Richard III Group

Question:

anbrady
anbrady

Now is the winter of our discontent - does that mean things are going well or going poorly?

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Posted by anbrady on Monday April 20, 2009 at 3:21 PM and tagged with richard iii.

Answers:

  1. cburr
    cburr Teacher
    Middle School

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    You can't really read this one line in isolation and get the meaning.  The King says:

    Now is the winter of our discontent
    Made glorious summer by this son of York;
    And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
    In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

    The winter of our discontent was indeed a bad time, but the King is saying that this bad winter has been made into glorious summer by his brother becoming King.

    For a good discussion of this opening of Richard III, see the enotes link below.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/now-winter-our-d...

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    Posted by cburr on Monday April 20, 2009 at 4:19 PM