.
- Guess who gave the orders for the arrests? Richard (Duke of Gloucester) and Buckingham.
- Elizabeth freaks out and predicts that her entire family is going down.
- The Duchess of York points out how terrible civil war is, especially when family members are willing to kill each other.
- Elizabeth decides to take her youngest son, the Duke of York, and escape to sanctuary with him. She is given blessings and a seal from the Cardinal, who will lead her to safety.