What Makes Up Your Identity?

          Leading up to Act 3 Scene 2, King Richard has always had his identity pretty much set in stone.  He has stood up for what he wants and believes regardless of who he was speaking with – even his right hand men.  And he has just had this bold attitude about him of knowing who he is and what authority he has.  Now, at the beginning of this scene King Richard is looking forward to finally coming back to his kingdom and describes it as a reuniting of a mother and child making his kingship, his identity, being not only an idea of who one thinks they are but also a sense of belonging and ownership of something.   It is also based on how others give him such an identity.  We see his Bishop Carlisle and Duke of Aumerle tell him that basically he will be king no matter what and that he needs to remember the divine authority that gave him that position that makes him who he is.  Since his identity is mostly based off of how others see him and his ownership and belonging to his kingdom, it is no wonder that he has an identity crisis.  Boilingbroke not only took ownership of his kingdom, but also his subjects – other people who were giving him the kingly identity.  This really makes me stand back and ask what creates my identity?  And it’s interesting this all came up right after doing our introductions on the blog.  Is my hometown to me like the king’s kingdom?  Is my husband and family like the kings subjects that give him his identity?  Or is there more to it?

Divine Right Contested

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.

About Merry

Hey guys! My name is Merry Riddle.
And to answer your question...I am not related to Tom Riddle.

I grew up in a small town called in Sanpete County, Utah. And it was SO small that there was only one paved road and no stop light.
My dad was a raging hippie/yoga enthusiast and raised us on a farm. We had 5 acres of organic veggies, a few dozen chickens, 3 horses, and 4 dogs. It was the bomb diggity.

My hobbies include:
Reading & writing poetry
Hiking
Rock Climbing
Running (obsessively)
Cooking quesadillas
Playing the piano
And watching Ryan Gosling movies with my dog on weekend nights while eating Burger King and dry cereal.
I teach Yoga and I also manage a cold-press juicery located in downtown Provo.

I was first introduced to Shakespeare when I was little. My dad signed me up to act in a Macbeth. However, I bombed the audition and only got one line...Since then my pride has veered me away from ever attempting to perform Shakespeare again. Nonetheless, I am excited to learn more about Shakespeare and his plays.

"All In Vain Comes Counsel to His Ears"

I was intrigued by Richard's unwillingness to follow others' counsel and by the impact that behavior had on his subjects who witness it. This unwillingness to heed criticism from his counselors and friends stems from his belief that he is infallible as king because of his divine appointment. When Bolingbroke makes a public stand against him, Richard declares that "my master, God omnipotent, is mustering his clouds on our behalf . . . and they shall strike" those who rise up against the crown.

However, this belief that monarchs are selected and sustained by God does not placate all of Richard's subjects; fed up with his poor ruling, they embrace Bolingbroke as an honorable contender to Richard's judgments. By honorable contender, I mean that Bolingbroke's claim to his father's estate is valid. However, monarchs over the ages have taken what they want without regard to proper ownership, and their claims have often gone unchallenged. Why then is Richard being challenged on this particular count of corruption? Why is the usurped land not chalked up to a perk of his divine authority?

I believe that Richard's unwillingness to listen to outside advice or requests allows him to be deposed from the throne. Placing the utmost faith in his own judgments because of his divine appointment, Richard ignores Gaunt's warning to seek honest, not flattering tongues to avoid driving England into ruin. He also ignores Bolingbroke's pleas for the assets that are rightfully his, a move that paints him as a tyrant in the public's eye. Even his once-devoted subjects like York abandon him once they realize the king is deaf, "stopp'd with other flattering sounds." Though divine authority is a compelling reason to follow a ruler, it cannot satisfy a country looking for a leader to put its best interests at heart.

The World According to Erin

My name is Erin Ritchie. It used to be Erin Matheson, but a few weeks ago, I decided to change it on account of this handsome fellow named Nick. Handsome Nick is now my husband. He is an excellent roommate who makes me pretend margaritas while I pretend to do my homework.

Portland, Oregon is my home; I will brag about living 10 miles away from Powell's, the biggest bookstore in the world, any chance that I get. The city's influence on me extends far beyond my love of brunch and on-and-off vegetarianism. I believe in wearing overalls. Polka dots are my jam. Jessica Day is my hero.

I began reading Shakespeare's unabridged plays in 3rd grade after reading all of the Wishbone adapted series (Hamlet suddenly becomes more interesting when the lead is played by a terrier). Dramatizing his works quickly became one of my favorite things to do. I won my high school Shakespeare performance competition with a 10 minute Romeo and Juliet one-woman abridgment. Because I had no life in high school and felt the need to overachieve in my I.B. English classes, I adapted and filmed King Lear with a modern corporate takeover twist. Following the success of Lear turned CEO, I created a short film, Hipster Hamlet Goes to College. Breathing life into Shakespeare's words brings me a manic joy akin to murdering a king in order to take the throne at the urging of one's loony spouse.

I Stab You in Order to Serve You

What struck me about reading Richard II was that the overthrow of the king was contrived and executed while maintaining throughout a façade of respect and flattery towards Richard. Bolingbroke could land an army and march it through England by claiming that it was for the benefit of the king that he did it, evening convincing fence sitters like the Duke of York of his loyalist intentions. When Northumberland left off king from the name of Richard, the Duke of York rebuked him for the lack of respect. Ultimately the crown was won by the hollow but respectful bowing of Bolingbroke’s knee, even as he claimed that the crown was not his intent.

Although it seemed that all the rebels had just reasons to want the king disposed, it is fascinating that in the England of Richard’s and then Shakespeare’s time, the regency was so important to their nation and culture that they could not dispose of a king without pretending to not be disposing him. The idea that God had place the king with “right royal majesty” to rule meant that any act against him would be an act against England and God. Therefore, it required a very careful choice of words and very careful set of professed motivations to try to overthrow an unjust king. Accordingly, the rebellion is enacted not against the king, because “the king is not himself but basely led by flatterers,” and is instead acted against the flatters who take the blame for the baseness surrounding the king. This careful negotiating of dangerous waters to avoid the appearance of treason mirrors the situation of Shakespeare himself, who had to be very careful about how he displayed this toppling of a monarch in order to not appear to suggest the toppling of his own monarch Elizabeth. The situation of defiance under the rhetoric of loyalty creates much of the drama and intrigue of the play, especially when viewed from the fact that the Romp Parliament would be executing Charles I only fifty years after the play was written using the same tactic of deference to the king. The play becomes a look into a fascinating historical development in the English nation that ends in regicide.

About Me

Hi everybody,

I'm Kimberly Jackman.  I am from a small town in Northeastern Oregon called La Grande. Because of that I love to do anything and everything outdoors such as hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and the list continues. This is my third year at BYU, however it is my first year back from an amazing mission.  I served in the Michigan Lansing Mission for one year until I received my visa to go to the Brazil Sao Paulo Interlagos Mission.  I got married just this summer to my best friend Cody Martin (still working on the Martin name change).  I am an English major, I have loved reading, writing, and speaking my entire life.  I was first introduced to Shakespeare in high school through the form of Romeo and Juliet, which I too hated as some of the other class members have mentioned. But then my sophomore year of high school I had an amazing teacher who taught Macbeth and I have loved Shakespeare ever since.  So far my favorite Shakespearean play is King Lear.