In the first part of this scene we see King Richard and Richmond in their separate camps preparing for battle.

King Richard is now concerned about himself, his own armour and weapons and promptly falls asleep without preparing for the morning battle, whereas Richmond prays to God for the safety of his troops. He asks God to be on his side and prepares to leave early to surprise Richard.

Ghostly Visits

He and Richard are visited in their sleep by the ghosts of the men that Richard has killed.

• Ghost - Prince Edward: The ghost of Prince Edward says to Richard that he hopes he sits heavily on Richard’s conscience on the morning of the battle. He hopes he is reminded that he stabbed him in the prime of his youth at Tewkesbury and that he therefore despairs of himself and dies. Prince Edward’s ghost then says to Richmond that he should be proud that he is fighting for the souls of the wronged princes. Richmond is told that he is fighting on the princes behalf and that they should bring him comfort.
• Ghost - King Henry: Enter the ghost of King Henry. He says to Richard that he punctured his body with deadly wounds. He tells him to think and The Tower and his hand in his death and to die in despair. To Richmond he honours his virtue and hopes that he is conqueror. Henry prophesises that Richmond will be King and urges him to live and flourish thereafter.
• Ghost - Clarence: The ghost of Clarence appears to Richard and also urges him to die of guilt for his betrayal in battle. He addresses Richmond as the offspring of the house of Lancaster and says that the wronged heirs of York pray for him, he says that good angels will protect him and that he will live and flourish.

• Ghost - Lord Rivers: The ghost of Rivers says to Richard that he hope that his death weighs heavy on his conscience the next morning and that he dies.
• Ghost - Lord Gray: Gray says that he hopes his will let his soul despair over his death too.
• Ghost -  Sir Thomas Vaughan: The ghost of Vaughan says that when Richard thinks of him he hope that he will fall on his sword and die.

The ghosts then appear to Richmond they tell him to awake and believe that all the wrongs that Richard has committed will come back to him and defeat him. They tell him to wake up and win the day.

The ghosts of the two princes reappear and tell Richard to dream of them smothered in the Tower and hope that the thought of this will drag him down to his death. They then bid Richmond a sound sleep and they urge him to live a happy life and have a long line of heirs who will in turn become kings. They exit.

• Ghost - Hastings: The ghost of Hastings enters and he tells Richard that he is ‘Bloody and guilty and guiltily awake’ he says that he will end his days in a bloody battle. He then urges Richmond to awake and conquer for ‘fair England’s sake’.
• Ghost - Lady Anne: The ghost of Lady Anne appears and says to Richard that she his wretched wife who never slept a peaceful hour with him wants him to think of her to despair and die. She urges Richmond as the others have done to sleep soundly, she prays that he will be the victor.
• Ghost - Buckingham: The ghost of Buckingham reproaches Richard saying that he helped him gain the crown but was then subjected to his tyranny. He also hopes that Richard dies of guilt. He says to Richmond that he died before he could assist him in opposing Richard but that angels were on his side and that Richard will fall for his pride.