Richard II - Theme
THEME QUOTE ANALYSIS
Power ‘God’s substitute’ Chosen by God, he has God’s power
‘Dive into their hearts’ [Bolingbroke] Has the power of the people, popularity
‘Farm our royal realm’ Richard has power over England, a business
‘The figure of God’s majesty’ God’s substitute, his representative
‘The king’s blood stain’d the king’s own His power has ruined England, reflecting the
land’ extent of his influence
‘Vials of his sacred blood’ Power of familial ties
‘God’s … deputy’ Power from God (divine right of kings)
‘Seize into our lands his plate, his goods, Has power over others, using it for evil doings,
his money and his lands’ reflecting the bad side of power
‘Lost their hearts’ [Richard] There is power in being popular
‘Arm, arm, my name!’ The power comes from a title, entitled to it
‘A second fall of cursed man’ They have the power to influence the world
‘Not all the water in the rough rude sea Showing the extent of God’s power, that he
can wash the balm off from an annointed has been chosen by God (divine right of
king’ kings)
‘All pomp and majesty I do forswear’ No physical power struggle
Family ‘He did plot the Duke of Gloucester’s Begins with a struggle between family, the
death’ focus of the play
‘Auhor of my blood, whose useful spirit in Authority and power comes from familial links
me regenerate’ and relations
‘The pleasure that some father feed upon Gaunt is left without his family, reflecting the
is my … fast’ importance of family
‘He is our cousin, cousin’ Reminder of familial bonds
‘Spare me not, my brother Edward’s son’ Discarding the family ties
‘I am unking’d by Bolingbroke’ Reflecting the familial nature
‘Had thy grandsire … seen how his son’s Regret within the family, trying to evoke regret
son should destroy his sons … he would and realisation of the situation, how family can
have laid thy shame’ [Gaunt] change
‘When he frowned, it was against the Differences between the members within the
French and not family’ [York] family, regret
‘Both are my kinsmen’ [York] Both are equal in their family
‘Stands upon … the royalties of both your Both are equal in their family, there is no
bloods’ [Northumberland] difference is their status
‘Cousin, I am too young to be your father, Implying the wrongness of Bolingbroke
yet you are old enough to be my becoming king, ruining the inheritance of the
heir’ [Richard] throne
Language ‘With a foul traitor’s name I stuff thy throat’ Using words to inflict physical violence, the
[Bolingbroke] power of language
‘What my tongue speaks my … sword Reflecting the power links between verbal and
may prove’ [Bolingbroke] physical insult and viiolence
THEME QUOTE ANALYSIS
Power ‘God’s substitute’ Chosen by God, he has God’s power
‘Dive into their hearts’ [Bolingbroke] Has the power of the people, popularity
‘Farm our royal realm’ Richard has power over England, a business
‘The figure of God’s majesty’ God’s substitute, his representative
‘The king’s blood stain’d the king’s own His power has ruined England, reflecting the
land’ extent of his influence
‘Vials of his sacred blood’ Power of familial ties
‘God’s … deputy’ Power from God (divine right of kings)
‘Seize into our lands his plate, his goods, Has power over others, using it for evil doings,
his money and his lands’ reflecting the bad side of power
‘Lost their hearts’ [Richard] There is power in being popular
‘Arm, arm, my name!’ The power comes from a title, entitled to it
‘A second fall of cursed man’ They have the power to influence the world
‘Not all the water in the rough rude sea Showing the extent of God’s power, that he
can wash the balm off from an annointed has been chosen by God (divine right of
king’ kings)
‘All pomp and majesty I do forswear’ No physical power struggle
Family ‘He did plot the Duke of Gloucester’s Begins with a struggle between family, the
death’ focus of the play
‘Auhor of my blood, whose useful spirit in Authority and power comes from familial links
me regenerate’ and relations
‘The pleasure that some father feed upon Gaunt is left without his family, reflecting the
is my … fast’ importance of family
‘He is our cousin, cousin’ Reminder of familial bonds
‘Spare me not, my brother Edward’s son’ Discarding the family ties
‘I am unking’d by Bolingbroke’ Reflecting the familial nature
‘Had thy grandsire … seen how his son’s Regret within the family, trying to evoke regret
son should destroy his sons … he would and realisation of the situation, how family can
have laid thy shame’ [Gaunt] change
‘When he frowned, it was against the Differences between the members within the
French and not family’ [York] family, regret
‘Both are my kinsmen’ [York] Both are equal in their family
‘Stands upon … the royalties of both your Both are equal in their family, there is no
bloods’ [Northumberland] difference is their status
‘Cousin, I am too young to be your father, Implying the wrongness of Bolingbroke
yet you are old enough to be my becoming king, ruining the inheritance of the
heir’ [Richard] throne
Language ‘With a foul traitor’s name I stuff thy throat’ Using words to inflict physical violence, the
[Bolingbroke] power of language
‘What my tongue speaks my … sword Reflecting the power links between verbal and
may prove’ [Bolingbroke] physical insult and viiolence
