Tragic hero or self-pitying schmuck — What will it be Mr Khan?

As Imran Khan looks to shape his legacy, will the economy give him pause or will he continue to play agitator?

Perhaps one of the most fiercely debated scenes in Shakespearian scholarship is the crowning of Henry IV. After being exiled by Richard II, Henry returns with an army of nobles formerly loyal to Richard II and ousts him from power. To make the change of guard seem legitimate in the eyes of the court, Henry makes Richard renounce his throne and hand him the crown publicly and willingly. 

In response, Richard does hand over the crown but uses the public platform to deliver one of the bard’s most cleverly disguised speeches. In words he abdicates, but between the lines he declares Henry a usurper and an upstart — risking civil war in an already beleaguered Tudor England. When Henry senses the temperature of the room shift because of Richard’s oratory, in a moment of frustration he asks why Richard is behaving so when he has come willing to resign. “My crown I am; but still my griefs are mine: You may my glories and my state depose, But not my griefs; still am I king of those,” responds the erstwhile King. 

As the scene reaches dramatic crescendo, the audience is forced to ask itself. Who is Richard II? Did he bring his own fate upon him by exiling Henry in the first place out of hubris and hunger for power, or is he the victim of an unwarranted coup? In short, is Richard II a tragic hero, or a self-pitying schmuck?

 

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Abdullah Niazi
Abdullah Niazi
Abdullah Niazi is senior editor at Profit. He also covers agriculture and climate change. He can be reached at [email protected]

6 COMMENTS

  1. Perhaps one of the most fiercely debated scenes in Shakespearian scholarship is the crowning of Henry IV. After being exiled by Richard II, Henry returns with an army of nobles formerly loyal to Richard II and ousts him from power. To make the change of guard seem legitimate in the eyes of the court, Henry makes Richard renounce his throne and hand him the crown publicly and willingly.

  2. Although I voted for PTI however since coming into power, the PTI team has clearly shown that they are not here to change the status quo. Infact they are only focused on not letting go of the power seat, by hook or crook. This is a very dangerous precedent and has made the country much much more vulnerable to economic a security threats. Unless an agreement is reached between the political parties to wait for the next election, the situation will become worst for everyone.

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