Richard II Essay: The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II

The Characters of Bolingbroke and Richard II   What tongue speaks my right drawn sword may parent is the sentence which concludes a short speech delivered by Henry Bolingbroke to magnate Richard II (1.1.6). These words are but the first demonstration of the pronounced difference between the above-mentioned characters in The Tragedy of Richard II. The line presents a public intent on action, a foil to the title character, a troops of words.             When Bolingbroke first appears in the play, he is accusing Thomas Mowbray of deception 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 come up . . . (1.1.92, emphasis mine). Richard yields to the request of trial by combat. It is a ruling on which he later reneges, pronouncing banishment on the two fragmentiseies kind of than allowing their confrontation.       &nb sp     This is a prime example of Richard using his authority by way of rulings and pronouncements rather than action, even to the point 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, . . . permit no noble eye profane a tear / For me, if I be gorged with Mowbrays spear (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 raptus of the estate of his dead father, John of Gaunt, by Richard, he comes back to England in spite of 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 wash this blood off his guilty hand (5.6.50).   &nb sp         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, tabby Henry IV. And though Richard as king was full of pomp and ceremony, those things were no match for ambition 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 bold son (1.1.3).