Shakespeare depicts King Richard Il as someone having multiple fundamental character weaknesses throughout the play, including: a lack of maturity; extreme insecurity; blatant incompetence; and a self-serving personality. Believing himself as God’s gift to England, Richard II follows his own narcissistic plans rather than doing what would have been what is best for the people. Consequently, as you can imagine, the choices made by Richard II were detrimental to England and its’ people and ultimately led to the loss of his kingship and his death.
At the young age of ten (10), King Richard II inherited the throne from his grandfather, King Edward III due to Richard Il’s father, the Black Prince’s, death during Edward III’s reign. Being a child at the start of his kingship, Richard II is not immediately in control of the government, and it is not until his early teenage years that he begins to personally participate in those duties. During this time, however, Richard II had a falling out with most noblemen because of the fact that he surrounded himself with a small group of men from his household, most of who are knights rather than nobleman.
He additionally lavished these men with his support and furnished them with things such as: grants of land, titles, offices, private power in various regions of the kingdom, and control over governmental policies through chancellorships. All of which subsequently caused a clear division between Richard II’s household men and the noblemen. With the ongoing issue of the Hundred Year War where there was an eminent threat from the French, one of Richard Il’s chancellors, Michael De la Pole quickly organized the coastal defenses, and pursued an unusually large grant of taxation from Parliament.
The enormous scale of his demand incited resistance, and the House of Commons insisted on De la Pole’s resignation. Richard II again shows a weakness in his leadership skills by refusing the request and De la Pole had to be put on trial in order to remove him as chancellor. It was now clear Richard II has lost touch with his critics and the confidence of the English people. The noblemen have determined Richard Il’s choice in both whom he surrounds himself with and his governmental policies are ultimately the root cause of England having to face a financial crisis as well as an eminent threat of invasion by the French.
It is not that Richard is cowardly, but rather that he is incapable of decisive action when it is most required” (Coleman & Coleman, n. d. ). And it is with this determination; Richard II has the government taken out of his hands. In response to the noblemen’s decision, Richard II showed his true level of immaturity by sulking in his sorrow and anger while touring the kingdom with hopes of drumming up support for a private army. However, Richard II later reacquired his throne after the noblemen tried, but failed at deposing him. It was his belief that because he ruled through God’s divine plan, he could not be deposed.
Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm off from an anointed king; the breath of worldly men cannot depose the deputy elected by the Lord” (Act 3, Scene 2, 54-57). After returning to power, Richard II sought revenge against those who had attempted to depose him, and he used his authority to create policies to effectively do so. Many in his opposition were imprisoned, exiled, or put to death. A key example of this would be the banishment of Bolingbroke, who was the son of Richard Il’s uncle John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster, who was sent away as a means of preventing a onfrontation, reducing resentment against Richard II, to cover up the murder of another of Richard Il’s uncles. “He is a man who intends, for the most part, to do well, but whose actions are at best foolish and at worst malicious” (Coleman & Coleman, n. d. ).
In regaining power, Richard Il begins to rule in a much more self-serving and tyrannical manner by using his powers to seize private lands and personal property as a means of furthering his own agendas and to fill the king’s coffers. The king is both greedy and wild” (HIGGINBOTHAM, 2014). When Richard II was called to the deathbed of John of Gaunt, Gaunt proclaims his displeasure with the fact that Richard II has damaged England’s reputation by leasing out its’ lands for what seems to look like Richard II’s methods of raising cash by farming out the privilege of tax collection to his supporters. “Dear for her reputation through the world is now leased out” (Act 2, Scene 1, 58-59). Still, Richard II refuses to take sound advice from a knowledgeable man.
Immediately after John of Gaunt’s death, Richard II seized all of his land and property in order to fund his war with Ireland, even though its rightful heir was Bolingbroke. This was an action, which appeared to be the last straw for Bolingbroke, as Richard II had ensured him that his banishment would not prevent him from suing for his birthright. While Richard II was off on another expedition to Ireland, Bolingbroke made his way back to England where he rallied a group of followers from all areas of the country.
Bolingbroke’s undertaking was under the false guise of being only an attempt to regain his patrimony, and he was allowed to continue without opposition. Bolingbroke, being allowed to move freely about the country, made his way south where he continued to garner support while Richard II was delayed in returning from Ireland. By the time Richard II had made it back to England, he had lost the popular support and Bolingbroke had amassed quite a following. Richard II ended up surrendering, and was taken to London where he was imprisoned.
Bolingbroke summoned Parliament, who appointed a committee to draft articles of deposition. Richard II was persuaded to lay aside his crown, and Parliament later read and approved his statement of abdication. Shortly after giving up his crown, a group of Richard Il’s former courtiers unsuccessfully plotted to restore him to the throne. However, Bolingbroke, now Henry IV, became convinced that he could no longer allow Richard II to live, and he was put to death a short time later.
In conclusion, although, at the time, it was believed divine right would place whomever the Lord wanted into positions of power and Richard II thought of himself as God’s gift to England, this belief fails to negate the fact that he was a terrible ruler. With his multiple fundamental character weaknesses, including: a lack of maturity; extreme insecurity; blatant incompetence; and a self-serving personality, England would only suffer under his rule. And it was not until someone stood up for themselves against this tyrant that others would ultimately follow and Richard II’s tyrannical rule would come to an end.
