Two men are sent by Gloucester to dispatch his brother, the Duke of Clarence. They are known only as “First Murderer” and “Second Murderer” and they have the kind of comic repartee that Shakespeare would later develop further in the First and Second Gravediggers in Hamlet. The Second Murderer first confesses to having some qualms about the murder; though they have a warrant that legally sanctions the killing, the Second Murderer is worried he’ll be sent to hell for it, since having permission doesn’t necessarily save you from damnation. His theological and moral doubts are resolved when the First Murderer reminds him of the reward promised; it’s all very well to have a conscience, but the Second Murderer is content to keep it “in the Duke of Gloucester’s purse." Then the First Murderer has a momentary twinge of conscience himself, but it passes, though he is resolved not to kill Clarence in his sleep; upon awakening, Clarence will try to negotiate for his life.
No comments:
Post a Comment