Themes in "Richard II"

Drama and Theater > English
Literature > English
Shakespeare > Richard II and III

A discussion of the themes in "Richard II," written by William Shakespeare, particularly the concept of whether or not someone's birth right entitles him or her to remain in power.

3,329 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the play, "Richard II," written by William Shakespeare. The paper discusses the purpose of the play, particularly the theme of God choosing the heir to a throne. The women's issues that are presented in the play are also looked at by the paper. The paper focuses on whether or not someone's birth right entitles him or her to remain in power and how this relates to Richard.

From the Paper:

"Richard II is important because it allows for the audience to decide whether or not divine right is the correct way for a ruler to be chosen. Richard is a character who is presented as a weak and selfish man. He spends much of the kingdom's money on personal allowances, and his indecisiveness leads to many problems for the country. He is also unable to eliminate his enemies and those who threaten his power. Because of this, he is not seen as an effective ruler and is therefore eventually hated by the people. Richard uses language to get out of dealing with stressful situations, as he would rather talk about thing diplomatically than deal with them. He also hides behind the fact that the majority of Christians believed that the monarchy was appointed by God and, therefore, it should never be questioned. Richard held the belief that since he was born into this family, that God wished for him to be king and, thus, he should be permitted to hold this power until his death. Hereford was the man who much of the country thought of as the rule, as he was a very popular man who wished to become king, but Richard hid behind the conventions of the monarchy for a very long time."

Sample of Sources Used:

Coyle, Martin ed. Shakespeare: Richard II. New York: Columbia University Press. 1999.
Saul, Nigel. Richard II. New Haven CT: Yale University Press. 1999.