Richard II - Act IV

[Scheherazade]

Please post your comments and questions in this thread.

Scene I

[Krauq]

Just to clarify in big letters:

THIS IS THE ACT IV DISCUSSION

All those wandering here from the Act III thread have now found where to post their comments on Act IV

I hope they'll post a summary. It's been so long since I read the play that I can hardly remember what happens in Act IV.

[MissScarlett]

Act III ended with the garden scene. Act IV consists of only one long, extended scene.

Bolingbroke and his party return to London from Wales with the captured party of Richard II. Bolingbroke calls on Bagot to give testimony regarding his conspiracy with Richard to kill the Duke of Gloucester. Bagot incriminates Aumerle, while Aumerle vehemently denies having anything to do with the duke’s murder. Aumerle challenges Bagot to a duel, while Lord Fitzwater, Lord Percy, and others throw down the gauntlet against Aumerle, however Lord Surrey is on Aumerle’s side.

Eventually, this is stopped when Bolingbroke says he wants to bring the Duke of Norfolk back from exile (Richard was the one who exiled him). Bolingbroke believes that the duke will know the real answer as to who was responsible for the Duke of Gloucester’s murder. This plan is interrupted, however, when the Bishop of Carlisle tells everyone that the duke is dead (died in the Crusades).

The Duke of York interrupts everything to say the Richard has agreed to abdicate the throne in favor of Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke agrees to this, but the Bishop of Carlisle condemns him and warns him of the consequences of overthrowing a rightful king. He warns Bolingbroke that if he seizes the crown from Richard, generations of Englishmen will suffer on blood-soaked English soil. Northumberland arrests Carlisle for treason.

Bolingbroke, not to be deterred, summons Richard, so that he may hand over his crown and scepter. Richard enters and delivers a long monologue. Northumberland hands him a list of his crimes, but Richard refuses it. Richard asks for a mirror to help him decide who he really is, then when he can’t, he throws it to the floor, breaking it.

Richard asks to be allowed to go into exile freely, but Bolingbroke refuses (well, he doesn’t really say) and commands that he be taken to the Tower of London. Bolingbroke sets the date of his own coronation, then leaves. The Bishop of Carlisle, the Abbot of Westminster, and Aumerle speak together, conspiring against Bolingbroke.

I mistakenly discussed part of Act IV in the Act III thread. Richard’s speech, when he gives he crown and scepter to Bolingbroke, but can’t abdicate the actual kingship. Sorry. I do not know how that happened. When Virgil said to go on to Act IV, I actually did go on to Act IV, but I wasn't aware that we had separate threads for each act, and I'm certainly not blaming Virgil. It was just a misunderstanding on my part, but we've actually discussed much of Act IV in the Act III thread. I'm sorry for any confusion I've created.

[Janine]

[CENTER]Just to clarify in big letters:

I hope they'll post a summary. It's been so long since I read the play that I can hardly remember what happens in Act IV.

You guys are really cracking me up! I needed this laugh today...so thanks, Krauq for posting the announcement of this Act in bold "6" point size...even the blindest of us, probably me, can read this without any trouble. Thanks for posting that summary, MissScarlett. I think maybe, even though we did discuss aspects from this act in III we can now add to those and other details of Act IV; then pretty rapidly move onto Act V. Cheerup, MissScarlett, I just posted in Act III, but I guess my typing skills were invane. I didn't say much of any importance anyway, so don't worry about it. Mainly, I said we should move onto this thread.

MissScarlett, stop blaming yourself! It was no one's fault we posted early on Act IV, in the Act III thread. Even worse was when I jumped ahead to the Act V thread. I get just as confused in these Shakespeare discussions threads as you, and I have been here awhile; so you would think I would know by now.

[MissScarlett]

LOL I didn't realize there were different threads for the different acts, Janine. That's how I got so confused. Virgil said, "Move on," so I did, but in the same thread. Well, I think I've got it straight now.

[Virgil]

Hahaha, yes each act is a separate thread. I will have to refresh my memory of Act IV before I comment. Hopefully act IV will be quick snce it only has one scene.

[Quark]

Hopefully act IV will be quick since it only has one scene.

and because apparently we've already been talking about it for a while

thanks, Krauq for posting the announcement of this Act in bold "6" point size...even the blindest of us, probably me, can read this without any trouble.

I didn't want anyone to miss the thread, and nothing says Act IV quite like a giant, bolded superscript that says "ACT IV!"

Oh, and I responded to your long post in the Act III if you didn't catch that.

Act III ended with the garden scene. Act IV consists of only one long, extended scene.

Thanks for the summary. Now I remember what's going on.

I'm sorry for any confusion I've created

No there wasn't any confusion. It was just humorous, that's all. I think when we do Henry IV we should just stay in the Act I thread for the whole play.

[Janine]

and because apparently we've already been talking about it for a while

haha Quark...V is a little behind again; he said he is reading four books (something like that)....well, I want to review the summary myself and then bring up some parts of the one scene we did maybe gloss over a bit in the last thread.

I didn't want anyone to miss the thread, and nothing says Act IV quite like a giant, bolded superscript that says "ACT IV!"

You mean the elusive doppelgander didn't want us to miss this very important thread. It certainly was a bold superscript!

Oh, and I responded to your long post in the Act III if you didn't catch that.

Oh, thanks...I will go look now...I hadn't noticed it. Glad you told me.

Thanks for the summary. Now I remember what's going on.

That was really good. Thanks from me, too. That really helps lay out the Act for us.

No there wasn't any confusion. It was just humorous, that's all. I think when we do Henry IV we should just stay in the Act I thread for the whole play.

I've been laughing my fool head off at all of us! I think now I am the biggest fool of all and wondered why each month the Shakespeare discussion seemed to trail off and die out in Act I. Obviously, I just wasn't finding the other threads. So how many years have I been here now?...duh....

[MissScarlett]

I wasn't aware each act had its own thread for discussion, either, Janine, but at least I can plead the case that I've only been here a few weeks.

Don't worry about it a bit. I think we've both got it down now. I think we were too caught up in our Sony players and period pieces, don't you?

[Janine]

I wasn't aware each act had its own thread for discussion, either, Janine, but at least I can plead the case that I've only been here a few weeks.

Don't worry about it a bit. I think we've both got it down now. I think we were too caught up in our Sony players and period pieces, don't you?

Definitely! In fact, I am just now trying to decide which film to watch tonight. Such a huge decision.

[MissScarlett]

I was going to watch "Much Ado About Nothing," but I may be too tired. I might just go to sleep, instead.

We have Richard, Act IV (see I've got it now!) tomorrow!

[Janine]

I was going to watch "Much Ado About Nothing," but I may be too tired. I might just go to sleep, instead.

Ditto, I started watching that the other night. I needed a dose of Ken. Oh sleep well.

We have Richard, Act IV (see I've got it now!) tomorrow!

As far as I know we are in Act IV right now...or are we in a parallel universe?

[MissScarlett]

We're in Act IV, Janine, but my goodness, who am I to know?

[Janine]

...twilight zone.........haha.....fading away now....Sony....eloping in space with Ken....

[MissScarlett]

The beginning of this long scene is reminiscent of Act I, scene i, when Bolingbroke and Mowbray challenged each other to a duel and were both banished by Richard for doing so. However, now we know more about why Richard banished Bolingbroke - because Bolingbroke knew Richard was the driving force behind the murder of the Duke of Gloucester. And with this, I think, Shakespeare shows us he does believe in the divine anointing of kings. Bolingbroke will pay dearly for usurping a rightful king, even if he was also a murderer. And Bolingbroke will become, at least in part, responsible for Richard's murder. Usurping a rightful king, even if that king was not a good king, had grave consequences.