The Identity Crisis of Richard II

A detailed Summary of The Identity Crisis of Richard II

"I have no name, no title...And know not now what to call myself" (Richard: 4.1. 245-249).

"My lord, my answer is to 'Lancaster,' and I am come to seek that name in England, And I must find that title in your tongue before I make reply to aught you say" (Bolingbroke: 2.3. 70-73).

Who is who? Who is what? That seems to be the major theme in this play. Who is in the right, and who is in the wrong? Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? Which title belongs to whom? And who deserves that title? I submit this play be retitled The Identity Crisis, for that is what it seems that each of the characters is going through.

Possibly, a more accurate, in depth way of poising these same questions is what makes a man a "man?" This is a play of self-discovery and the induction into manhood.

In the beginning we are presented with two foes and a question of divine authority VS. just action. King Richard II is a boy king- anointed by divine right, but none the less a boy. He neither has the gall to admit his murderous actions- where he could use his power as king to justify his act- nor the heart to send his scapegoat to death.

Bolingbroke while an adult is not yet a man either. He has n

On the brink of enlightenment Richard still searches for who he is. Richard dies identitiless, on the verge of manhood, yet still an unfilled boy.

All the rest of the characters are lemmings, merely following blindly after either the call of authority or the power of a title. All hiding behind a patriotic call to duty or a loyal stand for their heritage; when in fact the only thing any of them stand for is the usurption of power for themselves.

Boilingbroke, on the other hand does not die, but becomes less enlightened. After he seizes power, he goes on a killing spree, wiping out any that opposed the usurpation. While in seizing power, Boilingbroke is not only growing a backbone, but also forging an identity for himself; when he deposes of all his opposition he is in fact halting his growth, pre-enlightenment. He seized power in the name of justice, yet he acts unjustly, and in the end he is aware of this, and left in utter turmoil. He decides to run to the Holy Land in order to clear his name.

Richard runs when the plot to rid himself of his enemy fails, he only abdicates his throne when forced to, and, despite a bunch of flowery words, shows not a drop of noble blood in his body until the very end. In Richard's last scene before his death Shakespeare writes in an epiphany. Before he dies he confesses to himself that he wasted his throne and did nothing for England, "I wasted time, now doth time waste me" (5.5. 49). Yet, even in his hour of death, during his epiphany is he grasping for an identity,

Some common words found in the essay are:
John Gaunt, Richard II, IV Shakespeare, Richard England, Land Wash, Identity Crisis, Holy Land, William Shakespeare, makes man, richard ii, john gaunt, shakespeare leaves, holy land, leaves figure, divine authority, identity crisis,

Approximate Word count = 1076
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English