# Lady Anne — Richard III character guide

> Lady Anne in Richard III by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Anne, gentle Lady Anne, Anne Neville

**First appearance:** 0003-act-i-scene-ii

## Snapshot

A young widow bound to the man she cursed, whose grief and forced marriage make her a haunted witness to Richard's rise.

## Who they are

Anne Neville mourns a husband and a father-in-law killed in the wars, and she has already cursed Richard to his face before he courts her. By the time she is crowned beside him, she wishes the golden circlet were red-hot steel, searing her rather than binding her to him. Her revulsion and captivity give the play its sharpest picture of how Richard's charm operates on the wounded.

## In the story

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/richard_iii_se/chapters/act-i-scene-ii)

Anne mourns King Henry VI and her husband, curses Richard, but is gradually swayed by his persuasive words and accepts his ring.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/richard_iii_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-i)

Reluctantly agrees to be crowned Richard's queen, recalling her curse on him and how she was seduced by his words.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/richard_iii_se/characters/lady_anne
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/richard_iii_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/richard_iii_se/characters