Research Paper on:
Patriotism And Power In Shakespeare's 'Richard II' And 'Henry IV'

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Queen Elizabeth I. The queens detractors claimed that Elizabeths rule was deteriorating because she had surrounded herself with untrustworthy advisors. She suspected a great deal of competitiveness and jealousy  between the different factions of her advisors and who wanted to control her, if not actually seize the throne. The parallels between this situation and the plot of Richard II  were obvious, painfully so to Elizabeth herself. She is reported to have been displeased by the plays popularity and supposedly said, "I am Richard II, know you not that?"  This connection with the Elizabethan political situation still has considerable interest for people who study the play in terms of its historical  applications. However, it also serves a valuable purpose in acting as an introduction to issues of politics, powers, and patriotism Shakespeare chose to explore in his dramas and, even  more thoroughly, his histories. Links exist between the plays that provide a continuum of thought in the ways in which allegiances can be manipulated and changed in the political  arena. For example, the two Percy characters, father and son, are notable links between Richard II and the two parts of Henry IV. It is not merely that they  reappear in the Henry plays. They change their political allegiance, and the audience is constantly being prepared for that change in "Richard II."  Shakespeare uses "Richard II" to illustrate the results of misgovernment and the possibilities and problems associated with a misdirection of political power and loyalties. As an example  of the very brief but effective link between "Richard II" and its sequels, is the Queens description of Richard as he approaches her while she waits on the street near