Richard III

“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

Shakespeare's most charismatic villain invites the audience into his confidence, murders his way to the throne, and then loses everything in a single battle, and we cannot look away.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is not a man who should be king. He is deformed, embittered, and brilliant. He is also the most charming murderer in English literature. He opens the play by announcing that he is "determined to prove a villain." Then he proves it: he seduces a grieving widow over her husband's corpse, imprisons and murders his own brother, smothers his young nephews in the Tower of London, and disposes of anyone who stands between him and the crown. But once he has the crown, he cannot keep it. The ghosts of his victims visit him on the eve of battle. And on Bosworth Field, he loses his horse, his army, and his life.

This is Shakespeare at his most theatrical and seductive: a play about the evil that can flourish when no one stops it. Richard III made Richard the monster of English history—and created a role that every great actor wants to play.

• One of Shakespeare's most popular and frequently performed history plays, written around 1592–1594

• The final play in Shakespeare's first tetralogy (following Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3)

• The source of countless famous lines: “Now is the winter of our discontent,” “Off with his head!” and “My kingdom for a horse!”

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears, or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the most dangerous people are the ones who make you laugh.

About the Author

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). Richard III was written around 1592–1594, early in Shakespeare's career. The play is a masterpiece of Tudor propaganda: the real Richard III (reigned 1483–1485) was a complex figure whose reputation was destroyed after his death by the Tudors, who succeeded him. Shakespeare's Richard is a monstrous caricature—but such a compelling one that he has replaced the historical figure in the popular imagination. The role has been played by the greatest actors in English history: David Garrick, Laurence Olivier (who also directed the 1955 film adaptation), Ian McKellen (who set the play in a 1930s fascist England), and, more recently, Mark Rylance. Shakespeare's other major works include Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Henry V. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.