Post #5 - Memory

photo: wikipedia.com

When Henry Bolingbroke is sentenced to exile in The Tragedy of King Richard the Second, he responds, "Then, England's ground, farewell; sweet soil, adieu, / My mother, my nurse, that bears me yet! / Where'er I wander, a boast of this I can, / Though banished, yet a true-born English man" (1.3.306-309). In Richard the Second, England functions as a site for memory contestation and self
formation. The reign of King Richard has set England on the track for a rapid decline, and all the characters are aware of this fact (except, maybe, the King himself). Virtually every cast member comments on Richard's blunders as King, saying their England is "full of weeds, her fairest flowers choked up" (3.4.34) and that Richard's "rash, fierce blaze of riot cannot last" (2.1.33). Amongst all this opposition for the King's decisions, a crisis of self formation and nationhood arises. Although the characters do not align themselves with Richard's choices, they remain steadfast in their devotion to the England of yore--and to their identities as Englishmen and women. Something weighty and powerful keeps these frustrated individuals firmly rooted in their English-ness. That something is memory.

Eddie Redmayne played King Richard at Donmar Warehouse's production in London, 2010

Richard's kingship, though fraught with error, signals progressivism in England. The impending uprising spearheaded by Henry Bolingbroke seeks to unravel a centuries-old model for governing. A majority of the characters appear to be onboard with this approach--even Richard's most trusted allies end up defecting to Henry's side mid-play. The coup is problematic, however, in the way it undoes
tradition, memory, and history. In an impassioned speech about King Richard's follies, John Gaunt claims that, "This land of such souls, this dear dear land, / Dear for her reputation through the world, / Is now leased out (I die pronouncing it) / Like a tenement or pelting farm" (2.1.57-60). Richard's lack of effort in his kingship so vehemently goes against tradition that it threatens to utterly transform England not just internally, but also externally in the way its reputation amongst other world powers will suffer. Though Gaunt communicates his love for his nation through romantic and nostalgic language, the implications of this speech unravel the very custom he claims to promote. Claiming that the King is not fit for his role is not only treasonous--it also goes against the longstanding precedents of kingship in England. In this way, memory and progression are placed in opposition throughout the play as the characters puzzle over which option will sustain England.

photo: welovedc.com

Sustainability and memory are linked intrinsically in the play. Richard's outright laziness as king casts a shadow over England's sustained legacy. This nostalgic fondness for England's historic power both establishes Richard as the King (since he is the rightful successor) and leads to his jilting, psychological unraveling, and decay. In this way, time doesn't merely form the backdrop for history plays. Time becomes a living entity needing management and producing anxiety. The anxiety stems from the question of how to represent and stabilize time in the written word. In one respect, time is remembered in the form of history itself. Memory of time is contested in different retellings of history. In another sense, as stated in sonnet fifteen, time "Holds in perfection but a little moment" (2). Time does not allow sustained perfection. In terms of Richard II, this line makes Richard's failure seem fated. Even when Richard makes thoughtful decisions, these "cheeréd" (6) choices will all become susceptible to decay--in the same way that the gardener's plants will soon become "full of weeds" (3.4.44). Richard is then doomed, with other men "vaunt in youthful sap," (7) to "wear their brave state out of memory" (8). Even perfect plants will soon deteriorate and wear the proof their decay in their physical form. This decay indicates a failure to preserve their legacy, the memory of their successes and growth. Richard faces this conflict head-on when he sees his reflection in the mirror. He sees in his face the honor he once had and has now lost, the past vitality of a plant that has now withered and is soon to die, when he states, "A brittle glory shineth in this face. / As brittle as the glory is the face, / For there it is, cracked in a hundred shivers" (5.1.287-289).