Richard II Flashcards
“what reverence… slaves”
Initially arrogant, vain and a weak ruler - “what reverence he did throw away on slaves” - delights in the trappings of kingship but fails to assume its responsibilities.
“landlord… not king”
Out of touch with his kingdom and critics - “landlord of England art thou and not king”
“can sick… names?”
refuses to take advice - “can sick men play so nicely with their names?” clipped, cruel and abrupt, unable to see the subtext of Gaunt’s words.
“not all the water… anointed king”
Belief in divine right - “not all the water in the rough rude sea/ can wash the balm from an anointed king” - unable to grasp his own mortality and separate his natural body from the body politic
“with mine own… balm”
“With mine own tears I wash away my balm” tragic irony that he only sees now, in the deposition scene, the wrong he has done himself.
“the emptier… air”
“full of… I”
“the emptier ever dancing in the air” - taunting nature echoes the pitiful “full of tears am I” - as one rises, the other must descend, and the steps with which Henry ascends the throne are those on which Richard sinks to his grave.
“let us sit… death of kings”
“let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings” - his heart bleeds afresh at every mischance, preferring to wallow in self-pity
“love to Richard… all-hating world”
“love to Richard is a strange brooch in this all-hating world” - love of spectacle, constant performer
“we were not born… command”
initially acts magnanimously on “we were not born to sue but to command” - suggests his efforts to reconcile Mowbray and Henry are an insult to his pride, this royal ‘we’ eventually being eroded.
“I wasted… waste me”
“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me” - tenderly alive to his own suffering but without the fortitude to bear it
“thus play I… none contented”
“Thus play I in one person many people/And none contented.”- the royal ‘we’ taken apart and humbled.
“he is but… brother’s son”
avoids association from injustice on “he is but my father’s brother’s son” when claiming impartiality on Henry - yet later refers to Henry as “cousin”
“Here cousin:… crown”
“Here cousin: seize the crown” - mock apathy, oddly more ominous than rage, grief or denial, emphasising the betrayal of the filial relationship.
“Yet you… sour cross”
“Yet you Pilates/have here delivered me to my sour cross” - in actuality this betrays Richard’s penchant for melodrama, casting himself as wronged Jesus whom God shall avenge – Christ received a crown of thorns, rather than having it taken, and withstood his suffering silently.
“unkiss… and me”
“unkiss the oath twixt thee and me”- they accept that there are greater things at stake than their love and bond as husband and wife, which they humbly recognise – great sadness in how their love cannot be, in the name of the country.
“mount, mount… here to die”
“Mount, mount, my soul. Thy seat is up on high, Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die.” - at last separates the body politic and earns his maturity.
“what reverence… slaves”
Machiavellian charm- “what reverence he did throw away on slaves” - understands the importance of being popular with the people.
“four lagging winters… breath of kings”
initially respectful of Richard’s divine right on “Four lagging winters and four wanton springs end in a word: such is the breath of kings.”
“I pardon him… me”
“In God’s name… throne”
“I pardon him, as God shall pardon me”
“In God’s name I’ll ascend the royal throne.”
disregards Richard’s divine right
“for what I speak… this earth”
Man of action- whereas Richard talks, Henry acts - “for what I speak/my body shall make good upon this earth”
“will no man… priest and clerk?”
guilt and unease of the nobles on Richard’s “will no man say ‘amen’? Am I both priest and clerk?”, to which there is silence, as if he were scolding them – Bolingbroke does not hold control of the situation.
“Have I no friend… living fear?”
“Though I did… murderer”
Indecisive compared to earlier action – says to Exton “Have I no friend who will rid me of this living fear”, and then professes “Though I did wish him dead, I hate the murderer”
“this seat… Eden”
patriotism and glorious country first compared to “this seat of Mars, this other Eden”, both a paradise and God of war. Scorn on “leased out” to the highest bidder – repetition of “this” (anaphora!) gives a sense of deafening finality, repeating words as if he can recall them back to life – personification of England as “she” demonstrates his love.
“You urged me… argue like a father”
Commitment to duty - “You urged me as a judge, but I had rather You would have bid me argue like a father.” - agrees to the banishment of his son as he knows it to be in the political interest of his country, contrast to Richard’s faux impartiality.
