Nameless Love: The First Lines of Richard's Queen
Carley Becker
Richard II's queen is very simply that: "the queen." Without a name of her own, she is referred to throughout the play as, "our queen," "thrice-gracious queen," "the queen," and "poor queen" (II.i.231, II.ii.24, II.iii.26, III.iv.109). This is perhaps because, historically, Richard II was married twice, and Shakespeare did not want to directly state which queen he was referencing. That being said, Richard's second wife, Isabelle of France, was six years old when her father proposed the marriage. The queen in Shakespeare's portrayal of the king's life is clearly older than that, so perhaps Shakespeare wanted the queen to embody Richard's first wife, Anne of Bohemia, without too many people pointing out that she had died before the Bolingbroke usurpation. Without naming her, Shakespeare could claim creative license.
Historically, Anne and Richard were a good match for each other. Anne of Bohemia's "life was one of elegance and luxury" in England (Hilton, 277), and she liked almost as much extravagance as her husband. She "had spent much of her marriage travelling at her husband's side…[and] Richard loved her" (289). In fact, when she died, he was so "overcome by emotion, [he] ordered the palace to be destroyed" (Saul, 1).
This love can be seen between Richard and his queen throughout R2. Whether she is putting on a brave face so as not to upset her husband or begging to stay with him when he is deposed, the queen is remarkably committed to her king. Her first lines, however, show her not just as a loving wife, but as a political intermediary as well.
In her opening line, the queen says is, "How fares our noble uncle Lancaster" (II.i.77)? The queen's words first show her love for Richard. John of Gaunt, her husband's uncle and advisor, is dying. Her first question is, therefore, asking her husband about his family, wanting to make sure that everything is okay and to perhaps comfort him when she knows that it is not. Then, at the same time, she is trying to distract her husband from his larger concerns in order to give him a moment's peace. York asks her to "[d]eal mildly with his youth" as Richard is infuriated over the issue of war with Ireland (II.i.75). Here, the queen holds her tongue as she is asked, protecting and caring for her husband however she is able.
The second purpose underlying the queen's simple sentence reflects her position as an "intercessor" (Saul, 1). During her rule, Queen Anne was "occasionally used by members of the nobility who were in dispute with one another" (1). In asking about John of Gaunt, she phrases his name in a pleasant manner to allow for a civil tone. Even though Richard has not yet confiscated John's estate, the two are no longer on good terms. Richard has just banished John's son, and John is wildly unhappy about it. Not to mention that John thinks Richard is responsible for the death of Gloucester. By quietly and politely asking about John of Gaunt, the queen reframes the atmosphere surrounding the issue into one of peace and sincerity.
Anne was not only Richard's queen, but the love of his life. Shakespeare represents this love in his play, ambiguously extending her character so that she may be alive during political takeover, and even from her first words, an audience can see that she is caring towards her husband and his family.
Historically, Anne and Richard were a good match for each other. Anne of Bohemia's "life was one of elegance and luxury" in England (Hilton, 277), and she liked almost as much extravagance as her husband. She "had spent much of her marriage travelling at her husband's side…[and] Richard loved her" (289). In fact, when she died, he was so "overcome by emotion, [he] ordered the palace to be destroyed" (Saul, 1).
This love can be seen between Richard and his queen throughout R2. Whether she is putting on a brave face so as not to upset her husband or begging to stay with him when he is deposed, the queen is remarkably committed to her king. Her first lines, however, show her not just as a loving wife, but as a political intermediary as well.
In her opening line, the queen says is, "How fares our noble uncle Lancaster" (II.i.77)? The queen's words first show her love for Richard. John of Gaunt, her husband's uncle and advisor, is dying. Her first question is, therefore, asking her husband about his family, wanting to make sure that everything is okay and to perhaps comfort him when she knows that it is not. Then, at the same time, she is trying to distract her husband from his larger concerns in order to give him a moment's peace. York asks her to "[d]eal mildly with his youth" as Richard is infuriated over the issue of war with Ireland (II.i.75). Here, the queen holds her tongue as she is asked, protecting and caring for her husband however she is able.
The second purpose underlying the queen's simple sentence reflects her position as an "intercessor" (Saul, 1). During her rule, Queen Anne was "occasionally used by members of the nobility who were in dispute with one another" (1). In asking about John of Gaunt, she phrases his name in a pleasant manner to allow for a civil tone. Even though Richard has not yet confiscated John's estate, the two are no longer on good terms. Richard has just banished John's son, and John is wildly unhappy about it. Not to mention that John thinks Richard is responsible for the death of Gloucester. By quietly and politely asking about John of Gaunt, the queen reframes the atmosphere surrounding the issue into one of peace and sincerity.
Anne was not only Richard's queen, but the love of his life. Shakespeare represents this love in his play, ambiguously extending her character so that she may be alive during political takeover, and even from her first words, an audience can see that she is caring towards her husband and his family.