Richard II - the downfall (1399)

The story line of Richard II, a play by William Shakespeare, is based on historical events and especially after the opening scene, it  is basically depicted in tune with what actually happened in the final few years of the fourteenth century;

As shown at the beginning of the Act 2, John of Gaunt died in February 1399. Before his death and banishment of his son, Henry Bolingbroke, it is argued that ‘fearing for their position, Gaunt and his son made the king promise to uphold their inheritance if either died’ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/richardii_reign_01.shtml). Nevertheless, Richard ‘confiscated his vast estate, Henry’s birthright, and announced his exile was for life’ (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Oqk7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT28&lpg=PT28&dq=henry+hereford+coventry+exile+years&source=bl&ots=6tS6ZfusSp&sig=bZsIyW);

Henry Bolingbroke

It could be said that this breaching of the promise on the king's side inevitably provoked the following event: ‘Early in July, whilst Richard was absent in Ireland, he (Bolingbroke) landed at Ravenspur in Yorkshire… and Richard, abandoned by his friends, surrendered at Flint on the 19th of August’ (http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/henry4.htm). As for Henry’s intention when he launched the invasion, whilst Shakespeare emphasises on his noble cause – to bring back his duly inheritance – through his character’s words in Act 2:3, saying ‘It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster… personally I lay my claim / To my inheritance of free descent’ (http://absoluteshakespeare.com/plays/richard_II/richard_II.htm) and even though it is argued  that ‘It is true that Henry gave out that he was only returning to recover his own confiscated property’ (http://www.warsoftheroses.co.uk/chapter_7.htm), in reality, it would be more plausible to presume that ‘Henry must have learnt from previous experience that such a rebellion could never be undertaken for limited purposes only’ (ibid), and probably with the king’s unpopularity in his consideration, Henry actually ‘did nothing to quench the ardour of his followers for the removal of a hated government, and allowed himself to be carried along on the popular tide which required the removal of King Richard II’ (ibid).

Then, some official procedures followed: ‘In the parliament, which assembled on the 30th of September, Richard was forced to abdicate. Henry then made his claim as coming by right line of blood from King Henry III… Parliament formally accepted him, and thus Henry became king’ (http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/henry4.htm). This was followed by a failed plot against the new king Henry IV in January 1400, which ‘reminded Henry of Lancaster how great a liability the live Richard II would be’ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/richardii_reign_01.shtml) and, consequently abdicated Richard dies in the following month.

For reading the text in full: https://wrex2009.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/richard-ii-the-play-and-the-history/