David Morrissey as Richard III: ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’ | Shakespeare Solos

David Morrissey speaks the opening lines from Richard III in which the scheming Richard lays out his plan to turn his brothers, the Duke of Clarence and the newly enthroned King Edward IV, against each other. To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we asked leading actors to perform key speeches from his plays.
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#Shakespeare #DavidMorrisey #RichardIII #KingRichard #DukeOfClarence

[@camilogonzalez5576]

This was chilling. Poor Richard III had no chance in history after Shakespeare wrote this masterpiece.

[@dirttyclean]

Self truth 😉👍

[@errorgorilla]

David Morrissey is a superb actor and was criminally misused in the Walking Dead. I love the choices he makes, exemplified here in the way he leans forward to deliver "but I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks" and the timbre of his voice descends, like Richard's thoughts, down to his soul. Chilling.

[@Cav723]

Seán Ó Caoimh same can be said about many of the actors on that show. The writing is laughably terrible in that show and the actors can only do so much with the material they’re given.

[@kristianxventura]

I agree-- his choices are so unique and his voice is so chilling. I filmed this soliloquy recently and would like to share it with anyone in the comment section looking for more interpretations or anyone fascinated like the nerd I am with this hugely dimensional, amazing character: Richard III. take care guys: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJq9gaqKl852j6M

[@GalicianGranddaughter666]

This actor is great in Britannia. Frightening even. Awesome at playing villains

[@coreycox2345]

Agreed. The anger that drives Richard jumped off my screen at me, Error Gorilla.

[@adamschlinker972]

Criminally misused? No way. He did great work on that show. Carried season 3 and 4. Not everything has to be Shakespeare. The Walking Dead serves its purpose and does its job, just as David Morrissey does on that show.

[@dhimanrahul8104]

to be honest this is one of the best soliloquy i have ever seen.....just great

[@paologalli5803]

Shakespeare is the best psychologist of all times...even better than Dostoevski...

[@ralphintheshadowrealm7002]

John Mulligan you talk as if you were around in Shakespeare’s day. If that’s the case fair enough. If not you’re just being pretentious.

[@bonechip01]

Keep looking

[@expatphotographer8745]

Really? It's not particularly strong, at all.

[@h.hsienandfamily3760]

great soliloquy, totally agree

[@jefftateii9403]

When David paused and said "I" he looked the way the governor used to when properly pissed. What an actor.

[@janel342]

In Stratford on Avon outside an outdoor equipment shop appeared a sign saying ‘Now is the discount of our winter tent’ Brill Mr Morrissey sur.

[@jakemartens5311]

Now is the winter of our discount tents*

[@MrTomte09]

What power. This single clip would make me pay the money only to watch him play the whole part on stage. Never heard of Morrissey before this, never seen any tv or film or remembered.

[@beccastell6439]

Played Gunther Weber in Captain Corelli's Mandolin

[@alixwatson5967]

Seen him play Macbeth on stage, he was wonderful

[@mclaughlinja1995]

He was also excellent, albeit in a small role, as Northumberland in BBC’s production of the Henriad plays, “The Hollow Crown.” I believe he appears in Richard II and both parts of Henry IV.

[@TheCaptainJade]

Loved him in the newer Sense and Sensibility 😌😌

[@dianaprince3176]

He’s a very respected actor in the UK with a fairly substantial body of work. He’s extremely well cast here.

[@rothko1234]

In my personal, humble opinion, this is by far the best rendition of this text online. It seems imbued with tension, anger, regret and impulse. It betters Cumberbatch, McKellen and many others. There is absolutely no overkill, I love it- it leaves me feeling, menaced, worried and slightly anxious..great performance.

[@DeborahBrooksFineArtandDesign]

Lovely, Tears, my beautiful husband was a Shakespearean actor, I deeply miss his sonnets and his loving touch.

[@sarahbegin1363]

A wonderfully rich performance-you can hear the pure determination in his scheming!

[@fabiofabiano2272]

Beautiful voice. Great interpretation. Great actor. Very superb. I love Richard III. For me whit the Julius Caesar is the masterpieces of the historical drama by Shakespeare

[@RakNtaK]

Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths; Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings, Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front; And now, instead of mounting barded steeds To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass; I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up, And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me as I halt by them; Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to spy my shadow in the sun And descant on mine own deformity: And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain And hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams, To set my brother Clarence and the king In deadly hate the one against the other: And if King Edward be as true and just As I am subtle, false and treacherous, This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up, About a prophecy, which says that 'G' Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be. Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here Clarence comes.

[@tommyt1971]

Might be the greatest opening line Shakespeare wrote.

[@luiscaetano6184]

‘Now is the winter of our discontent’ doesn't even comes close to "To be or not to be. That is the question".

[@friedrich3384]

@@luiscaetano6184 >opening line

[@luiscaetano6184]

@@friedrich3384 "To be or not to be" is an opening line.

[@friedrich3384]

​@@luiscaetano6184 no, it is not. Hamlet opens with "Who's there?"

[@Mister_Mag00]

Liam Neeson's twin brother

[@Eristhenes]

Yes, the voices are remarkably similar!

[@SohanDsouza]

In side profile, yeah, somewhat.

[@uhohhotdog9150]

Liam's the only brother who hasn't done a Shakespeare solo on this channel. David did it, and so did Ralph

[@rogerallen6644]

He has a set of skills

[@zeroxzt]

Evil twin.

[@TrayDyer38]

This Gentleman is the real deal.

[@NobleNemesis]

I come back and listen to this from time to time- it's like music to my ears.

[@the_Rade]

True. Same.

[@analuizasilva5191]

Wow! His voice when he said an intense "I" gave me chills

[@johnnygj31964]

my voice will give you more than chills

[@caa2896]

Wow!! The most beautifully dramatical & rich voice & fantastic acting skills. In awe.

[@Vesnicie]

Interesting choices, to run through the usually blustery beginning as a simple train of quiet thought, focusing instead on his catalog of complaints and the source of all his bile: that is, his deformity and all the ways in which the world has rejected him.

[@mortalclown3812]

A bit of Richard's heartache came thru here - a thing I've always found in the words but rarely seen. I'm older now; perhaps my eyes will be wiser.

[@wotan10950]

Very fine portrayal. But I don't like the idea of "who's the best." Shakespeare's words are so profound that if you can recite them with conviction, you're halfway there. If a singer can properly manage Verdi's notes, you can't help but deliver a fine performance.

[@alalalala57]

You give the actors too little credit then.

[@rjwest5392]

I agree with you. But why oh why did they edit this speech so that R III doesn't say "can I do all this and yet not gain a crown--Tut! Were it further off, I'd pluck it down! I mean really, many times they cut that part out... really ruins it for me.

[@andrewlambert7464]

Ssshhhh... quiet friend Glo. Though thou are free to speak truth be wary, for truth often in free courts danger thus... Slings and arrows and outrageous fortunes cries poor mad Hamlet. For in truth he spoke but wrong ears heard and a sea of troubles was his heartache... Ssshhhh...

[@indiciaobscure]

I disagree with the last bit. Acting goes so much father than pronouncing the words competently- at least when the passages are so iconic. But lots of different interpretations are interesting and valid.

[@TheMan-jw5ro]

​@@rjwest5392 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGfNmmNtqdh8aK8 Ralph Fiennes did that part and he slayed it too.

[@azoutlaw7]

Bravo! I would watch him in Richard III. Just excellent.

[@petermorris9818]

This is Richard lll

[@jab-qb1lq]

This is my favorite Shakespeare play, this opening soliaque( sorry spelling) by ' the governor" is amazing

[@Argonaut121]

One of the finest readings I've seen/heard.

[@JontheBerean]

Cold steel performance here. Wonderful to watch.

[@chriselyr2484]

Got chills. Didn't realise it was the Governor at first but when I did I realized how underutilized he was in TWD. Great rendition.

[@DrOwenAnderson]

This is so well done. Your presentation perfectly captures how Richard wrestled with natural evil and hardens himself.

[@Claude-Eckel]

David "The Governor" Morrissey. Great performance.

[@markthomas9769]

One of the best renditions certainly.

[@inessamaria2428]

What a performance! Brilliant!

[@maxhalsted5381]

Indeed yes. It brought chills down my spine.

[@diegomoreno5927]

This is the most realstic and natural sounding Richard lll

[@PJamBarker]

I love how much venom he puts into this performance.

[@someokiedude9549]

My favorite Shakespeare soliloquy.

[@Airman1121]

Phenomenal performance. One of the best.

[@nicolastossenberger6066]

I just knew David Morrissey for the walking dead, but that was amazing. It was powerfull and chilling.

[@klapitall]

EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@shakespearaamina9117]

you are the best Richard III so far!!!! Bravo!!!!

[@toumperezh]

Brilliant.

[@jakethornton4125]

I can't hear this without hearing Greg Davies impersonating Chris Eubank

[@DavidTheRoss]

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES

[@hempenasphalt1587]

What an excessively handsome Richard III

[@syourke3]

At last! An unpretentious Shakespeare soliloquy! Well spoken.

[@Bootmahoy88]

Precise, sharp, to the point on Richard's descent and ever so chilling.

[@tagreene06]

David Morrissey's voice man!

[@beingpositive74]

He has a piercing gaze. 😃👍

[@landonwright7580]

Perfection…

[@TrayDyer38]

I want to study Shakespeare under this great man.

[@psychotictactoe]

Amazing.

[@R.A.Meenan]

"You poisonous, bunch-backed toad!"

[@Major00Tom]

This is music

[@romeo9017]

respect..

[@vidrax3481]

He's very smooth on his transitions... Whayyyy, I!

[@compagniaelvira]

The immobility of his eyes freezes my blood

[@shrimpee502]

Wow. brilliant

[@ricarleite]

My favorite monologue

[@indrajitdas3017]

Awesome 👍

[@zoobee]

brilliant

[@renelevaillant6601]

Wonderful beyond measure.

[@Red0543]

Dear gods, I got chills!

[@HistoryGuy-lz4kz]

Amazing ...

[@benjaminharris7091]

Even better than I thought it would be! I enjoyed Mr Morrissey’s performance in “The Hollow Crown” series as the Earl of Northumberland in “Richard II.” I would recommend that series to anyone; his acting there is awesome!

[@brentmathieu388]

Now is the winter of our discontent... yet, as I am, not deformed as yore, an ole MacMathieu, not a plotting Macbeth, nor Richard III of gore... I hope still at my age, to prove a lover, and savor sweet the nectar dripping as wine, from lips eager to meet with mine.

[@theoctavianus396]

Résumé of my life.

[@theoctavianus396]

C'est si bien dit. "Malheur à vous si comme moi, vous allez au plus profond de cette chose horrible qui peut vraiment rendre fou - se trouver à côté d'un autre être que l'on regarde dans les yeux - comme moi j'ai regardé un jour certains yeux - et se sentir comme un mendiant devant une porte qu'il ne pourra jamais franchir" (Traduit de L. Pirandello, Henri IV)

[@petermorris9818]

I've loved DM ever since the peerless Red Riding.

[@Shadowman4710]

A truly remarkable series.

[@petermorris9818]

@@Shadowman4710 it really is. It's on ITVx if you don't have it.

[@henrybartlett1986]

Bloody brilliant!

[@IRP01]

In contrast to Sir Laurence Olivier’s take on Richard III, this performance, and also that of others in this series, is more intimate. All close-ups - allowing actors to be natural and real, with voice barely whispering. However can this translate well on a wide theater stage?

[@sethleoric2598]

Amazing

[@viz8746]

First two lines have perfect iambic pentameter lilt with stress on even syllables... except for "Now" which, as Al Pacino rightly states in "Looking for Richard" with Spacey, is the offbeat syllable that needs to be emphasized, since it is the critical word in the sentence, if not in fact the entire soliloquy.

[@Yorgar]

These are great because they make me want to see the actors and actresses play these roles

[@tryhardjustin5628]

Excellent voice

[@okamaman7324]

Basicaly Richard III was the first Incel. Great perfomance for one of my favorite characters!

[@inessamaria2428]

Delightful performance

[@amougouclarke8557]

Magnificent

[@Patrikuse]

Masterful

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

Here Clarence comes...

[@samyty1530]

Governor??? .__.

[@NicoleHaschke]

Oh my gosh. This was exquisite. Terrifying. Burning.

[@nantu07]

That would be so awesome as a metal song! (as would many things from our beloved Shake)

[@paddymcginty1264]

Wonderfully relaxed delivery

[@DSAK55]

Richard sounds exactly like Don John in Much Ado

[@dirttyclean]

Spot on😏

[@Vot63]

Superb!

[@annyarchist]

RICHARD!!!

[@FrostRare]

Richard III : the life and times of Boris Johnson

[@dianaprince3176]

Someone needs remake “Othello” just to cast David Morrissey as Iago.

[@eliseereclus3475]

Wonderful voice.

[@sprezzatura8755]

Riveting delivery.

[@Federico-cc7hc]

Fucking amazing

[@olavops1000]

The Winter of Discontent monologue is from Act I Scene II, not Scene I as indicated in this video.

[@mercedeslopez5698]

Un lujo poder escuchar estos pequeños fragmetos interpretados por estos Grandes actores de la escena britanica contemporanea.

[@jarjarabrams7748]

chilling

[@haoranzh]

So far, Ron Cook's version is my favorite. This weekend, we'll see how Benedict Cumberbatch does it.

[@Markvdl25]

Cumberbatch did an amazing job. A bit more tortured than Morrisey's.

[@haoranzh]

+Mark van der Laan I just saw bits of it. Pretty good!

[@IanMcGarrett]

Andrew Scott should have been cast as Gloucester. He did one of Gloucester's speeches in an episode of Simon Schama's Shakespeare and it was brilliant.

[@kieronimo1]

This man could play Baylan Scholl in Ahsoka

[@TheMan-jw5ro]

Flawless Victory!!

[@gibbonsgriffithsinc7731]

In a way, David Morrisey portrayal of The Governor reminds me now in some ways of Richard 3. A corrupt, ruthless and deformed leader

[@justanothergoogler6436]

Wow

[@3teletubbies]

Hypnotizing * o *

[@jesusthroughmary]

Hey there, guv'ner!

[@davidlucey1311]

Incredible performance. Curious to think that Richard the third entire motivation boils down to the man being an involuntary celibate.

[@Bibbo8844hdbks]

Hardcore

[@maxhalsted5381]

Take this tone to Parliament

[@justice7219]

awesome reading by philip blake.

[@TrayDyer38]

By far, he’s the Michael Jordan of his contemporary film actors who perform Shakespeare exceptionally.

[@darcyjones279]

Brilliant bass voice inflection dialect pause Oh how we anglos laughably need this to help decypher meaning of our own language As students hated today appreciate Thank you.

[@janel342]

There is no such thing as a dialect pause! Do you mean a pause in the dialogue? It is not easy to speak Shakespeare clearly and simply- it is not at all the same as speaking conversational modern English. Your sarcasm is misplaced

[@janel342]

As is your attempt to be clever. Anglo?!!!

[@thedarkestblack]

@@janel342 I think they’re referring to iambic pentameter

[@bpdarragh]

Where can one get the ambient moody drone in the background? I have looked on youtube, but nothing comes close.