"False, Fleeting, Perjured Clarence"

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CLARENCE
. . . Then came wandring by,
A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
Dabbled in blood; and he shrieked out aloud,
Clarence is come; false, fleeting, perjur'd Clarence,
That stabbed me in the field by Tewksbury:
Seize on him, Furies, take him unto torment!
With that, methought, a legion of foul fiends
Environed me, and howled in mine ears
Such hideous cries, that with the very noise
I trembling waked, and for a season after,
Could not believe but that I was in hell,
Such terrible impression made my dream.

This passage from Shakespeare's Richard III highlights Clarence's tortured conscience and foreshadows his impending doom. In his nightmare, a spectral figure resembling an angel with blood-smeared hair accuses him of betrayal and murder, specifically referencing his actions at the Battle of Tewksbury. The ghost calls upon the Furies, figures from classical mythology known for punishing the wicked, to drag Clarence to his torment. This vision reflects Clarence's inner guilt and fear of retribution for his past misdeeds, particularly his betrayal and the murder of the prince. The dream's vividness leaves Clarence in a state of shock, blurring the lines between his dream and reality. This premonition not only anticipates Clarence's tragic fate but also serves to amplify the themes of guilt and moral consequence that permeate the play.

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