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The eagle and the hart : the tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV

Castor, Helen2024

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Summary

Richard of Bordeaux & Henry Bolingbroke were first cousins, born just three months apart. Their two lives were from the beginning entwined. When they were still children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, carrying the sword of state: a ten-year-old lord in the service of his ten-year-old king. Yet, as the animals on their heraldic badges showed, they grew up to be opposites: Richard was the white hart, a narcissist, & Henry the eagle, a chivalric hero, a leader who inspired loyalty where Richard inspired only fear. Henry had all the qualities Richard lacked, all the qualities a sovereign needed, bar one: birth right. Increasingly threatened by his cousin, Richard became consumed by the need for total power, in a time of constant conspiracies, rebellions & reprisals. When he banished Henry into exile, the stage was set for a final confrontation, as Richard became the tyrant & Henry his usurper.