96
W
hen Richard observes of
himself “Down, down I
come like glist’ring
Phaethon” (3.3.177), he offers a
complex image of his own tragic
fate. Phaethon was the son of
Phoebus/Apollo, the sun-god of
Greek mythology. According to
legend, the youth stole his father’s
fiery chariot and drove it through
the sky, but he could not keep
control of the horses and caused
terrible destruction to Earth. Jove
hurled a thunderbolt at the chariot,
and Phaethon plunged to his death.
Often interpreted as signifying
the dangers of ambition, the myth
initially seems more appropriate to
the usurping Bolingbroke than to
Richard, the divinely-appointed king
of England, whose inherent majesty
is often described in terms of the
sun. Yet the myth was also used to
condemn a failure of government,
which is how Richard uses it,
describing himself as, like Phaethon,
“Wanting the manage of unruly
jades” (3.3.178). The gardener will
later confirm that it was Richard’s
inability to control his nobles that
brought about his downfall: “We at
time of year / Do wound the bark,
the skin of our fruit trees, / Lest,
being over-proud in sap and blood, /
With too much riches it confound
itself. / Had he done so to great and
growing men, / They might have
lived to bear, and he to taste, / Their
fruits of duty” (3.4.58–64).Power struggle
Richard’s difficulties reflect the
reality of 14th-century England,
which saw a struggle between the
nobles and the monarchy. At the
start of the play, Richard cannot
quell the argument between
Bolingbroke and Mowbray because
their obedience to the king matters
less to them than personal honor.
Indeed, the play’s extraordinaryRICHARD II
language of sacramental kingship
is partly driven by an awareness
that the king is but one among a
number of competing nobles who
all have a claim to the throne.Contemporary parallels
When Shakespeare wrote the
play, the story of Richard II was
a controversial one because of
perceived analogies between his
reign and that of Elizabeth I. The
latter famously said to William
Lambarde in 1601, “I am Richard II.
Know ye not that?”
Like Richard, Elizabeth was
perceived to be unduly influenced
by court favorites, most notably the
earls of Leicester and Essex. Like
Richard, she had to contend with
rebellion in Ireland, although she
sent Essex to deal with it, rather
than making the mistake of leaving
the kingdom. She was also in the
difficult position of lacking an heir.
One of the accusations against
Bushy, Bagot, and Green in
Shakespeare’s play is that they
have prevented Richard from
ensuring the succession. This is
attributed not only to dissensionIN CONTEXT
THEMES
Kingship, betrayal,
character flawsSETTING
Locations in England and
Wales during the reign of
Richard II (1367–1400)SOURCES
1587 Raphael Holinshed’s
Chronicles of England,
Scotland, and Ireland.c.1592 Christopher Marlowe’s
play Edward II.1595 Samuel Daniel’s epic
poem The First Four Books of
the Civil Wars.LEGACY
1601 Performed to rouse
support for Essex’s ill-fated
rebellion against Elizabeth I.1815 After two centuries
of neglect, Edmund Kean
revives the play in London,
playing Richard as a
courageous figure.1937 English actor John
Gielgud stages a production at
Queen’s Theatre, London, that
emphasizes the play’s poetry.
1971 English director Richard
Cottrell’s TV adaptation stars
Ian McKellen as an effeminate,
doomed Richard.1995 Irish actress Fiona Shaw
is cast as an androgynous
Richard by director Deborah
Warner at the National
Theatre, London.2009 Australian actress Cate
Blanchett plays Richard at the
Sydney Theatre, Australia.Ah, Richard! With the
eyes of heavy mind
I see thy glory, like
a shooting star,
Fall to the base earth
from the firmament.
Earl of Salisbury
Act 2, Scene 4