Bolingbroke

Play

Richard II

Summary

Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt and future Henry IV, returns from exile ostensibly to reclaim his disinherited duchy of Lancaster but sweeps Richard II from the throne by the force of circumstance and popular support. Where Richard is all eloquence and no action, Bolingbroke is all action and no eloquence — a supremely practical politician who achieves the crown but can never feel entirely secure in it.

Notable Quotations

"How long a time lies in one little word! / Four lagging winters and four wanton springs / End in a word: such is the breath of kings." *(1.3)*

"Methinks King Richard and myself should meet / With no less terror than the elements / Of fire and water, when their thundering shock / At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks of heaven." *(3.3)*

"I thought you had been willing to resign." *(4.1)*

Cross-references

• Richard II — the play
• Richard II — the king he deposes
• John of Gaunt — his father
• Northumberland (Richard II) — his chief supporter
• Henry IV, Part 1 — as King Henry IV
• Henry IV, Part 2 — as King Henry IV
• Histories