Mar 19, 2004
So
wise so young, they say do never live long
"So
wise so young, they say do never live long."
--From King Richard III (III, i, 79)
In one of the most moving scenes in this play, the evil Richard is
planning the most foul act in his plot to make himself king of
England. He has already had his brother Clarence murdered. His other
brother, King Edward, is dead, and Richard has been made Lord
Protector of Edwards's two young sons: Edward, Prince of Wales (and
next in line as king) and Richard, Duke of York. The two boys have
arrived in London for the Crown Prince's coronation. Until now,
Richard's murders have been of adults, but here he shows that he is
just as capable of dispatching children. Richard tells the Crown
Prince that he and his brother will reside in the Tower until the
coronation, a suggestion that Prince Edward dislikes but agrees to. In
an aside, Richard declares "So wise so young, they say do never
live long." The Crown Prince asks "What say you,
uncle?" Richard replies, "Without characters, fame lives
long." The brothers, of course, will be murdered in the tower
after Richard usurps the crown for himself.
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