RICHARD II Flashcards
ACT 1.1- “Old John of Gaunt, time-honour’d Lancaster”
Richard is addressing him in a respectful manner which contrasts how he behaves towards gaunt later in the play as he seizes his belongings
ACT 1.1- “First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs me/ From giving reins and spurs to my free speech”
metaphor- mowbray cannot speak freely as he is in the presence of Richard and God or they will be insulted
ACT 1.1- “We thank you both”
inclusive language shows the divine right of kings as he is speaking on behalf of both him and God
ACT 1.1- “Which blood, like sacrificing Abel’s, cries from the tongue less caverns of the earth/ To me for justice and rough chastisement; and by the glorious words of my descend/ This arm shall do it all this life be spent”
Abel is the first biblical murder killed by Kain, and this shows Bullingbrook is prepared to die for what he believes in
ACT 1.1- “Should nothing privilege him nor partialize/ The unstooping firmness of my upright soul”
foreshadowing that there is nothing upright about Richard’s soul
ACT 1.1- “Wrath-kindl’d gentlemen, be rul’d by me”
richard is overestimating his own power and thinks he can stop them from fighting
ACT 1.1- “Forget, forgive, conclude and be agreed. Our doctors say this is no month to bleed”
1st sign Richard is lacking in control as they do not follow his order, foreshadowing disorder and chaos later in the play, Richard cannot control the argument between Bullingbroke and Mowbray as he has limited power
ACT 1.1- “Lions make leopards tame”
symbolic of Richard’s coat of arms, leopard is Mowbrays coat of arms
ACT 1.1- “O God defend my soul from such deep sin!”
Bullingbroke is going agains the kings wishes and foregrounds Richard’s loss of power and deposition as he will kill mowbray and insists on fighting to earn honour
ACT 1.1- “We were not born to sue, but to command”
Richard talking on behalf of him and god and being in control of the country
