Richard II: His Dramatic Downfall Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespe

Shakespeares plays were grouped into three categories comedies, tragedies and histories. The histories were those plays based on the lives of face mightinesss. Shakespeare was whiz of the first writers to write about English history. According to Garber, before Shakespeares time there were few history plays such written in England--- England history was told in verse and prose chronicles (239). Its considered that Richard II is one of the early historical plays. The play became so iconic that even Queen Elizabeth said that she was Richard the second, know ye not that. Richard II tells the story about a kings downfall. Richard II is not your average king. He is useless with his power and does not know how to use it. He is the king of England when the play begins still shortly after his kingship is taken absent from him. Richard II is a young man who has not matured much since his adolescence. He is disconnected from his land and its people, which becomes one of the downfa lls of his crown. He has an extraordinary flair for poetic language. He is witty and poetic personality doesnt work with his higher calling in life. A king should be strong and fearless. King Richard II is not a man of action and as the play advances, he gets into more and more trouble. As his break off approaches, he becomes very poetic. Like most Shakespearean heroes, Richard II has a strong theatrical personality. He likes putting on a show and enjoys a bit of wordplay, even at his own expense. What sets him apart from other Shakespearean characters is the perverse joy he takes in his downfall. There are many tragical events that lead to Richards downfall and consequently lost of his crown. The most important one was that he basically didnt ... ...n moral and royal principles. By the wipeout of this play, its clear that Richard has completely questioned the concept of divine right and when he has to shed his crown and turn over England to his enemy, he dramatically st ates Throw away respect, Tradition, form, and ceremonious duty For you have but mistook me all this while. I live with bread like you, feel want, Taste grief, need friends. (3.3.172-76). Just because Richard as a divine right to be the King doesnt mean that he is the right choice to accomplished the requirement of what it takes to be a great king. Richard was lack on the will power of a leader. His downfall was his fault in the sense that he couldnt concentrate to see what he was doing to his region as a ruler. He failed as a leader but at the same time he gain sometime much better than a crown, Richard gain the understanding of who he is.