No Fear Shakespeare
Richard III
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 4
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RICHARD
Lady, you know no rules of charity,
Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.
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RICHARD
Dear woman, you don’t know the rules of charity. When faced with bad, you’re supposed to turn it into good, and when subject to curses, you’re supposed to convert them into blessings.
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ANNE
Villain, thou know’st not law of God nor man.
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.
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ANNE
Villain, you don’t know the laws of God or of man. Even the fiercest wild animal has some touch of pity.
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RICHARD
But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
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RICHARD
If I know nothing about pity, that must mean I’m not an animal.
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ANNE
O, wonderful, when devils tell the truth!
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ANNE
It’s amazing to hear a devil speak the truth!
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RICHARD
More wonderful, when angels are so angry.
Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman,
Of these supposèd crimes to give me leave
By circumstance but to acquit myself.
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RICHARD
It’s even stranger when an angel is so angry. Divine, perfect woman, give me a chance to prove in detail that I’m innocent of the evils you accuse me of.
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ANNE
Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man,
Of these known evils but to give me leave
By circumstance to curse thy cursèd self.
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ANNE
Contagious infection of humanity, give me a chance to condemn you for the evils I know you’ve committed.
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RICHARD
Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have
Some patient leisure to excuse myself.
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RICHARD
You who are beautiful beyond words, calm down and let me explain myself.
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ANNE
Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make
No excuse current but to hang thyself.
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ANNE
You who are wicked beyond belief, the only “explanation” I’ll accept from you is for you to hang yourself.
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RICHARD
By such despair I should accuse myself.
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RICHARD
Such an expression of despair would only prove that I was guilty.
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ANNE
And by despairing shalt thou stand excused
For doing worthy vengeance on thyself
That didst unworthy slaughter upon others.
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ANNE
Maybe, but if you killed yourself, it would also show that you felt some guilt for killing others.
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