The Wars of the Roses are for the moment over, the Y orkists have beaten the Lancastrians, and Yorkist Edward IV is now king of England. But his youngest brother, Richard of Gloucester (self-described as deformed, unfit for peace, "subtle, false, and treacherous"), decides to cause trouble. He convinces the king that their brother, George, Duke of Clarence, is dangerous and should be jailed. Richard then tells Clarence that Queen Elizabeth, Edward IV's wife, is responsible for his imprisonment. When he hears that the king is seriously ill, Richard plots to have Clarence killed so that there will be fewer encumbrances to his own succession to Edward's throne. Next, he encounters Lady Anne (widow of Henry VI's son Prince Edward whom Richard and his brothers killed) mourning over the coffin of her father-in-law, Henry VI (whom Richard murdered). At first Anne curses Richard, but eventually he...