John of Gaunt: England as It Was, or Never Was
First appears: Act 1, Scene 1
John of Gaunt is dying when he delivers the play's most famous speech ('This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle'), mourning a country that no longer exists, or perhaps never quite did. He is talking about what England was in his imagination. Richard is the king who has been leasing it out and squandering it.
His position in the play is painful. He is Bolingbroke's father and Richard's uncle. He has watched Richard make catastrophic decisions for years and said nothing effective. He believes the king cannot be challenged (even a bad king, even one who may have ordered a murder) so he watches and mourns.
He dies in Act 2, Scene 1, almost immediately after finally speaking his truth to Richard's face. Richard's response is to seize his estate. That seizure is what brings Bolingbroke back.
Key Scenes
Famous Quotes
“This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden, demi-paradise.”
John of Gaunt — Act 2, Scene 1
“This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.”
John of Gaunt — Act 2, Scene 1