I feel like Act III may have pieced together a few of the questions that I had been playing with. Bolingbroke has come back to take his land and have a talk with Richard. What I do not understand is if he is really going to execute Bushy and Green, and for what?
“This much more, much more than twice all this,
Condemns you to death.—See them delivered over
To execution and the hand of death.”
(3.1.28-30)
What I also do not understand in this scene is where Bolingbroke is getting all this power from to make these decisions. Aren’t these decisions one that the King would normally make? Therefore, I feel like Bolingbroke walks in and completely takes over the decision making and tries to make himself at home when he knows that Richard will be back eventually.
Another subject that troubles me is with the Queen. I am not sure what troubles her. Is it the trouble of her husband at war? Or is it the fear of not having a child. In Act 2.2, there is a quote that sounds like it alludes to this idea.
“Yet again, me thinks
Some unborn sorrow, ripe in fortune’s womb,
Is coming towards me; and my inward soul
At nothing trembles. With something it grieves
More than parting from my lord the King.”
(2.2.9-13)
So maybe it is a combination of both? Or am I completely off target here? I think that Queen has many troubles knowing more than she lets the King think she does. She is afraid of him making all these travels to seize land and it seems like she does not agree with what he is doing to England and the family. He is stealing everything he can get, as he does when his Uncle Gaunt dies. Richard seems to be the less likable character because of what he does. So when he is pleading with his cousin and men in Act III how should we feel sorry for him? He is a very scary character to everyone in the play, with the exception of Bolingbroke, who plans to overthrow his rule. At the end of the Act Richard promises him the land that he desires in Lancaster and to revoke the punishment he was given previously. We also know that King Richard has no intention of keeping his word and will soon reveal deceit to Bolingbroke, which seems to be what he wants to fulfill this desire to overthrow.
2 comments:
From what I read, Bolingbroke definitely had Bushy and Green beheaded: in fact, Scrope tells Richard and Aumerle that they were killed (3.4.138). As for the reason -that Richard had sexual relations with the two of them -may be false, but it's a reason to kill them (not that I agree, but who knows how Bolingbroke really feels about homosexuality).
As for the queen, I think she's having a premonition about what is to become of her husband, as well as for England. While it could very well be possible that she's upset for not being able to conceive (and giving Richard an heir to hold the throne instead of Bolingbroke), I think she's actually talking about England: she is the queen, a mother of sorts to the country, and she is seeing horrible things in her "child"'s future.
Finally, should we feel bad for Richard? I might say yes only because he is floundering and making a complete mess of himself. On the other hand, he's also being a bit of a prick with a slight complex (what with his exaggeration of the divine rights). I say we should be both. For now, at least.
I found that the reason Bushy and Green were executed was because they told the Queen that Bolingbroke has landed in the North with other nobleman. They were Richard’s followers and since Richard is no longer King, they have to hide from Bolingbroke.
In response to your other question: Where is Bolingbroke getting all this power? Bolingbroke is John of Gaunt’s son, and with his death, Bolingbroke inherited Gaunt’s title (The Duke of Lancaster).
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