Several of Shakespeare's plays, particularly historical and tragic, involve political intrigue that results in the murder of a king. Although the action around this event may involve many more obvious themes, it is interesting to note the common idea that Shakespeare invariably includes when his play addresses the murder of a king. Each character who murders or instigates the murder of a king and takes his place suffers the consequences of their actions. Often, Shakespeare makes these consequences more or less serious depending on the character's degree of involvement in the murder and the "purity" of their motivations. However, regicide is never taken lightly in these tragedies, whatever the motive. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay There are three notable plays involving the murder of kings in which the murderer seizes power. In Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke first deposes King Richard II and then implies that it would be easier if he were dead. He is the least involved in the murder of the former king and his punishment is the least severe, as seen in Henry IV, Part One and Henry IV, Part Two. In Macbeth, King Duncan of Scotland is murdered by Macbeth. Macbeth doesn't even have the excuse of deposing an evil king, only the promise of three witches that he will rule. His triumph is extremely fleeting. Finally, the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, begins after the death of Hamlet's royal father and only later does his unfortunate ghost clearly reveal that King Claudius, brother of the deceased king and uncle of Hamlet , is the murderer. Ironically, this play also ends with the murder of a king, although Hamlet dies immediately and is unable to take his rightful throne. Claudius' murder is closer to revenge than anything else. Shakespeare takes the role of kings very seriously in all of these plays. It's a position not to be abused, but it works on both sides of royalty. A king should not abuse his power, but those who serve him are expected to defend him even if they don't entirely like his decisions. What becomes less clear is whether or not he approves of supplanting a wicked or dangerous king. When Macduff tells Malcolm, Duncan's rightful heir, about his status as king, Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by pretending to be incredibly vicious and evil. When Malcolm asks if "such a man is fit to rule" (Macbeth 4.3.101), he approves of Macduff's response: "Fit to rule?" / No, not to live! (4.3.103-104). However, Macduff does not go so far as to wish for the death of Scotland's rightful heir. He simply states: “You repeat these evils to yourself / Banished me from Scotland” (4.3.111-112). He would rather leave than stay in a country so corrupted by a wicked king, but he does not go so far as to wish that the king would be removed or killed. This is not the case for Henry Bolingbroke, future Henry IV. Bolingbroke has good reason to be angry with the king. King Richard exiled him from his home and then stole his rightful inheritance after his father's death. Bolingbroke returns however, breaking his vow to remain in exile, but still planning to restore his own honor which has been sullied by the thoughtless king. He attempts to justify his return: "As I was banished, I was banished Hereford, / But as I come, I come for Lancaster" (R2 2.3.113-114), but the defense rings hollow. He is clearly ignoring her vow to seek revenge for an unconscionable wrong. Perhaps it's a fair trade, and as he moves across England he is hailed as the conquering hero while Richard is the bitter, tragic, failed king. However, heIt is appropriate to pay attention when figures as august as the Duke of York deplore the situation. York is unhappy with King Richard's actions, but he does not believe he should be deposed: "Alas, the heavy day / When so sacred a king should hide his head!" (R2 3.3.8-9). It is the young and ambitious public that is crowding behind Bolingbroke. He allows himself to dream of royalty. Closely related to the king, he is not Richard's heir. But that doesn't deter him. King Richard II has almost entirely lost his former arrogance. He bows to superior forces, despite his earlier statements that “all the water of the tossed and tossed sea cannot wash away the balm of an anointed king” (R2 3.2.54 – 55). Richard is not as arrogant in the face of Bolingbroke's army, but he tells Henry: "No hand of blood and bone / Can lay hold of the sacred hilt of our scepter, / Unless he profane, steal or usurp” (R2 3.3.79-81). Bolingbroke is moving forward despite this implication of profanity on his part. When Richard is deposed, he goes into exile and Exton, acting on a perceived word from Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV, kills him. Whether Bolingbroke wanted Richard murdered outright is somewhat debatable. We see that he wants him dead: “I hate the murderer, I love him murdered” (R2 5.6.40), but he does not play a sufficiently active role in Richard's death to qualify him as a murderer. Many years later, Bolingbroke makes it very clear that he feels entirely responsible for Richard's death and that he repents: "How I obtained the crown, O God forgive" (2H4 4.5 218). He has paid his dues for his crime. He spends almost his entire reign fighting for his crown and he passes it on to his son to enjoy the fruits of his hard work. Shakespeare seems to think this was a fair enough punishment for supplanting a king. Richard is, admittedly, a terrible king in many ways and Henry did not directly participate in his murder. But the fact remains that warnings and omens are constantly provided throughout Richard II, involving the dangers of seizing the throne and life of God's ordained king, no matter how evil he may be: “But before the crown he seeks lives in peace. / Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons / Shall ill become the flower of England's face” (R2 3.3.95-97). These are prophetic words. Shakespeare painfully explains what the price will be. Bolingbroke seems willing to pay him, and he does. The murder of King Duncan at Machbeth is a much clearer picture of the dastardly treason against a just king and the penalty paid by the murderer. Macbeth is an ambitious character from the beginning, but has no complaints during the reign of King Duncan. He has just been awarded the title of Cawdor at the start of the play for his valiant deeds, demonstrating Duncan's confidence in him as a worthy subject. However, Macbeth has bigger goals than winning more titles under Duncan's reign. The three strange sisters indicate that Macbeth “shall henceforth be king” (Macbeth 1.3.50), and he is “delighted with him” (1.3.57). The idea takes hold instantly. However, it takes more than the witches' words for Macbeth to spur him into action: "If chance will make me king, why can chance crown me / Without my agitation" (1.3.143-144) . He is fascinated by the idea, but it is not until his wife urges him to act on the perfect opportunity given to him, the king's arrival at his home, that he finally commits the king's murder. Macbeth is unique in that he doesn't even try to justify his actions. Maybe it's because there is no justification. Duncan is, by all indications, a good king. Shakespeare gives a progression of indications of the obvious wickedness ofthis regicide. The fact that Macbeth's prophecy was given to him by three witches should have been warning enough. Banquo sees the danger: “Often, to gain us to our detriment, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths” (1.3.123-124). Macbeth completely ignores this warning. After speaking with his noble and trusting king, Macbeth immediately admits to having nefarious plans: “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not the light see my dark and deep desires” (1.4.50-51). Before the king is murdered, Macbeth sees a specter dagger and as the deed is done, Lady Macbeth hears the menacing cry of an owl. Everything that is done here is dark and there is a feeling of black magic surrounding the act: “Bad dreams abuse / Sleep at the curtain.” Famous witchcraft / The offerings of the pale Hecate (2.1.50-52), which recall the three witches whose hands are in this act. There is a marked difference between this and the murder of Richard II. Henry Bolingbroke is still guilty of murdering a king and suffers for it, but he does everything openly with an army of supporters at his side. He proudly declares his right to depose the king. He believes he is doing what is good for himself, but also what is right for England: “necessity has so bent the State / That I and greatness have been obliged to embrace” (2H4 73-74 ). There is no shame or compelling need to hide everything in the dark. Macbeth wins his crown when Duncan's two sons flee, fearing for their lives. However, unlike Bolingbroke, he fails to keep it, a sign from Shakespeare that Macbeth has no right to it. His support quickly dwindles as forces rally around Malcolm, the rightful heir. While Bolingbroke's opponent, the heir apparent Mortimer, is defeated and he is able to cede his throne to his son and continue his line, Macbeth has no heir. His brief reign was indeed sterile. It ends in a battle where he loses his life to Macduff. Ironically, her accession to the throne and her death are inspired by the prophecies of the strange and malevolent sisters. Their final words tell him not to fear any man born of woman. Macbeth does not remember Banquo's words and trusts the manipulative witches. Macduff, who was "from his mother's womb / torn prematurely" (Macbeth 5.7.15-16), defeats the unworthy king. Macbeth is dead and Malcolm takes the throne. Macbeth is remembered as a mere “usurper” (5.8.55). In this case, the killing of the king ends with the death of the supplanter and the taking of the rightful heir's place as king. This is as simple an ending as possible. In the case of Hamlet, the situation changes once again. The murdered king does not appear alive during the play. His only words are spoken in ghost form after his death. Hamlet mourns not only his father's death, but also his mother's unusually rapid marriage to his uncle and his uncle's ascension as king. Shakespeare describes a situation in which the act of murder has already been accomplished and the usurper is in place on the throne. Furthermore, in this case, the murderer and supplanter, King Claudius, is not the main character of the story. Hamlet takes on this role. He discovers the murder through the dead king who cannot rest because his death is unsolved: "The most vile murder, like the best, / But this is the most vile, the most strange and most unnatural” (Hamlet 1.5.25-26). Hamlet, who is the rightful heir to the throne, now has the duty to avenge his father's murder. In many ways this is similar to Macbeth. The murdered king's son must fight the murderer, now seated on the throne: "The serpent that bit your father's life / It now carries., 1969. 707-740.