Richard II Essay: The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II

The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II   What glossa speaks my right drawn sword may prove is the sentence which concludes a short speech delivered by Henry Bolingbroke to King Richard II (1.1.6). These humankindner of speaking are but the starting signal demonstration of the marked difference among the above-mentioned characters in The Tragedy of Richard II. The line presents a man emotional state on action, a foil to the title character, a man of wrangle.             When Bolingbroke first appears in the play, he is accusing Thomas Mowbray of treason and then states that he is ready to act upon his accusations, to draw his sword against Mowbray. He declares, Besides I say and will in battle prove . . . (1.1.92, emphasis mine). Richard yields to the take of trial by combat. It is a ruling on which he afterwards reneges, pronouncing banishment on the two parties rather than allowing their confrontation.    &nbs p        This is a prime compositors case of Richard using his authority by way of rulings and pronouncements rather than action, scour to the superman of disallowing an action. Bolingbroke, on the other hand, is quite ready to do battle no matter what the consequences. Moments before Richard puts a stop to the proceedings, Bolingbroke says, . . . let no frightful eye profane a tear / For me, if I be gorged with Mowbrays cock (1.3.58-59). Here is a man who is resolved in his intent.             To be sure, even in the ensuing banishment, Bolingbroke is not hindered. When he learns of the seizure of the estate of his short father, John of Gaunt, by Richard, he comes back to England despite the ... ...essing anyone who was around or even just addressing himself. However, Bolingbroke is not a man of many words he feels the need to physically atone for his part in the murder, To washables this blood off his guilty hand (5.6.50).             Nevertheless, as a man of action, Bolingbroke has achieved for himself the goal of retrieving his father Gaunts estates and much more. He, in the end, is king, King Henry IV. And though Richard as king was full of pomp and ceremony, those things were no match for dreaming carried to its fullest. His strong words belied incompetence as a ruler, and he could not hold his position. It seems that it was inevitable that Bolingbroke would be the victor at last. Richard should have taken more note of his usurper, before he was such, this man he called Gaunts impolite son (1.1.3).