Bolingbroke: A Class Act.

Act 3 of Richard II shows us an interesting side of character development for Bolingbroke. As Richard continues to hope to shut down the rebellion through force, Bolingbroke seems to win people over simply by his will and his personality. More people are siding with Bolingbroke, abandoning their king for the interloper. It is hard to disagree with their choice, however, especially when we see how Bolingbroke acts towards his enemy. He doesn’t necessarily consider Richard II an enemy, and acknowledges that he is King. He claims to have no goals of taking the throne, and only wants the justice he believes he deserves, to recover the land taken from John of Gaunt’s will. In 3.3.194, Bolingbroke says “My gracious lord, I come but for mine own.” He is not a menacing figure, and he even seems to be bowing in Richard’s presence, showing all the respect that one would normally give to a king, despite the fact that he is currently overthrowing his empire, whether intentionally or otherwise.

The third act even opens with a rather surprising scene, in which Bolingbroke executes men who he claims dishonored the very king he is fighting against. If Bolingbroke is going so far to rebel against the king and take back what he believes is rightfully his, why is he showing so much respect and allegiance to him? He even takes the care to make sure the Queen is treated well during his battle against the King in 3.1.36-40: “Uncle, you say the Queen is at your house./For God’s sake, fairly let her be intreated./Tell her I send to her my kind commends./Take special care my greetings be delivered.” It is interesting that Bolingbroke uses the term “For God’s sake,” because Richard II is referenced several times as a ruler with the right of God watching over him. This time in English history relied on what was known as divine rule, the belief that the king was king because God deemed it to be so. Anyone who went against the king was seen to be therefore going against the will of God.

Bolingbroke seems to be a very moral character, and this could be attributed to a fear of God in him. His religion and his faith in God could mean that he still believes that Richard II is the true King. This ties into how he claims to not wish to take the throne, but simply his land. Bolingbroke could be seen as the antagonist of the story, simply because the eponymous protagonist of Richard II is facing against him, but he is clearly not a villain. Bolingbroke is more likeable than the king, and although he battles the man that he gives so much respect to, it’s easy to see that he has no interest in vengeance and seeks no pleasure from fighting Richard, but that he is primarily a man concerned with justice and fairness. It will be interesting to see how Bolingbroke treats Richard now that he is in Bolingbroke’s custody at the end of the act.