Richard II by William Shakespeare is a historical play that recounts part of the reign and eventual downfall of King Richard II of England. Simultaneously, the play also features Henry Bolingbroke's ascension to the throne. Shakespeare uses several recurring images related to breathing, speech, tongues, words, and names in his work, all of which contribute to the major political themes raised by the conflict between Richard and Bolingbroke. Through images related to language and speech, the two main characters are sharply contrasted, as are the ideas of what a successful monarch is. Richard is presented as an ineffective but poetic ruler, while Bolingbroke is portrayed as a man of rapid action. The emphasis on language in the play, given essentially as much importance as life itself, helps establish Shakespeare's central question: what constitutes the ideal English monarch. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the beginning of the play, Mowbray introduces the importance of language and speech during his interaction with King Richard II. Immediately after his banishment from the kingdom, Mowbray is dismayed by his punishment and remarks that "the use of his tongue is to me nothing more / Than an unstringed viol or a harp" (I.iii.161-2 ). Without the ability to speak English to those who hold him captive, Mowbray will have virtually no use for his language, just as one would have no use for an instrument without strings. His description of his tongue being "imprisoned" in his mouth parallels his actual imprisonment at the hands of Richard II (I.iii.166). He compares his sentence to a “speechless death/That deprives my tongue of breathing its native breath” (I.iii.172-3). This line establishes that language is a power in Richard II's world and that without the ability to communicate, one is symbolically dead. These words from Mowray at the beginning of the play set the tone for how language and speech will be treated throughout the work and give them a significant and profound importance in Richard's kingdom. Another way in which words play a role in Richard II involves the way in which words play a role in Richard II. they are taken into account in the representation of the characters of Henry Bolingbroke and Richard II. Their differences on the basis of word versus action create a visible conflict between the old political system and the evolving monarchy in England at the time. Richard rules on the principle of the divine right of kings, meaning that he believes he has been "chosen of the Lord" and is therefore a model and ideal king (III.ii.57). Due to this belief, Richard does not feel the need to actively defend his crown and instead relies on language. It is clear from his many monologues and the dramatic language Richard uses that he is a king of many words and few actions, which ultimately contributes to his downfall. He makes several bad decisions and falls into disgrace among his own people, but still takes no action to prove himself worthy of the throne. For example, in Act III, Scene II, when Richard learns that Bolingbroke is going to invade, rather than prepare for battle, he says that he and his companions should instead sit down and "tell sad stories of the deaths of the kings” (III. ii.156). Even in a crucial moment like this, Richard would rather just talk about what's happening, rather than do something to challenge it. Richard's belief that his rule is legitimized by the divine right of kings represents the ancient view of monarchy. , In.