Richard II: Act 4, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis

This scene begins with Henry continuing his investigation into the murder of Gloucester. He begins by calling forward Bagot, who indicates Aumerle’s involvement in the crime and says that Aumerle even hoped for Henry’s death. Aumerle, of course, denies all of this, and, in a gesture that parallels the play’s first scene, he throws down his gage in an offer to battle Bagot to the death.

Though Henry stops Bagot from picking up the gage, Fitzwater steps up and throws his own gage, also accusing Aumerle of treason and of involvement in Gloucester’s death. When Aumerle calls Fitzwater a liar, Percy steps up to defend his honor. Another lord begins to attack Aumerle, who is finally defended by Surrey, who in turn begins to quarrel with Fitzwater. Henry ultimately says that all of these challenges will wait until his banishment is officially revoked.

After a snarky comment from Carlisle, York enters and says that Richard has agreed to make Henry his heir and descend from the throne. York then announces Henry as king Henry IV, and Henry says that he’ll ascend the throne in God’s name. But to this announcement Carlisle speaks out: he asks, “What subject can give sentence on his king?” and challenges the legitimacy of Henry’s claim to the throne. He calls Henry a traitor, and then makes a prophesy: “If you crown him, let me prophesy / The blood of English shall manure the ground / And future ages groan for this foul act; / Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels, / And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars / Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound.”

But since Henry has been crowned, Carlisle’s speech is figured as treason, and so he is arrested. Henry then calls forth Richard so that he may surrender in public. Richard soon enters and laments the betrayal of so many of his former allies; whereas only one Judas out of twelve apostles betrayed Jesus, he says, Richard feels betrayed by twelve thousand men and all of England itself. He then asks why he has been summoned, and York answers that it is to publicly resign and pass the crown to Henry.

Richard then takes the crown and tells Henry to seize it. They both hold on to either end of the crown, which Richard compares to two buckets, one pouring woe and tears into the other from a higher position. Richard is willing to resign his crown, but his griefs, he says, cannot be passed on; he will still remain king of those. Ultimately, he says that “With mine own hands I give away my crown,” a key step for Henry’s hope for a legitimate claim. Richard must denounce his crown and dethrone himself using the official speech and power of a king.

The final thing required of Richard is that he read out loud the list of accusations against him for crimes against England while in power. Richard at first refuses, and then says his eyes are too full of tears, and he soon claims that he is now nameless, since his identity was so tied up with the crown. In his distress, he requests a mirror, and while it is brought out, Northumberland encourages him to read from the list of crimes. But Richard says instead that he will read from the book he sees in the mirror, where all his sins are recorded in himself and his reflection.

Looking into the mirror, Richard reflects on his face and the kingdom he has lost, before throwing it to the ground and shattering the glass. He says then that sorrow has destroyed his face. To this comment the new king responds that the shadow of sorrow destroyed the shadow of his face, and Richard responds by saying that it’s true, beginning a brief speech that explores interiority. Richard says that any outward showing of grief is just a shadow to the true, internal grief. Inside, says Richard, is where the true substance lies. After this speech, Richard asks to be taken away, just so that he doesn’t have to see Henry anymore; the old king is then taken to the tower, and most everyone exits.

Aumerle and Carlise, however, remain on stage, along with the Abbot of Westminster. Aumerle asks the other two men if there is any plot to rid the country of the usurpation that has just occurred, and the Abbot tells Aumerle to follow him home, where they’ll discuss a plot to assassinate Henry.