Richard II and the Declaration

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

It is hard for a lover of liberty, in the American sense, who is also a lover of Shakespeare, to admit that Shakespeare would probably disagree with nearly every word of the American Declaration of Independence. Not, of course, because he was English, but because of his understanding of politics. This became evident to me as I watched a BBC production of Richard II.

Richard II, as Shakespeare portrays him, is clearly a tyrant. This is especially evident from a speech given by the Duke of York, who implies at least that Richard is responsible for the death of his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. For this and other actions of Richard, this would seem to be a case when the principles of the Declaration would justify overthrowing him and establishing in his place a ruler who would not harm his subjects.

Yet the rest of the play indicates that Shakespeare does not see Richard's overthrow as justifiable. In fact, as can be seen from the speech of the Bishop of Carlisle, Shakespeare views the calamity that befalls England in the civil war to come as the consequence of the sin of Richard's overthrow.

In the posts that follow, I hope to discuss this in greater detail and gain a better understanding of Shakespeare's political thought.