"How long a time lies in one
little word!
Four lagging winters and four wanton springs
End in a word: such is the breath of kings."
-Bolingbroke: Richard II, Act I scene iii
"And some will mourn in ashes, some coal-black,
For the deposing of a rightful king."
- Richard II: Richard II, Act V scene i
Carlos Navarro Lamarca, in his studies of Shakespeare, has commented that the histories are "marvelously real", and in particular that Richard II demonstrates in itself "clear artistic representations of the idea of history" (see page 377).
Personally, I was first dubious as to why Shakespeare wrote histories, and so many of them. I think I am starting to seriously be converted, especially after reading the play, and watching the BBC 1978 film adaptation. What captured my attention was how much of human nature really comes out of the text to comment on humanity, even though it all happened so long ago. Richard II comments on honor, power, pride, and self-image in such a way that the characters that tell the story almost become like acquaintances or even friends of ours. I am anxious to more closely examine the characters' lives and try to determine what message exactly Shakespeare is trying to get out. After all, "what else better to uncover the nature of humanity but our own history?" as Averill said.
Shakespeare is great because he captured the vision of using history as a medium for unearthing humanity. Going back to Lamarca, who titles Shakespeare as a "poet-historian", we understand that human experience has not ever been totally unique to us. If others have gone before and experienced similar things to those which we have felt, why not read about them and learn from them? It is here that Shakespeare is our asset. He takes us beyond the primary texts and textbooks and teases out the poignancy (through poetry, in this case, as the entire play is in verse) of the events of the past in a way "that elevates humanity much above the tragic or comic face of individual lives" (own transl.).
Richard, as seen in the quote above, has been dethroned, and suffers several serious crises as a result. Bolingbroke's motivations throughout his ascension also seem to change throughout the play; sometimes he seems to want to simply defend right of law, at other times shows bitter revenge. I want to investigate this a little more.
Personally, I was first dubious as to why Shakespeare wrote histories, and so many of them. I think I am starting to seriously be converted, especially after reading the play, and watching the BBC 1978 film adaptation. What captured my attention was how much of human nature really comes out of the text to comment on humanity, even though it all happened so long ago. Richard II comments on honor, power, pride, and self-image in such a way that the characters that tell the story almost become like acquaintances or even friends of ours. I am anxious to more closely examine the characters' lives and try to determine what message exactly Shakespeare is trying to get out. After all, "what else better to uncover the nature of humanity but our own history?" as Averill said.
Shakespeare is great because he captured the vision of using history as a medium for unearthing humanity. Going back to Lamarca, who titles Shakespeare as a "poet-historian", we understand that human experience has not ever been totally unique to us. If others have gone before and experienced similar things to those which we have felt, why not read about them and learn from them? It is here that Shakespeare is our asset. He takes us beyond the primary texts and textbooks and teases out the poignancy (through poetry, in this case, as the entire play is in verse) of the events of the past in a way "that elevates humanity much above the tragic or comic face of individual lives" (own transl.).
Richard, as seen in the quote above, has been dethroned, and suffers several serious crises as a result. Bolingbroke's motivations throughout his ascension also seem to change throughout the play; sometimes he seems to want to simply defend right of law, at other times shows bitter revenge. I want to investigate this a little more.
1 comentarios:
Nice post Erik. I think it a bit sad that poets these days (and poetry in general) might be understood apart from historical contingency. Shakespeare certainly cannot be, as you point out very well. Our Western classic poets all drew from historic themes and assumed that their audience understsood this.
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