Richard's Demise - Essay Example

Examine the character of Richard II. Is he the of his own downfall, as Nigel Saul argues in his paper: Richard II: of his own Downfall? (Cf. History today, Volume: 49, Issue: 9, 1999).Nigel Saul, who wrote “Richard II: Author of his own Downfall?”, is right saying that King Richard II led himself to his own downfall. This statement may be supported by the results of this character examination. First of all, Saul makes it clear that Richard II wanted to deliberately destroy Bolingbroke back in 1397, which put in motion the set of happenings which would bring his downfall and finally death.

Through a succession of doubtfully reasonable acts, Richard II achieved the destruction of the authority of Lancasters, particularly through attacking Bolingbroke (Saul, ““Richard II: Author of his own Downfall?”). What came next was Bolingbroke’s reaction. Secondly, Richard’s personal character traits and probable personality disorders made him highly unpopular both among the nobility and in the masses. It deprived him of the public support, with people willing to see Henry as the King.

Works CitedSaul, Nigel. “Richard II: Author of his own Downfall?” 1999. Web. 14 Jun 2012.