SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS OF AUTHORITY, THE SELF, AND THE BODY IN SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II

Abstract

William Shakespeare's Richard II provides a rich framework from which to explore shifting perceptions of authority, the self, and the body in the early modern period. The play reflects significant cultural and sociopolitical transformations concerning monarchy and power. This essay argues that by delving into the sociopolitical climate and shifting intellectual culture, readers will better understand the weakening of monarchical authority that culminated in the civil war and, ultimately, undermined divine right. Their understanding will also be enriched by considering the epistemological and ontological shifts enabled by the challenge to authority that Protestantism and, subsequently, empiricism represented. Through this exploration, this essay seeks to uncover how Richard II not only serves as a mirror of this tumultuous era but also how the play reflects the evolving dynamics that reshaped the political and bodily discourse that would lead to modern understandings of the self in relation to sovereignty.