Tower of London

In 1483, King Edward IV, on his deathbed, designates George, Duke of Clarence, as Protector for Prince Edward. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, watches this with dismay as his own path to power appears blocked. The decision plants the seeds of Richard's growing ambition to seize control.

Richard secretly stabs George, Duke of Clarence, with a dagger bearing the Woodville crest, framing the dying king's in-laws. With Clarence dead, Richard is named Protector and begins to position himself for power.

Richard's wife Anne approves of his crime and encourages him to take the throne for himself. Her support cements his ascent and legitimizes his ruthless tactics.

After Edward IV's death, Richard pressures Mistress Shore to claim that the princes are illegitimate. She refuses, and he tortures her until she dies on the rack. He then uses her death in his justification to place the princes in his custody.

The ghosts of Clarence, Edward IV, and Mistress Shore haunt Richard, warning him of revenge at Bosworth. He is told that he will be killed by a dead man, foreshadowing his downfall.

Shore's specter merges with the living Anne, and a tormented Richard strangles his wife, believing her to be Shore. This act deepens his isolation and guilt.

Richard consults the Moorish physician Tyrus, who shows him visions of his future, including a prophecy that he will become king. The prophecy feeds his ambition and paranoia.

Tyrus informs Sir Jasper about the danger to the princes, and Jasper plots with his girlfriend Lady Margaret Stanley to rescue them. They plan to extract the young Duke of York and his mother.

Jasper frees the young Duke of York and his mother, but is trapped and captured along with the child-king Edward. The rescue attempt partially succeeds before falling apart.

Richard forces the Archbishop to surrender the Duke of York, who seeks sanctuary in Westminster Abbey. With Ratcliffe's aid, he murders the two princes in their beds and proclaims himself king.

The ghosts intensify Richard's fear, and Buckingham quietly doubts his sanity. Ratcliffe informs Richard, who then has Buckingham tortured to death to remove a rival.

Tyrus aids Jasper in rescuing Margaret, but the Moorish physician is mortally wounded in the escape. Jasper and Margaret press on, escaping the pursuit and aligning with Stanley.

Jasper and Margaret join Lord Stanley's coalition, rallying additional support to topple Richard from the throne. The rebellion gains momentum as Stanley's forces amass.

Richard is crowned king, but his fear and paranoia intensify. Ratcliffe informs him that Stanley has marched toward Bosworth with an army.

At Bosworth Field, Richard's forces are defeated and he is left alone on the battlefield. The ghosts of his victims appear as he fights, and a dead soldier's battleaxe mortally wounds him as he attempts to mount a horse.