How Does Shakespeare Use Metaphors In Act 2
Richard II is a play by William Shakespeare that centralizes the main themes of family, loyalty, suffering, and power. To summarize, King Richard II banishes Henry Bolingbroke, he then seizes noble land, and finally utilizes this money to fund a war in Ireland. When Henry Bolingborke returns to England to reclaim his land, he gathers an army to fight against Richard and overturns him as king. However, Henry imprisons him, and Richard gets murdered in jail. In this paper, I will evaluate the implications of metaphors, symbolism, rhymes in the dialogue, and a scene exit by contextualizing act II scene I in Richard II, which reveals the pivotal dilemma of the play.
In Richard II act II scene I, King Richard wants to utilize the inheritance of
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Richard states: "The ripest fruit first falls, and so doth he; / His time is spent, our pilgrimage must be" (II.I.153-154). Richard metaphorically compares Gaunt, his uncle, to a fruit when it falls and is ready to eat. In essence, Richard is desensitizing the death of Gaunt by stating how death is a predicament that happens to all, like an apple falling when it is ripe. Therefore, he highlights how death is not alarming and how they should move on. In addition, this metaphor showcases how Richard is ready to seize his inheritance, which is what he is most concerned about, betraying the theme of loyalty in the text.
In addition to figurative language, York utilizes a metaphor to compare Richard to his father. York contrasts: "In war was never lion raged more fierce, / In peace was never gentle lamb more mild" (II.I.173-174). Comparing the father of Richard to a lion and lamb reveals how he had the perfect balance of nobility, strength, courage, gentleness, and purity. Although Richard does not live up to his father's potential, York addresses this because he wishes they were more similar, revealing how he is a family-oriented man, relating to the theme of family and
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To display dramatics, Shakespeare achieves this by showcasing how starved Richard is for power, despite York's disapproval. Richard declares: "Think what you will, we seize into our hands / His plate, his goods, his money, and his lands" (II.I.209-210). The rhyme of both 'hands' and 'lands' are critical to the emotion Richard evokes in the audience. This rhyme is essential because hands represent strength, concerning how owning lands represents status, equating to the theme of power in Richard II. In essence, this rhyme captivates the audience into paying attention to how Richard is only concerned with gaining power and will betray his family's loyalty if he has to. Wanting power represents the deadly sin of greed, which ultimately leads Richard to his
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