I think the theme of divine right
is very interestingly portrayed in this incredible piece of literature. From my
reading of it, I feel that the characters in this poem don’t put much stock in
the idea. They certainly reference it a great deal, frequently mentioning and alluding
to the Lord’s backing of Kind Richard II, and his God-given right to rule. They
also mention his connection with the land, with the nation it’s self ,
declaring their belief of the king’s power and right. Everyone is also very
respectful and almost reverent in regards to the king of his treatment, even denouncing
someone (Northumberland, I believe) for simply leaving the title of ‘king’ out
when speaking of Richard. But no matter how much they talk about it, I feel
that it is at best only lip service, and that none of them act as if they truly believe it. Even Richard himself seems to
doubt it and question it at times. The moment he returns to Wales and learns of
the situation and of Bolingbroke and his supporters, he swings from his
original declaration of himself as “the deputy elected by the Lord,” to a
complete change of tune, saying “subjected thus, how can you say to me, I am a
king?” when he learns the extent of the situation. This switch comes within a
few minutes only, something that would never happen if it (divine right) was
truly a deeply seated belief. Even thse other characters don’t treat Richard as
they would if they truly believed in his divine right. Instead, the play ends
with him being deposed by those who professed so to believe. If he were chosen
by God, the crimes and mistakes pointed out by mere men could have had so sway
on him. It makes you wonder what Shakespeare himself felt about divine right. I
also found an interesting article at http://www.articlemyriad.com/divine-right-richard-ii-henry-v/
if anyone wants to read more.
You picked up on the same thing that I did! It is really weird how respectful everyone acts towards the king even as they criticize and revolt against him. I read part of a criticism by M. M. Reese, and he talked about how sensitive this issue had to have been for Shakespeare to write it and not come off as being against the current queen, Elizabeth. Shakespeare was walking a very thin line with this play!
ReplyDeleteI can't help but connect that to our current political leadership. From the President to the Speaker, politicians are eviscerated on every media platform. However, respect and civility almost always soften even the worst critics when they meet a public figure.
DeleteI agree with you that most of the characters don't truly believe in divine right, but a few of them seem to, specifically John of Gaunt and those who continue to support Richard after he is deposed. I say John of Gaunt because of the lines in Act I scene ii when he says "God's is the quarrel, for God's substitute, his deputy anointed in his sight," and accuses Richard of causing his brother's death, saying that God will have revenge on the king even though he can 't. It seems to me that he still believes that Richard is divinely appointed even though he disagrees with what he has done.
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