Ep. 10 | Riccardo II - È legittimo deporre un re incapace?
Summary
Laura Tosi analyzes Shakespeare's *Richard II*, focusing on the 1399 deposition of King Richard by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. The episode explores the conflict between divine right and political pragmatism, highlighting the play's relevance to Elizabethan succession crises and the 1601 Essex rebellion. Tosi examines key themes like the loss of identity in exile and the "two bodies" of the king, arguing that while the text remains politically ambiguous, theatrical productions ultimately determine whether the usurpation is viewed as justified or a tragic betrayal.
Topics discussed
Scene setting: The deposition of Richard II in Westminster Hall
Introduction to host Laura Tosi and the Kill Will series
Context: Sources, audience knowledge, and Shakespeare's characters
Political context: Divine right vs. consent and feudalism
Historical background: Elizabeth I, succession crisis, and history plays
Censorship: The missing deposition scene in early prints
Modern relevance: Legitimacy and abuse of power
Act 1: The conflict between Bolingbroke and Mowbray
John of Gaunt and the interruption of the duel at Coventry
Mowbray's exile and the metaphor of language and identity
Richard's mismanagement: Popularity, debt, and confiscation
Act 2: John of Gaunt's death and his speech on England
Bolingbroke's return and the metaphor of England as a garden
The role of women in the play and historical inaccuracies
Act 3: Bolingbroke's rise and Richard's return from Ireland
Richard's surrender and the theory of the King's two bodies
The Essex Rebellion: Theater as political propaganda in 1601
Character contrast: Richard's introspection vs. Bolingbroke's silence
Act 4: The deposition scene and the breaking of the mirror
Act 5: The conspiracy, Richard's murder, and Henry's guilt
Conclusion: The ambiguity of justice and the power of performance
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