Role Reversal?
Ok, so there is some pretty dramatic stuff going on in the singular scene of act 4. This is where the proverbial shit hits the fan. What was most dramatic, aside from Aumerle basically saying "I'ma take on all you Mother Fuckers who call me a liar," (Pardon the French) is the dramatic role shift of Harry and Richard.
When the play started out, everyone seemed to be cheering for anyone who was willing to take out the "evil" King. Harry took on that challenge so we, as an audience naturally trusted him to do the right thing. But now that Richard has essentially been defeated, Harry shows his true colors. He seems to have some dark intentions of his own, though they may not involve the murders or banishments of his kin. He may not want to get his hands dirty and will just let them duke it out and kill each other. After all, that's what he was practically doing in the beginning of the scene. There is also the possibility that he is an earnest person, but he is still so vexed by his fathers murder that he won't rest until he knows for sure what happened to him, but that seems rather unlikely. As for Richard, without the weight of his crown and with the knowledge that his plot failed horribly, he has a new sense of humility. He seems to see right through Harry when he tries to make him read his crimes outloud. All Harry is trying to do is get the people to side with him, otherwise he could have just killed Richard and been on his merry way. It's all about apearances.
*Tina


Right on the money
I agree with you very much in that Richard can see the true intentions of Harry and that they have taken on each others' earlier role. Also, all the throwing down of gages is pretty ridiculous...I mean, wow, is all that necessary?
Veronica Sparks
I agree
I agree with you all the way chika!!!
Katie
hmm
I don't know if I would say that Harry's intentions are dark. But I don't know what to make of him. He seems to be completely different in each scene. In the first one he is pledging his loyalty to the king, and then he is raising an arm to fight him. After he has Richard cornered, he then says that all he wants is his land back. Then in act four, takes the kingship from Richard, and tries to make him publicly confess to his crimes. I don't know really know what he has in mind, but maybe because I haven't read the last act. that might have something important in it.
dark intentions
My opinion on that would be that Richard had his fake identity of god-king shattered and more of his true self comes out in the last two acts, while Harry on the other hand is more and more covering up himself behind titles, eventually that of kingship. After some wikipedia research, I have found some dirt on Harry: "Henry experienced a rather more inconsistent relationship with King Richard II than his father had. First cousins and childhood playmates, they were admitted together to the Order of the Garter in 1377, but Henry participated in the Lords Appellant's rebellion against the King in 1387. After regaining power, Richard did not punish Henry (many of the other rebellious Barons were executed or exiled). In fact, Richard elevated Henry from Earl of Derby to Duke of Hereford." Richard gave Bolingbroke a second chance. Harry was a jerk all along.
Ryan K Bishop
the truth will out
This sure does make Harry look a little (or a lot) less sympathetic. This is some background that many viewers of the play would have had in Shakespeare's day. It also adds a twist to the parallel between Richard and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, so it seems, didn't want to put her cousin to death, just as Richard acts leniently with Harry. It works out worse for Richard than Elizabeth though. Bradley
Bradley
Aumerle
It also changes the meaning of King Henry pardoning Aumerle in act v.
Ryan K Bishop
Well...
I haven't read that part yet! Thanks for ruining it for me! jk
:P
*Tina
in that case
if you haven't read it yet, then i was just guessing at what would happen,
Ryan K Bishop