Richard II quotes and analysis Flashcards
Power Theme
According to Bolingbroke and his followers; a kings right to rule is a privilege granted to him by his subjects
European ideas about power and monarchy were beginning shift from a religious attitude, like Richard’s to a more non- religious point of view, like Henry’s. The play is a reflection of this change
” God is a quarrel; for God’s substitute,/His deputy annointed in His sight”
Gaunt is willing to let the king get away with murder because he thinks Richard is god’s deputy meaning he’s been chosen by God to be king. Richard doesn’t have to answer to anyone but god. Not everyone sees kingship this way
Family Theme
This play questions whether family ties should be stronger or more important than political alliances. The women in the play choose family loyalty every time, while most of the men don’t. Family is obviously a powerful category with political consequences
“Is my strict fast.. I mean my children’s looks/ And there in fasting has thou made me gaunt”
He faults Richard here for depriving him of the pleasure of his son Henry’s company. By doing so, Richard has made him gaunt (thin and weak) which is a pun on his name. When he banished gaunt’s son, he took away one of the things he most valued and turned him into a starved man who doesn’t have long to live
Language and Communication Theme
Richard believes his speech is power, in one way he’s right. Richard can end a mans life by banishing him so language is powerful in a political sense. He manages to make his language forceful in a different sense: his words are quite moving and poetic
Bolingbroke makes it clear that he doesn’t think much of language. Unlike Richard (who describes his fall from grace so poetically that we almost forgot that he was a bad king). Henry thinks action is far more important than language which is why he’s so great at seizing opportunities and creating situations that will give him power
“what my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove”
He’s going to “prove” that what his tongue says with a weapon: his sword. Language is insufficient for Henry. It has to be proven or made concrete by acts
Loyalty Theme
Aumerle is loyal to Richard. York is loyal to the office of the king, no matter who occupies it, Gaunt is loyal to the kingdom. The duchess of York is loyal to her son and The Queen is loyal to her husband
“But heaven hath a hand in these events… To Bolingbroke are we sworn to subjects now”
York quickly switches from a description of Richard’s suffering a matter-of-fact announcement of that he, York, is now loyal to King Henry. York might be the character most obsessed with loyalty in the play but he’s ironically also the most fickle
Heaven has ordered it all so they must follow it. They’re Bolingbroke’s subjects now. God hasn’t appointed Richard, it was inherently Bolingbroke, thus, it’s heaven’s order for him to be king
Passivity
Richards’ ‘fatal flaw’ can be a variety of things such as instead of going out to fight france, he takes his time to spend it at home and leases out royal lands.
Instead of reacting when Bolingbroke comes back he takes his own time returning from Ireland
When he finds out how bad the news is, he moves from over confidence straight to dispair
Richard is not a man of action whereas Bolingbroke is all about aggressive action like when he sees the change to get the upper hand he takes it
“revolt our subjects?…They break their faith to God as well as us”
This is where Richard doesn’t have any troops to protect him, here Richard totally gives up which says a lot about his weakness as a king
Pride Theme
Richard uses the word “proud” more than any other character and he uses it to describe Bolingbroke, England’s soil and his own majesty. It’s argued that Richard’s obsession with pride is what ultimately, even though he ends up humiliated, he never really escapes the sense that he deserves more as God’s chosen one. Unfortunately, this keeps him from listening to advice or criticism and this leads him to mismanage the kingdom so bad that he eventually loses it
“Landlord of England art thou, now King/ Thy state of law is bondslave to the law”
Gaunt is trying to bring Richard down to earth by pointing out the emptiness of his claims to power. No matter how much Richard might proudly say he’s all powerful, what he’s actually done is lease his land. Gaunt points out that he’s acting as a landlord instead of a king. Richard is now subject to laws that he would have been above before
“Would he not stumble? Would he not fall down/ Since pride must have a fall and break the neck”
Having pride does’t mean your untouchable. Richard here says that the horse should fall and break the neck of the man that stole his throne and the horse was created to fear man and carry him but he wasn’t made like a horse
Exile Theme
The theme of exile is closely linked to patriotism more for Mowbray than Bolingbroke. But, being expelled from England makes them appreciate it more, like when Richard was locked up
“Think not the king did banish thee/ But thou the king”
Gaunts advice to Bolingbroke as he’s about to be banished foreshadows the real events in the play. Bolingbroke ends up taking the mental exercise his father recommends by banishing the king
