SCITILOP
Richard finds freedom at the end of the play: 5.5:111 "Mount, mount, my soul! thy seat is up on high;"
Freedom from kingship is great for King Richard.
The king was bound to the people in a way that makes him less than others: 4.1:296-299, "Fair cousin'? I am greater than a king: For when I was a king, my flatterers Were then but subjects; being now a subject, I have a king here to my flatterer. Being so great, I have no need to beg."
The king was stuck living in a false humanity: 5.1:16-19, "learn, good soul,To think our former state a happy dream; From which awaked, the truth of what we are Shows us but this"
When King Richard finally was able to escape from the role of being a puppet to the people, especially his uncles. He was able to break out of the mask that covered over all the emotions and insecurities. And he was now no longer the one blamed for the problems of the country. Politics are nothing but a system which protects people's human rights. However, right off the bat, the king's humanity is taken away, and the trickle down effect takes over from there. Politics just put me in a mood to rant. Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush... Napoleon, Hitler, Kevin O-seven, Churchill... it's all the same.
Weighty issue
I guess talking politics is just opening up for me to bring all my ideals and ideas forward. It's hard for me not to read Richard as Bush and Henry as Obama, and so my thoughts on both of them are skewered and neither has a chance for a positive opinion from me within the realms of politics.
Ryan K Bishop
except
Obama came to power legitimately. Though I can see the parallel where Bush was more or less disliked by the people whereas Obama had the support of the people. A more cynical comparison could be Bush and Gore. Gore won the popular vote, but the Supreme Court ruled that recounts should stop and they said Bush was the winner of the election. It doesn't work entirely, but one could say, and many do claim, that Bush was illegally made president by the Supreme Court (hardly a settled argument). In that respect, he would be in the Henry role (sorta) while Gore as the usurped Richard. Of course, we have to split the "likers" from the "dislikers" about 50-50, whereas Henry had more of the dislikers and Richard had only his minions and a few supports who supported the system more than the man. Bradley
Bradley
Public Servant
A lot of people seem to get into politics for the wrong reasons, and obviously Richard didn't have much of a choice, but people should be going into politics because they are willing to sacrifice their own agenda to lead and care for the people. (or so I believe.) One shouldn't enter politics simply for the purpose of furthering one's political views, at least not at the higher levels of presidents. Presidents don't get to be people in the sense that they can persue their own interest all the time. For eight years, their servants to the country
Erin Kay Schulz
the rub
I don't think I can agree that someone shouldn't come into politics with an agenda. At the same time, though, ideologues are who are causing most of the problems in government today. When an ideology becomes a blinder, then it becomes impossible to see what might be done for the greater good. But if someone lacks an ideology (which is impossible, though it is possible to be ignorant of it, or think it is somehow value neutral when that's all but impossible) then they have no anchor from which to work (horribly mangled metaphor there). Bradley
Bradley
No agenda
I wasn't trying to imply that I don't think they should have any agenda, I simply think they should be willing to set that agenda aside and that it should not be the primary reason for running for office. If your one and only goal is to reform health care, maybe you shouldn't run for representative. The other needs of people may get ignored.
Erin Kay Schulz
servants
Since politicians, especially the top dog, are there to serve us, does it raise the standards by which we serve the government?
Ryan K Bishop
Paradox
I like the paradox that you bring up at the end. Human rights are the government's job, but they strip Richard of his humanity. I think that just adds to the tragedy of Richard's life. I wonder if Shakespeare purposefully and knowingly did that.
-Renee Ward