Consider the role of fortune in the tragedy of King Richard
Q. Consider the role of fortune in the tragedy of King Richard 2A. One of the main themes running through Richard the second is the idea of the failure of a King's duties to his country. The play examines the changing fortune and loss of kingship from Richard to Bolingbroke due to his neglect of time and duty. However, both characters undergo a remarkable transition in their attitudes and furthermore, both can be seen to be wrong in trying to claim what is not rightfully their own. In the early stages of the play Richard takes Bolingbroke's lawful inheritance away which arguably marks the beginning of his own downfall. In doing this he is undermining the very notion of how he himself became King by denying someone else their natural inheritance. This is pointed out to him by York although the advice is ignored:"Take Hereford's rights away, and take from Time his charters and his customary rights....Be not thyself , for how art thou a King but by fair sequence and succession?"However, there are various other instances in the play when Richard's supposedly unquestionable power and judgement are called into question. He allows Bolingbroke and Mowbray to go through all the ceremony of their duel before subsequently cancellin
Therefore, in this scene it appears that Richard is beginning to project his own downfall before his complete loss of identity later on. Consequently, York reveals a weak side of his character and explains that he will 'remain as neuter' between Richard and Bolingbroke and even invites him to spend the night in the castle. I wasted time, and now doth time waste me"Therefore, it becomes difficult to establish whether Richard deserves to have been so cruelly robbed of his kingship when he realises his faults. Why have those banished and forbidden legsDared once to touch a dust of England's ground". But for the concord of my state of timeHad not an ear to hear my true time broke. Conversely, at the start of Act 3 Scene 1, the action moves to Bolingbroke who is the absolute opposite of Richard. He shows a complete lack of respect and concern before Gaunt dies and then treats his passing with a flippant disdain:"What comfort man? How is't with aged Gaunt""His time is spent;our pilgrimage must be. g it and also changes the time of Bolingbroke's banishment. Once again his followers have to warn him against wasting time:"My lord, wise men ne'er wail their present woes,But presently prevent the ways to wail". Overall, it is evident that both men are flawed as King's or otherwise. This can then be contrasted against Richard in the following scene whose general inactivity and readiness to pity himself makes him all the more vulnerable. Essentially, the gradual change in fortune between the two men can be seen as these buckets being set in motion from the start. "Royally? Why it contains no king". Nevertheless, the greatest realisation for Richard acknowledging his loss of fortune can be seen in his final soliloquy.
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Acceptance Essays
