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MonkeyNotes-Richard II by William Shakespeare
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The reaction to Richard's confiscation of Gaunt's property is
dramatized in the conversation between Northumberland,
Willoughby and Ross, who have been present throughout the
scene. They are incensed at Richard's high-handedness. They
discuss the state of royal affairs and the king's misdeeds.
Northumberland tries to excuse Richard on the grounds that "the
king is not himself, but basely led by flatterers." Their
conversation essentially presents a list of Richard's crimes, and
the rebellion they consequently plan seems justified. Shakespeare
was faced with a formidable task in this play: he had to stress the
justification for deposing a bad ruler while at the same time
maintain the sanctity of the divine office of kingship. Thus the
conversation between the three men mentions the ruthless policy
of taxation and the moral bankruptcy of Richard as both man and
king. At this point, Bolingbroke has already set sail for England.
The action of the play moves forward to the anticipated
conclusion. Bolingbroke's return to England is seen as necessary
for the restoration of order.
The scene begins with the individualized expression of anger by
Gaunt and closes with the conversation of the three lords, which
reveals that this anger has become generalized. Everybody is
exasperated with Richard's political mismanagement. The
situation anticipates Bolingbroke's rebellion and the wide support
that it receives from both the nobility and the commoners. Using
this strategy, Shakespeare ensures that the audience perceives the
rightness of Richard's deposition. Northumberland's words as the
scene draws to a close are, "even through the hollow eyes of death
/ I spy life peering."
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