SINNED AGAINST OR SINNING - RICHARD II

P1: Plan

• Bolingbroke challenges the Divine Right of Kings and the King’s orders as he goes against Richard’s authority (sinned against)

• Bolingbroke’s inheritance is taken by Richard against the law (sinning)

P2: Plan

• Manipulated by flatterers - are they more at fault? (sinned against)

• Richard brought shame to England and didn’t rule with the country’s interests at heart (sinning)

P3: Plan

• Betrayed/disobeyed by followers and country who go against the Divine Right of Kings and social hierarchy (sinned against)

• Richard lacks kingly qualities and doesn’t adhere to the expectations of a monarch (sinning)

Bolingbroke’s Return

P1 - Sinned Against

“The banished Bolingbroke repeals himself and with uplifted arms is safe arrived.” - Green 2:2

→ directly disobeying Richard and challenging authority as bringing arms to England

Bushy and Green’s Death

P1 - Sinned Against

“See them…. to execution.” - Bolingbroke 3:1

→ overstepping as he is taking the law into his own hands, acting as a conqueror

Bolingbroke’s Betrayal

P1 - Sinned Against

“Gross rebellion and detested treason.” - York 2:3

Bolingbroke’s Rights

P1 Sinning

“My rights and royalties plucked from my arms perforce.” - Bolingbroke 2:3

→ perforce = by force, connotes violence

Unlawful King

P1 Sinning

“Take Hereford’s rights away, and take from Time his charters and his customary rights.” - York 2:1

Flatterers

P2 Sinned Against

“The caterpillars of the commonwealth.” - Bolingbroke 2:3

→ Bushy, Bagot and Green ‘eat away’ at the garden of England by exploiting it for their own advantages

Bushy, Bagot and Green’s impact on Richard’s opinions

P2 Sinned Against

“You have misled a prince, a royal king.” - Bolingbroke 3:1

→ Extreme ‘crime’ as corrupting royal authority

Impact on country from BBG

P2 Sinned Against/Sinning

“A thousand flatterers sit within thy crown… and… the waste is no whit lesser than thy land.” - Gaunt 2:1

Landlord

P2 Sinning

“Landlord of England art thou now, not king. Thy state of law is bondslave to the law.” - Gaunt 2:1

Brought England to shame

P2 Sinning

“England that was wont to conquer other hath made a shameful conquest of itself.” - Gaunt 2:1

→ England is “bound in with shame” not because of external factors but because of Richard’s damaging rule which has led England to be destroyed by “itself” from within.

Disrespecting Richard (2)

P3 Sinned Against

“Most Degenerate King.” “Wipe off the dust that hides our sceptre’s gilt.” - Northumberland 2:1

→ Not respecting the King’s divine authority as refers to Richard as “dust” which “hides our sceptre’s gilt”. As King, Richard holds higher status than everyone else on Earth so should be respected and honoured. Planning rebellion against the King is TREASON

Betrayal from Nobles

P3 Sinned Against

“[Some Nobles] with all their powerful friends, are fled to [Bolingbroke].” - Green 2:2

→ This is treason and shows a betrayal of the King. “Fled” suggests cowardice - severe moral failure

Comparison to Richard’s Father

P3 Sinning

“His hands were guilty of no kindred’s blood, but bloody with the enemies of his kin.” - York 2:1

→ Shows how bad a ruler Richard is as he fails to live up to his moral father’s example and kills/destroys (literally with Gloucester and by taking Bolingbroke’s inheritance) his own family.

Taxation

P3 Sinning

“The commons hath he pilled with grievous taxes and quite lost their hearts.” - Ross 2:1

→ Has lost the “hearts” of the common people by heavy, unnecessary taxation which shows his failure as a King because he mismanages his ruling of the country which makes him lose the support of his people.

→ Later it’s said that even despite these “burdenous taxations” Richard can still not afford the Irish wars because he has mismanaged his money

→ Grievous = causing great pain, suffering, sadness