Richard II second lecture

1
Richard II second lecture

• Ideologies of kingship in the late 16th century.

2
The king as the image of God

• Rex imago Dei
• The kings two bodies a natural body and a
  political body that represents the state and
  survives the death of the natural body the king
  is dead, long live the king.
• Not necessarily the older understanding of
  monarchy.
• Monarchs sacramentally anointed at their
  coronation.
• Richards reference to our sacred blood (I, 1,
  119).

3
King as image of God (cont.)

• Gaunts refusal to avenge Gloucester Gods is
  the quarrel, for Gods substitute,/ His deputy
  anointed in his sight,/ Hath caused his death.
• Richards sense of a mystic relation with England
  and its earth III, 2, 6-22 Bishop of Carlyles
  response 27ff.
• And Richards response king as a godlike figure
  whose presence will magically dispel his enemies.
• Not all the water in the rough rude sea/ Can
  wash the balm off from an anointed king./ The
  breath of worldly men cannot depose/ The deputy
  elected by the Lord.

4
A Constitutional understanding of monarchy

• Not perceived as being in conflict with the
  divine right understanding
• But emphasizing kingship as a contract with the
  commonwealth.
• King as head of a corporate body consisting of
  clergy, peers, commons embodied in Parliament.
• King is king under law he is not identical
  with law.
• Medieval theorists like John Fortescue and Henry
  de Bracton argued that England was a limited
  monarchy.

5
Constitutional monarchy (cont.)

• Bractons formulation A king, though not under
  man, was nevertheless under God and under the
  law because law maketh a king.
• Fortescue the king exists for the sake of the
  kingdom, not the kingdom for the sake of the
  king.
• Gaunt by leasing out the kingdom, Richard now
  Landlord of England art thou now, not king (II,
  1, 113).
• In so doing, Richard has deposed himself, Gaunt
  says

6
Constitutional monarchy (cont.)

• York on Richards seizure of Bolingbrokes land
  and titles II, 1,

7

• Clip of John Gielgud as Gaunt in BBC video from
  1983.

8

• Prophetic Gaunt his tongue the opposite of
  Mowbrays.
• His poetic construction of England ll. 40-58 . .
  .
• . . . is cancelled by the lines that follow,
  59-60.
• The pattern repeated in ll. 61-66.
• His mockery of his name.
• His final truth-speaking to Richard, 93ff.
• And his tongue, now a stringless instrument,
  like Mowbrays.