Richard II and Legitimacy of Rule
King Richard II and the Legitimacy of Rule History shows that throughout the English Monarchy's existence the legitimacy to rule is an issue that arises with nearly every ruler. During Elizabeth's time this matter became even more apparent. Two essential matters accentuated this: the ruler's religion and gender. Elizabeth took the throne during an age of religious instability. Monarchs before her changed the sate religion regularly; swinging from traditional Catholicism to progressive Protestantism. Because the isle's top monarch represented not only the state, but the church as well, their influence was the highest in the land. The accepted belief of the time was that the king or queen was God's representative on earth; "To worship the kinge is to worshippe religion and God." Compounding Elizabeth's problems was her gender. For many of her time, the idea of a sole female ruler was quite alarming. Elizabeth's contemporary, John Knox, believed that "To promote a Woman to beare rule, superioritie, dominion, or empire above any Relme, nation, or Citie, is repugnant to Nature...it is the subversion of good order, of all equtie and justice." His statement not only emphasizes the nation's qualms with a female leader, but
" Ironically, what the King fails to see in Bolingbroke leads to his downfall. Foreshadowing his ultimate fall to Bolingbroke, he proclaims, "We will descend and fold him in our arms" and steps off his throne onto the same level as his subjects. Since he viewed the bond between king and God as absolute, Richard has nothing to stand on when he loses his power. Short of funds because of irresponsible spending, Richard finds himself unable to fund his war on Ireland. After listening to both nobles and through inaction allowing the dispute to deteriorate into a duel, he declares, "Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me: / Let's purge this choler without letting blood. Richard II presents both contrasting views and the results of each as the play's central theme. Divergent from Bolingbroke's thinking, Richard prefers to be loved than feared. Bolingbroke addresses this in a conversation with his father: "O, who can hold a fire in his hand / By thinking on the frosty Caucasus?" One cannot be the respected ruling just by thinking of himself as such. " In other words, Richard has lost the divine right and is no better than his subjects. Epitomizing the fact that material and action overpowers ideas and words, Bolingbroke and his noble-led-soldiers easily defeats Richard's gentle words and disintegrated army. Richard derives much of his support from his nobles' respect for natural succession and regard for him. He believes Richard no longer respects his responsibility to her. Richard not only lowers himself with his speech, but through his actions as well. Queen Elizabeth took advantage of presenting herself appropriately and in a way that would establish an image of her most conducive to her goals.
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