AP Exam Essay

In this scene of William Shakespeare’s Richard II, the Queen eavesdrops on a gardener and several servants. By the tone of the gardener, the reader believes that he is knowledgeable of the King’s state, while ironically, the Queen is less aware. This shows the Queen that the diplomacy and respectability of her husband and King are not precisely what she believed it to be; the commoners notice the selfish doings of their leader.

            Although the commoners seem to speaking merely gossip, there is much evidence to support their claims. For instance, the gardener states that the King received a letter that had a dark atmosphere to it. Obviously, the Queen knew what he was speaking of, as she interjected into the conversation, and began to question their words. She also learns that the King should pay as much attention to his people as the gardener does to the land. He is publically seen as an arrogant, selfish man who is currently depressed.

            The figurative language that the commoners and gardener uses compares the weeds of the soil they are mending to the attitude of their leader. For instance, the gardener demands that all the roots which are sucking nutrients out of the flowers must be destroyed. This is a clear metaphor for the king needing to be thrown out of power or killed, so that beauty, innocence and freedom can once again shine forth. The king’s situation is extremely dramatized by the men as they call him a “wasteful king” and stating that he is “depressed…and deposed.” Readers can understand that as commoners and villagers, the King needs to be removed from his power.
            It seems as though the comparison between unstoppable, useless growing weeds reflects on the idea that evil power will always be distributed to those who lack responsibility. The Queen understands this as she hears the gossip of her husband, and the more she hears, the quicker the character jumps to save her husband’s fragile reputation.