“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
Written by Shakespeare in around 1593, these words have become immortalised as the final words of desperation spoken by King Richard III of England as he battled Henry Tudor for control of the throne of England.
These words are also possibly the most frequently misinterpreted Shakespeare quotation in history, although Prince Hal’s “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers!” from Henry Vl is right up there on the list.
Shakespeare very cleverly painted Richard III to be entirely evil and villainous, self-serving and single-minded in his pursuit of the throne at the expense of all others who stood between him and the ultimate royal goal.
As evil and villainous as Shakespeare’s Richard is, it’s crucial to remember that Richard was fighting for both his kingdom and his life. It makes absolutely no sense, therefore, that he would have been wandering around Bosworth Field offering someone his kingdom in exchange for a horse.
What this line actually means is that Richard knew he was going to lose the battle if he couldn’t get back on a horse and keep fighting. His horse had just been killed in battle, while he was still riding it. On foot, he was without means of either strategic defence or meeting the enemy in an even fight. He was an easy target that travelled much slower and far less deftly than his mounted opponent.
The line could be interpreted as meaning, “Without a horse, I’m going to lose my kingdom!” It was a cry of despair, not an attempt at last-minute marketing.
The urgency and foreboding in Richard’s words make this scene a magnificent piece of drama. If there’s anything the audience loves more than a villain getting it in the neck, it’s the villain realising that it’s coming.
When understood properly, this oft-misinterpreted quotation reveals once again the genius of the wordsmith.
If you have a line or scene of Shakespeare you’d like explained, feel free to ask a question or make a suggestion in the comments and I’ll give it a red hot shot.
WordyNerdBird 
I have always supposed that “my kingdom for a horse” was intended by Shakespeare to convey a meaning something like: “I know that if I do not get out of here immediately I will die, and since I would prefer to survive without my kingdom than die here today, I would be happy to trade my kingdom for a horse since that would permit me to escape and remain alive.”
Is there reason to believe this interpretation is definitely mistaken?
Richard was still fighting on foot, not trying to escape. “His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,/Seeking for Richard in the throat of death.”
Catesby offers to help him to a horse, and Richard says, Slave, I have art my life upon a cast/ And I will stand the hazard of the die.”
He is committed to killing Richmond, and still fighting when he says “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
Therefore, such an interpretation is inconsistent with the context of the line within the action of the scene.
Thank you.
It’s just like Richard to make empty promises.
Yes it was, although this was not a promise. 🙂