Richard I of England

In act four, scene one of Shakespeare’s Richard II, Richard’s lengthy monologues as Henry Bolingbroke attempts to get him to revoke the thrown serve as a metaphor for the entire play. Lines 194 to 214, specifically, after Bolingbroke asks King Richard if he is “contented to resign the crown?” capture the complicated the relationship between the two men and the crown (4.1.193). Richard’s willingness to step down from the thrown is debatable through his reaction to Bolingbroke’s question.…

wrongfully, / Let heaven revenge, for I may never lift / An angry arm against his minister.” (1.2.38-41). This is the first concrete example of King Richard’s loss of power. John of Gaunt says to the Duchess of Gloucester that he refuses to exact revenge against Richard, even though Richard is probably behind the murder of his brother and her husband Gloucester, because Gaunt still believes that Richard was appointed to the kingship by God; in taking action against Richard, Gaunt would be…

However, one woman, Margery Kempe, is credited for inventing a type of book that people still write today. Kempe was born in 1373, though her exact date of birth is unknown, to a wealthy family in England. Like most women in the Middle Ages “Kempe did not know how to read or write, due to the gender barriers at the time. But over time she taught herself basic writing and reading skills” (Alchin). “She eventually got married at age twenty and had fourteen…

The Tragedy of Richard III was based on the true life king who ruled 1483 to 1485, just two short years. Richard III was no doubt a really bad guy. He was a murderer, a tyrant, a hypocrite, and a traitor. Shakespeare presents Richard in an extremely negative way throughout the entire play. He was shown as an evil person; who was fascinated with the control that only being the king could have brought him, and he would have taken any risk that was needed to become the King. He was motivated by his…

penance. Similar boundaries to redemption exist in Henry IV, Part 1, as its characters exist in the wake of the deposition and murder of Richard II. In the work, King Henry IV seeks expiation in a planned crusade, but neglects to abdicate the throne granted to him by his denial of divine right. Similarly, Hotspur seeks to atone for his rebellion against Richard…

Wars of the Roses and uniting a bitterly divided England. By defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and marrying Elizabeth of York he brought together the Houses of Lancaster and York under his new Tudor banner. However, Henry’s reign was not going to be straightforward and he had many issues which challenged his security on the throne. Henry had to ensure he dealt with rivals to the throne as well as making sure he ruled England in a firm but fair way. At the start of King…

There are many iconic landmarks in England. The Big Ben, the London Eye, Stonehenge, and Buckingham Palace are all examples. Although the Tower of London isn’t as well known as Big Ben or the London Eye, it is still very important to England’s history. The Tower of London’s history, structure, and former prisoners have all made it what it is today. There is a lot of history involving the Tower of London. After King Edward of England did not live up to his promise of giving his throne to William,…

When Shakespeare wrote Henry IV, Part II, England faced issues of kingship, constitution, and rebellion. Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Elizabethans in the 1590s, undoubtedly had anxieties about the aging Queen Elizabeth I’s lack of an apparent heir, much like the anxieties surrounding Hal’s imminent succession to the throne. At the same time, Shakespeare presents to his audience a history play, dramatizes information, introduces fictional characters, and “mingling kings and clowns” on stage, and…

The tragedy of King Richard II is a play written by William Shakespeare. The setting of the play takes place in England, and much of the play is embroiled in turmoil. William Shakespeare's character John of Gaunt compares the land of England to that of the Garden of Eden and includes vivid imagery in the play with rich comparisons. Through the strong metaphors comparing England and people to the plants and nature, Shakespeare was able to make England, a country, a life of its own. In Act two…

The Tragedy Of King Richard II Richard II is the initial play in the second history tetralogy of Shakespeare which was written around 1595. The play is among a sequence of four plays that chronicles the house of Lancaster’s rise to the throne in Britain (Hoenselaars, 2004). Richard II, a stately and regal figure rose to the throne as a young chap but is extravagant in his spending habits, detached from his own country and its common individuals, and is also not wise in choosing his counselors.…