ACT IV
SCENE i
About forty days after the scene at Flint Hall, a London Parliamentary
council discusses the situation. When asked by Henry who was responsible
for the murder of Gloucester, a captured Bagot accuses York's son,
Aumerle. Aumerle protests:
York announces that "plume-pluck'd Richard" has yielded the throne to
Bullingbrook (IV.i.108), now to be Henry the Fourth. But the Bishop of
Carlisle is outraged at so "obscene a deed" (IV.i.131) without Richard
even being present: Even "Thieves are not judg'd but they are by to hear"
(IV.i.123), and Richard has been God's "captain, steward, deputy, elect,
/ Anointed, crowned, planted many years" (IV.i.126-127). And the violent
national fallout will be nasty:
Richard gives a drama-queen's performance of woe, subtly calling
Henry an empty bucket (IV.i.184-189) during a two-bucket image
taken from Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale. Richard yields
his crown with all its burdens to Henry, insisting that he is still
king of his own griefs (IV.i.191-193).
Northumberland wants Richard to read a formal document listing his crimes
so that the transfer of power is unambiguous. But Richard will not do so.
"Out of the total disaster, he has salvaged one crumb; he has refused to
admit any wrongdoing, and Bolingbroke's title to the throne is therefore
flawed" (Asimov 305). Richard portrays himself as a Christ figure among
many Judases and Pilates (IV.i.239f). "He who, as king, thought of himself
almost as God, now, as martyr, identifies himself with Christ" (Goddard,
I 157). He calls for and uses a mirror as a prop for his speeches
of self-pitying despair, or "outrageous and desperate narcissism" (Bloom
265). The question, "Was this face the face ..." (IV.i.271), echoes Marlowe's
Doctor Faustus regarding Helen (Garber 263). "Deprived of kingship,
the man who held the office loses also his sense of identity" (Wells 138).
Richard's tears prevent him from seeing the document.
Richard asks for one favor, and when Henry says, "Name it, fair cousin"
(IV.i.304), Richard appreciates the irony:
"With Richard's deposition our sympathy shifts. Now he is underdog"
(Goddard, I 157; cf Wells 138). His deposition historically
took place on 30 September 1399; "Richard had reigned for twenty-two
years, most of that time without power" (Asimov 305).
This deposing scene does not appear in the first several quarto
editions, showing up first in 1608. "The text appears to have been
slightly adjusted so that the break was not too noticeable....
Obviously, then, the play was felt to be concerned with live
political issues. Yet apparently, too, this concern was not
felt to be specifically topical, for Shakespeare and his fellows
were not punished for their share in the performance. Perhaps
this is because Shakespeare was thought to transcend
topicality.... Or perhaps he was just lucky" (Wells 134).
More rubbish. Shakspere would have been arrested and worse
(Ogburn and Ogburn 867) -- no commoner could have written this
play and lived at any time during Elizabeth's reign (Ogburn and
Ogburn 430). Elizabeth's famous remark, "I am Richard the Second,
know ye not that?" is telling, perhaps indicating that she "bitterly
resented" the depiction (Ogburn and Ogburn 381), perhaps not. But
"Shake-speare" was not taken to task because Elizabeth knew that
Oxford detested Essex (Anderson 331). Some speculate about the
possibility that "Shakespeare" left instructions about including
the scene after Elizabeth's (and/or his own) death (Ogburn and
Ogburn 441).
On the matter of "anointed" kings, de Vere marked key passages
in his Geneva Bible (I Sam. 24:11, II Sam. 1:14) and so had
obviously considered the touchy political issue (Anderson 383).
What answer shall I make to this base man?
Parallel to the first scene of the play, now these two accuse each other
and throw down their gages, this time with others involved in the heated
antagonism. Fitzwater and "Another Lord" gang up with Bagot against
Aumerle. Surry takes on Fitzwater in Aumerle's defense. Henry defers
all these matters "Till Norfolk be repeal'd" (IV.i.87) -- that is,
recalled home -- but that day will not come; as Carlisle reports, after
years of warring for Christ "Against black pagans, Turks, and Saracens"
(IV.i.95), Norfolk retired to Italy and died in Venice.
Shall I so much dishonor my fair stars
On equal terms to give him chastisement?
Either I must or have mine honor soil'd
With the attainder of his slanderous lips.
(IV.i.20-24)
The blood of English shall manure the ground,
Northumberland arrests Carlisle for capital treason, while, tellingly,
Henry says nothing. Since it is politically smoother, Henry does call
in Richard, "that in common view / He may surrender; so we shall
proceed / Without suspicion" (IV.i.155-157).
And future ages groan for this foul act.
(IV.i.137-138)
Bullingbrook: Are you contented to resign the crown?
The fourth quarto of the play and the First Folio read instead:
"I, no; no, I" -- "a chiasmus and a hieroglyph" that could translate
into "I know no I," appropriate enough for Richard's loss (Garber 254).
"Though Bolingbroke was bent on getting the crown in the end, if Richard
had not practically placed it on his head he might very well have asked
no more at the moment than the restitution of his inheritance. There is
nothing more provocative of violence than the dread of violence. The
shrinking victim evokes a devil in the victor. The more Richard cowers,
the more Henry tightens the screws" (Goddard, I 155). "Richard
never stops doing Bolingbroke's work for him, yielding up a kingdom
while constructing metaphysical litanies" (Bloom 259). "Richard deposes
himself. He will not be deposed. The ceremony is his to perform"
(Garber 262).
King Richard: Ay, no, no ay; for I must nothing be;
Therefore no no, for I resign to thee.
(IV.i.200-202)
"Fair cousin"? I am greater than a king;
Richard asks only to be allowed to leave Henry's presence. Henry orders
him to the Tower and sets the coronation day. Aumerle asks an abbott,
"is there no plot / To rid the realm of this pernicious blot"
(IV.i.324-325). The latter suggests that perhaps there is a "merry day"
at hand (IV.i.324).
For when I was a king my flatterers
Were then but subjects; but being now a subject,
I have a king to my flatterer.
(IV.i.305-308)