Research Paper on:
Overview of Great Britain's Richard II

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
of the entire population, and Richards inability to lead with any political prowess cost him the chance to regain a solid British stance under effective leadership. So bound by  authoritarian rule was Richard that his unyielding reign soon set off a revolution that served to be the beginning of the end for this particular monarchs authority. Richard assumed the  throne at age ten after his grandfathers death and held the position for the better part of twelve years. He routinely illustrated his gross lack of leadership by allowing  the lure of power to consume his very being. "Richard never learnt that the myth of the prince who rules by divine right and is answerable only to God,  is one thing; the reality of power is quite another" (The Reign of Richard II). Richard could no sooner quell the onslaught of peasant uprising than he could understand  why such an rebellion existed in the first place. In short, he was completely out of touch with the needs of his constituency and the extent to which their  very existence was inextricably linked to his decisions. Richards feudalistic rule perpetuated the manner by which a small population could maintain tight control  over the entire political and economic system. Having been compared with the Celts chiefdom political system, feudalism afforded powerful families the ability to hold the political reins over entire  societies, just as long as these particular families upheld their political loyalties and alliances. This clich? type of political and economic rule was considered to be quite popular with  Richard; however, it was not as welcomed by the rest of the citizenry. It is important for the student to consider that inasmuch