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Richard II

William Shakespeare,

Jonathan Bate

Discussion: Passage to Selfhood

Why we're reading this: A prince born to the throne yet ill-suited for his post as King. By external circumstance and his own int…more
[close] A prince born to the throne yet ill-suited for his post as King. By external circumstance and his own internal failing, he lost his kingdom and his life by the sheer failure of maturation.

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Passage to Selfhood

The passage to selfhood
By Ci · 1 post · 1 views

last updated Dec 31, 2013 12:03PM

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Dec 03, 2013 Ci rated it it was amazing

Shelves: re-read-books

*** Review of 2015, second read

My second read takes me to the lives of uncles and aunts around Richard and Henry. Henry, a young man of power and skills suitable for a modern monarch, pitted against Richard, his cousin of prior claims of legitimacy but no skills of realpolitik. Richard did have some of the most reflective, metaphysical rumination on his life and career. Yet Richard remained as a bad king, if one grants his potential as uncertain, sentimental poet.

The uncles are regents, midwifi
*** Review of 2015, second read

My second read takes me to the lives of uncles and aunts around Richard and Henry. Henry, a young man of power and skills suitable for a modern monarch, pitted against Richard, his cousin of prior claims of legitimacy but no skills of realpolitik. Richard did have some of the most reflective, metaphysical rumination on his life and career. Yet Richard remained as a bad king, if one grants his potential as uncertain, sentimental poet.

The uncles are regents, midwifing the brood of young men in the business of governing and being governed. John of Gaunt, Duke of York, along with two wives, must have been exhausted by the minding and mending of strifes and conflicts. Some of the best lines are from Gaunt (the lamentation of "sceptered isle" segment), and York's terse to Bolingbroke "Things past redress are now with me past care".

I still don't care for most of the women's roles in this play. They all seemed to be play devices. Duchess of York's pleading seems to have come from a silly comedy, while the Queen a touch of romantic syrupy.

*** Review of 2013 -- First read

"Men are but gilded loam or painted clay". One may inherit a coat of exteriority, but without the internal contents to match, the men are nothing but a sorry mockery of effigy.

Richard II is a young boy ill-suited for the post of king. A dreamy and invert man who is more interested in the finery of a soft life instead what is required to be a king: the physical prowess, the steely mind of a solider, and the political skill to rally support and quell rebellion. Henry Bolingbrook, Richard's antithesis, has the substance for a kind but not the inherited legitimacy.

What is the legitimacy of a leader? The substance of the person themselves? Or the bloodline, familiar connection, the endorsement of other institution (such as the church), the statistical majority of a vote? It all depends on the circumstance. The problem is that the circumstances are not static. The quicksands of shifted alliance and emotions wreck havoc at national level when the leader of the state is in dispute.

The tragedy of Richard II lies his unfortunate role of being casted as a national's leader. His "job" requirements are beyond his innate ability and his inclination. Even though he dethroned himself, he still suffered horrifically for his heritage even though he renounced everything including his wife along with his crown.

Note:
** The Hollow Crown series's interpretation of Richard II in a 2012 BBC production is excellent ***

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