Richard III

Characters

House of York

  • King Edward IV – King of England
  • Richard, Duke of Gloucester – Edward IV's brother; later King Richard III
  • George, Duke of Clarence – Edward IV's brother
  • Duchess of York – Edward, Richard and George's mother
  • Edward, Prince of Wales – Edward IV's eldest son; later King Edward V (never crowned)
  • Richard, Duke of York – Edward IV's younger son
  • Boy – George's son
  • Girl – George's daughter

House of Lancaster

  • Queen Margaret – widow of King Henry VI
  • Ghost of King Henry VI
  • Ghost of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales – Henry VI's son
  • Lady Anne Neville – widow of Edward of Westminster; later wife of King Richard III
  • Tressel and Berkeley – Lady Anne's attendants (non-speaking roles)

Woodville family

  • Queen Elizabeth – wife of King Edward IV
  • Earl Rivers – Elizabeth's brother
  • Marquis of Dorset – Elizabeth's son (from a previous marriage)
  • Lord Richard Grey – Elizabeth's son (from a previous marriage)
  • Sir Thomas Vaughan – ally of Rivers and Grey

Richard III's group

  • Duke of Buckingham
  • Sir William Catesby
  • Duke of Norfolk
  • Earl of Surrey[a] – Norfolk's son
  • Sir Richard Ratcliffe
  • Sir James Tyrrell – assassin
  • Lord Lovel[b]
  • Two Murderers
  • Richard's page

Earl of Richmond's group

  • Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond – Henry VI's nephew; later King Henry VII
  • Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby – Richmond's stepfather
  • Earl of Oxford[c]
  • Sir Walter Herbert[d]
  • Sir James Blunt[e]
  • Sir William Brandon – Richmond's standard-bearer (non-speaking role)

Clergy

  • Archbishop of Canterbury[f]
  • Archbishop of York[g]
  • Bishop of Ely
  • Sir Christopher – chaplain of Stanley's household
  • John – priest

Other characters

  • Lord Hastings – Lord Chamberlain under Edward IV
  • Sir Robert Brackenbury – Lieutenant of the Tower
  • Lord Mayor of London
  • Scrivener
  • Keeper of the Tower[h]
  • Three Citizens
  • Hastings – pursuivant[i]
  • Sheriff of Wiltshire[j]
  • Ghosts of Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, Edward (Prince of Wales), Richard (Duke of York), Hastings, Lady Anne and Buckingham
  • Lords, Messengers, Soldiers etc.

Other

Although they do not appear in the text of the play, many productions include as on-stage characters Jane Shore (Edward IV's mistress), Elizabeth of York (Edward IV's daughter, later queen consort to Richmond [Henry VII]), and George Stanley (Lord Stanley's son, who is held hostage by Richard prior to the Battle of Bosworth Field).


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