RICHARD II THE TRAGIC HERO
Richard G.D. Scott
Okay, this is just a first draft, thinking up some ideas of Richard II.
Just wondering what other people think. (Don't mind the grammar, it's just
a draft and a bunch of ideas). I gave myself a little more than a
hour to write as much as possible down, although I haven't looked
directly at the text for a little over a week. Speak your mind
freely. Cheers. rds
RICHARD II THE TRAGIC HERO..
There is a saying that goes "the bigger they are, the harder they fall". It
is an underlying principle of tragedy, in which the hero causes his
own downfall from great hights. His fall is one from happiness and
power to grief and wretchedness. When William Shakespeare's King
Richard II sits upon the ground and entreats his <followers>,
For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground,
And tell sad stories of the death of kings --
(3.2.151-52)
he has begun his collapse towards the same end as those he is about
to reminisce. But tragedy has more than just the telling of `sad
stories,' for the hero displays boldness and struggles against that
inevitable end.
Shakespeare performs that struggle in The Tragedy of King
Richard the Second, a story of the death of a king. Shakespeare
shows King Richard at the pinnacle of his reign, in full control
and authority of his kingdom. But the King then inadvertently sets
the stage for a revolt and his own downfall. In the face of his
oppressor, Richard lifts himself up one last time in defiance of
his downfall. These elements, therefore, make Shakespeare's story
of the death of King Richard II one of a tragic hero.
Aristotle described in his Poetics that dramatic tragedy had
"incidents arousing pity and fear". Part of that tragedy is the
tragic hero, who's route goes "from happiness to misery; and the
cause of it must lie not in any depravity, but in some great error
on his part". Moreover, there is an "ambiguity between
guilt and innocence, invaded by larger outer power" (Mason). The
tragic hero is fated to make some great error, the outcome is out
of his hands because his error has ruptured the prime order of
life. But the hero must do more than grieve at his outcome, he must
stand up and cry out defiance against his fate and his fall.
King Richard is first described as a powerful character. He
commands the respect of a true king and orchestrates the realm with
full comand. The audience first sees Richard sitting high upon his
throne. He insists on ceremonies and formalities, all showing his
command, such as in the Bolingbroke vs. Mowbray dispute. His
banishment of the two is well placed, and even after shows the
power 'by the stroke of his arm' to wipe away four years from
Bolingbroke's exile. As the play proceeds, we continue to learn of
Richard's high power. When he returns to England, he is confident
in terms of his prior strength, which could make Bolingbroke 'shake
at the knees'. He also possesses power as the church notes, for
everybody before called 'hail Richard'.
What is appealing about Richard to the audience is in truth.
While he is tainted with vices, they are overriden in our feelings
by the goodness and innocence. Richard is a pleasurable character,
as his subjects that stand behind him prove. He is also much loved
by his wife, who who fears for his desposing. Perhaps, though the
greatest call of appeal to his character is his being placed beside
a more politic Bolingbroke. We feel for Richard because we know
Richard's true inner nature, and see a darker Bolingbroke take
advantage of power. He is 'a dancing sould pitted against a
Machivelli' (Cameron). The audience can see themselves as Richard,
and thus join in his grief and rage.
The King Richard does have his vices. Foremost is a pride that
snubs the former orders of England. The King is led by flatterers,
and so his first trespass comes against those true nobles which
hold him in place. One such trespass is the exile of two nobles
instead of 'littering the soil with their blood'. John tries to
warn the King on his deathbed of his ill-fated path and how
'England has become leased out'. The King, however, does not listen
and instead turns to believing the old and withered used up.
Richard instead decides to follow his own path.
The flatterers are Bushy, Green and Bagot. When Bolingbroke is
exiled, the King at first muses upon the exile, though is taken to
other concerns by the three. They are teaching him not to pay
attention and to 'move on with other thoughts'. When John of Gaunt
dies, this way of ruling is inside Richard, and he muses on his
death for not even two lines. It is a vice that the audience is
appalled at, as well as the old Duke of York who 'can no longer
watch what's going on.'
The King is unfortunately resolute in his position, and it is
at the moment he commits his tragic flaw. That flaw is the taking
of Duke of Lancaster's possessions to feed his own war, thus
underscoring Lancaster's death (and life) as well as his rightful
heir (Harry Bolingbroke). His trespass is against those bonds of
blood, which are the strongest and fit to bear the worst effects.
It is from this act that Lancaster must retaliate, and it is from
this act that Richard loses favour with the audience.
The King's trespass is against more than Bolingbroke. It is
also against all of society, and the natural order of things. It is
for this reason that other nobles turn from Richard to join
Bolingbroke's side. His trespass is against an old order, and it is
here that this struggle of two orders overflows in favour of
Bolingbroke's side.
There is, however, more than just a bad choice. There is bad
luck and timing. Bolingbroke arrives in England after Richard
leaves for Ireland, thus giving Bolingbroke leverage. But Richard
should still have an upper hand, after all he is king and has many
followers. But the tragedy is heightened by the fact he arrives in
England one day too late, and all his troops 'have dispersed'. This
sets the King in despair and entreats a parallel of other king's
death with his doom. The King, though, momentarily regains his
position and pride remembering that he has York's help, but again
he falls into despair when he finds he has lost all his power to
Bolingbroke.
It is here we see what Mason calls 'that outer power' which
further leads the hero to his downfall. Richard's downfall is a
result of his position as much as his decisions under that
position. Richard is more than just Richard, he is the king. And it
for this reason that his trespasses have such great effect. The
audience is reminded of Richard's humanity and the fact that is
just one person. Richard is a master is arousing the emotions of
the audience, saying 'have I not reason to look so pale' and
wishing he 'was someone else and somewhere else.' The audience
relates with Richard because while he is powerful in his own man-
made power for a time, he is impotent against the greater sphere of
celestial orders.
It is at this point that Richard makes his heroic defiance
against his downfall. This is apparent when he goes to hand over
the crown to Bolingbroke, but then does not let go of it. Richard
has accepted his resignation, and is full of grief and sorrow in
doing so. Though at the same time he revolts against the order of
things which made him deposed and holds onto the crown a little
longer. Richard's grasp on the crown is genuine because he is aware
that his downfall was inevitable. When Richard is set upon trial,
he reminds Northumberland that others too have commited crimes,
though his are great because of the crown he wore.
Richard's fall is tragic because he shows this defiance. His
rebellion comes against nature and the order of things, and it is
his rebellion tied with his grief that makes him tragic. Whereas
the Queen suffers the same grief and fall as Richard, her fall is
not tragic because there is no rebellion against her fall. For her
it is simply acceptance. The King was also much higher before his
fall, and thus falls for much longer.
In the final act, Richard enacts his fullest rebellion against
his downfall and his death. The audience here is reminded of
Richard's inner person, and sees he is in fact genuine. When he is
prison, he uses his words to understand the world as well as
himself; his speeches are the same in private as in public. The
audience's compassion is also aroused by the visit of his former
stable boy, and Richard's plea against fate that his horse should
have fallen under Bolingbroke. Richard is fed up with fate and it's
cruel turns against him. When Exton enters upon the Richard's
prison, it is here Richard seizes himself up and rallies against
death: killing the officers before being killed himself. Richard
has died heroically instead of pathetically because he 'meets his
death with disdain'.
The story of King Richard invokes the tragic passions deserved
for such a hero. While Richard is dead, the new king holds respect
for the former king and 'hates the murderer'. King Harry 'puts on
black clothes and mourns the remembrance of the old king. Richard,
at last, has taken his place in the line of death of kings.
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Richard Scott*Carleton University*e-mail address*rgs...@chat.carleton.ca
----------------------------February 19, 1996----------------------------
P.S. SORRY if i don't get back to you right away, it's school and
essay time. cheers, or call me at 613-565-7122.
Richard G.D. Scott
----------------------------February 26, 1996----------------------------