Introduction
Throughout history, the pursuit of authority and dominance has often been accompanied by betrayal and corruption. These aspects and others have contributed to the downfall of many kingdoms and monarchs. In his play, Richard II, Shakespeare illustrates the effects of corruption and disloyalty on Medieval England and how they contributed to the downfall of King Richard’s regime.
Shakespeare employs the allegory of the neglected garden to illustrate that the fall of Richard II’s regime resulted from his incompetence and the neglect of his obligations as a leader. Additionally, the author utilizes repetition to demonstrate the dishonesty of the two governments and the recurring historical events. The comparison between Richard’s and Henry’s kingdoms by use of repetition signifies that the main lesson of the play is the importance of balancing power and accountability to maintain a stable and fair nation.
Analysis of the Allegory of the Garden and Its Interpretation
The metaphor of England as a Garden used in Richard II, Act III, Scene IV, symbolizes the state of the Kingdom during King Richard’s reign. The gardener and his workers associate England with an abandoned garden full of weeds suffocating the carefully planted flowers (Shakespeare 75). Richard is presented as a bad gardener since he has yet to take responsibility for the wedding or care for it. Instead, he assumed that it would take care of itself or God would intervene in its care.
Additionally, Richard surrounds himself with “Caterpillars of the commonwealth“ (Shakespeare 47), referring to his nobles like Bagot, Bushy, and Green, who destroy the garden just like pests. The gardeners may have been used to represent the public suffering under King Richard’s regime. Flowers symbolize the loyal subjects persecuted or mistreated during the king’s reign.
For various reasons, King Richard’s reign can be compared to the neglected Garden of Eden allegory. Richard ruled the kingdom passively, neglecting it by not carefully investigating the matters affecting the country. He allowed himself to be deceived by his friends, who would flatter him instead of giving him proper advice on how to run the kingdom. As a result, his kingdom was afflicted by several problems, such as corruption, poor resource management, and ineffective leadership.
Corruption is demonstrated when Richard exiles Mowbray and Henry without allowing them to settle their disagreements over the death of Henry’s uncle (Shakespeare 8). Moreover, following Henry’s father’s death, Gaunt, while Henry was still in exile, seized their property and money. He finances the fight against Ireland with the money from leasing the royal estates and the money he has grabbed. According to Gaunt, by “framing out“ the land, the king reduced himself to the status of a “land owner“ rather than the king (Shakespeare 23). This illustrates the misappropriation of government resources since he was expected to be the custodian of the nation’s wealth rather than misappropriating it.
Nevertheless, England’s problems throughout King Richard’s reign were more profound than simple neglect. Even if the king had succeeded in weeding out his kingdom like a garden, deep-rooted concerns were beyond his capability to resolve and would have resulted in his downfall. Conflicts with the nobles and economic instability were deeply rooted in medieval England’s social and political systems, and hence, it cannot be blamed merely for negligence and bad leadership. Furthermore, the Garden of Eden analogy ignores external factors such as the king’s friends’ lousy advice and Henry Bolingbroke’s invasion. Even though Richard made multiple mistakes and misjudgments throughout his reign, Henry’s invasion and wrong counsel also could have resulted in the collapse of his kingdom.
The illustration of England as the neglected Garden of Eden and its contribution to the overthrow of King Richard serve as a political lesson not only to the king but also to his government. The described facts show that the kingdom suffered under Richard’s rule, and various measures needed to be taken. Although the Garden analogy provides an influential critique of Richards’s reign, it is just one element of the more significant political themes contained in the play.
Other themes that support this include the associations between the king and his subjects and the significance of political legitimacy and leadership. There was tension between the king, his subjects, and his family. He orchestrated his uncle Gloucester’s murder and exiled Henry despite being blood-related. In addition, he needed help to maintain an honest relationship with his advisers. The play uses these themes to rebuke weak leadership and emphasize the need for improved leadership. However, it acknowledges that some political issues, such as the existing power structure and changes in power in medieval England, may be beyond a leader’s control.
Cases of Repetition Used to Compare the Two Play Sections
In his play, Shakespeare applies repetition to illustrate the similarities and differences between the two parts addressed in the play. These are before the king’s downfall and after being overthrown by Henry. By repeating specific aspects, the author invites the audience to reflect and compare the two play halves and to understand how various events have developed and changed over time. One of the most notable instances of repetition is the similarities between the dispute presented before Richard in the first half of the play and the dispute presented before Henry in the first scene of Act Four.
The two scenarios illustrate a dispute resulting from land ownership. In the first scene, Henry alleges that Mowbray illegally seized his inheritance, whereas in the second scene, Bagot accuses Aumerle of conspiring against Henry. Both disputes result in a hearing in both scenarios, with Henry and Aumerle becoming victorious. This repetition serves to illustrate that corruption afflicted both regimes. In addition, it demonstrates that disloyal nobles challenged the two leaders and that the rulers must challenge the disloyal nobility if they are to retain power.
In the play’s first half, Shakespeare regularly uses the sun and the moon to symbolize Richard and Henry, respectively. Richards boasts of being the “Rising Sun“ since he had risen into power and everything else, including Henry, revolved around him (Shakespeare 59). On the other hand, Henry is regarded as the shadow. This shows that Henry would only exist or prevail with Richard, since the moon does not have its own light; it only reflects from the sun.
However, Richard is dethroned, and Henry becomes the Sun while Richard is reduced to the status of the moon. “O, that I were a mockery king of snow, /Standing before the sun of Bolingbroke /To melt myself away in water-drops!” (Shakespeare 93). Here, King Henry is portrayed as the sun, and Richard feels like he is going to melt under the sun’s rays. The repetition of these two imageries demonstrates the power change between Richard and his opposition and demonstrates that everything is subject to change.
Using the mirror concept is another example of using repetition. In the first section of the play, Richard stares in the mirror and sees nothing but an absolute king. He sees only his reflection, which portrays his arrogance and self-centeredness. At this time, Henry and other subjects were not that important to him, as he was the one ruling them.
However, as soon as he is dethroned, Richard confronts the mirror for his issues: “No deeper wrinkles yet? So many blows upon this face of mine…“ (Shakespeare 95). Richard feels transformed by losing his leadership and thinks the mirror has been flattering him, making him look healthier and better than he is. By repeating the mirror concept, Shakespeare illustrates that Richard’s downfall resulted from his mistakes and self-delusion.
Conclusion
In summary, the allegory of the neglected garden in Richard II reflects Richard’s passive regime’s numerous issues, including economic instability and conflicts with nobles. These problems were deeply embedded in medieval England’s social and political systems, contributing to Richard’s downfall. Despite his partial efforts to address the issues, the kingdom suffered, and measures were needed.
Shakespeare uses repetition to highlight both the parallels and contrasts between the two sections discussed in the play. In the play’s two parts, he uses the metaphors of the sun, moon, and mirror to demonstrate different aspects of power and Richard’s declining ego. Admittedly, the play serves to provide a political lesson to subsequent governments, and leaders can learn from it to give the best leadership to their citizens.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Richard II: Play by William Shakespeare. 5th ed., Cambridge University Press, 1812, Web.