Richard and Clarence then talk disparagingly of the queen and of the king's mistress, Jane Shore, whom they accuse of ruling the kingdom by gossip. Brackenbury intervenes, not wishing to overhear such dangerous talk. Insisting that there is no question of treasonable discourse, Richard then demonstrates his wit and sense of irony as he slyly speaks of the 'noble Queen" and catalogues the attractions of Jane Shore. With resignation, Clarence agrees to accompany Brackenbury, and his brother assures him that he will either deliver him from prison or take his place as a prisoner. Alone, however, Richard restates his determination to have his brother's soul sent to heaven.

理查和克莱伦斯接着便对王后与国王的情妇简·肖尔进行了轻蔑的谈论。他们指责肖尔通过家长里短来统治王国。这时，布拉肯伯尼介入了，他不想听到这样危险的谈话。而理查坚持声称，并不存在叛国的话语。他接着展示了自己的聪明与讽刺感，狡猾地转为地谈论王后的高贵，并大谈特谈简·肖尔的吸引人之处。克莱伦斯顺从着同意与布拉肯伯里一起，而他的弟弟则向他保证，如果不能把他带出监狱，就愿意代替他被囚禁。可是独自一人时，理查却重申了他要把自己的哥哥的灵魂送入天堂的决心。

Hastings, newly released from prison, enters. He vows that he will avenge himself upon those responsible for his imprisonment, and brings news that the king is ill. Richard blames this illness on Edward's self indulgence and promises to follow Hastings to his bedside. The scene ends with another soliloquy in which Richard elaborates his evil plans. Clarence must be disposed of at once, before King Edward's death. Then Richard will marry Warwick's daughter Anne, though he had killed her husband, Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father-in-law, Henry VI. He explains that the marriage will further his ends. Aware that his plans are barely started, he goes off to take definite action.

而刚被从监狱放出的黑斯廷斯出场了，他发誓要报复哪些导致他被囚禁的人，并同时带来了国王生病的消息。理查把国王的病因归结于爱德华的自我放纵，并沉默会跟着黑斯廷斯去国王床边探问。这一场以理查的另一场详细阐述了自己邪恶计划的独白结尾。在国王爱德华死去前，克莱伦斯必须立即被处理掉。然后理查将与华威的女儿安妮结婚，虽然他已经杀了她的丈夫威尔士亲王爱德华以及她的公公亨利六世。他解释说，这场联姻将会有助于他未来的计划。由于意识到他的计划才刚刚开始，他开始采取明确的行动。

Commentary
In having the titular hero appear first onstage and soliloquize at length, Shakespeare was following a convention that he later outgrew. In the more mature plays, the way is prepared by means of expository dialogue before the tragic hero's entrance. This opening soliloquy accomplishes all that a prologue would, and subtlety is the last thing to look for here. Gloucester paints himself as an unnatural monster. He is lame, ugly, "rudely stamped.' A common belief of the time was that the warped moral being of the individual was often reflected in his physical appearance.

评注
在让这位主角第一次在舞台出场并以独白结束时，莎士比亚使用了一种他风格成熟后便不再使用的方式。在他更成熟的戏剧中，在悲剧主角入场前，会以阐述性的对话进行描述。这个开场独白完成了序言所需的一切，完全没有必要在这里进行细致分析。格罗斯特把他自己描绘成了一个不正常的怪物。他又瘸又丑，“畸形陋相”。而当时的人们普遍认为，一个人扭曲的道德观念经常会反射在他的体型外貌上。

在最开头两行，我们在一个词上找到莎士比亚戏剧的典型特点——在这里，词是太阳。爱德华四世是约克公爵的儿子，在他的文章上有一个太阳。而隐喻意义上的说他这是约克党的灿烂明日，现在正处于上升阶段。而且，自然的，太阳是一个著名的王室象征，注意这里莎士比亚是如何巧妙地运用太阳的比喻的：

Why, l, in this weak piping time of peace
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun,
And descant on mine own deformity.(24-27)

哎，我，在这软绵绵歌舞升平的年代里
得不到半点赏心乐事消磨时光
只能在阳光下窥看自己的阴影
对着这一副畸形陋相自怨自艾

As a dedicated Machiavellian, he takes pride in his deviousness and treachery, and emerges as one filled with envy (a Deadly Sin) and motivated by criminal ambition. The adjective "piping" and the verb "descant" relate to the shepherd's life, the shepherd being a familiar symbol of the tranquility which Richard scorns.

作为一个绝对的权谋政治家，他为自己的邪恶与背节而骄傲不已，表现出一个满怀嫉妒（致命七宗罪之一）、被犯罪野心所驱使的形象。歌舞升平（原意为风笛悠扬）这个形容词与动词“放声歌唱”与牧羊人的生活有关，而牧羊人则是理查所嘲讽的宁静的象征。

Already the action has begun to rise. We know about Gloucester's ambition; we know what is the first step he has taken to realize that ambition. When he protests to Clarence, "Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours," we witness the first display of Machiavellian dissembling. His exchange with the apprehensive Brackenbury provides a good example of his wit and gift for irony. These two qualities are further illustrated by his use of "abjects" for "subjects" and by his expression of deep concern for his brother:

行动已经准备开始了，我们知道了格罗斯特的野心，我们也知道他为实现这一抱负而采取的第一步行动是什么。当他向克莱伦斯抱怨“哎呀，我的大人，这一点都不算你的错”，我们第一次见证了他完整地展现自己的权谋术。他与忧心忡忡的布拉肯伯里的交谈，便提供了他的机智与讽刺天赋的绝佳典范。这两种特例，在他援引臣民的不幸与他对兄长的深深关怀的言语中，得到了进一步说明。

Meantime, this deep disgrace in brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine.(111-12)

同时，兄弟蒙羞的奇耻大辱
远比你以为的更令我伤怀