Richard II begins with a dead body. There is no corpse present on XVstage and no funeral procession, yet the body of Thomas Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester and the king's uncle, haunts the beginning of the play and sets the tone for its exposition. It haunts the opening scene as two opponents--Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray--accuse each other of various crimes in front of the king, among them Bolingbroke's claim that Mowbray murdered Woodstock. As Nicolas Grene writes, "the event to which Richard II looks back most immediately is the relatively recent murder of the Duke of Gloucester." (2) This unexplained death--Michael Hattaway notes that Woodstock "died in mysterious circumstances" in Calais in 1397--foreshadows future difficulties for the king. (3) As I will show, his absent body becomes a vital instrument in the plot of Shakespeare's play. Henry Bolingbroke, son of the Duke of Lancaster, and Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, are called into the king's presence to air their grievances. Richard questions their motives: "What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray's charge? / It must be great" (1.1.84-85). With corresponding accusations and defenses, the scene presents both a polarizing exposition and first impressions of the major characters. As John Blades puts it, it is "crucial in swiftly introducing the principal characters of the play": the king, his court circle, two of his subjects. (4) John Norwich sums this up, recollecting the historical event that "on 29 April 1398 ... for the first time, the two Dukes appeared face to face before the King; and it is at this point that Shakespeare raises the curtain on The Tragedie of King Richard the Second." (5) The first scene thus reminds the audience of the recent historical events of the rebellion against Richard by his uncles, an action that is not directly presented onstage but looms over the play like a skeleton in the cupboard. The accusations that Bolingbroke brings forth at the kings request are grave indeed: Look what I speak, my life shall prove it true: That Mowbray hath received eight thousand nobles In name of lendings for your highness' soldiers, The which he hath detained for lewd employments, Like a false traitor and injurious villain. Besides I say, and will in battle prove, Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge That ever was surveyed by English eye, That all the treasons for these eighteen years Complotted and contrived in this land Fetch from false Mowbray their first head and spring. Further I say, and further will maintain Upon his bad life to make all this good, That he did plot the Duke of Gloucester's death, Suggest his soon-believing adversaries, And consequently, like a traitor coward, Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood--Which blood, like sacrificing Abel's, cries, Even from the tongueless caverns of the earth To me for justice and rough chastisement. And by the glorious worth of my descent, This arm shall do it, or this life be spent! (1.1.87-108) Bolingbroke accuses Mowbray of three crimes, each more horrible than the previous: corruption, treason, and murder. His speech is well structured: according to John Blades, he shows "full vocal command"; his delivery is "even and controlled." The third charge is obviously the climax to his speech; the first two "are relatively mild preambles to his most alarming charge." (6) As Hattaway puts it, Bolingbroke's claim of murder is his "gravest accusation, casting himself in the role of a minister or scourge of God, one sent to cleanse depravity from the world." (7) The dead Gloucester thus provokes this quarrel between Mowbray and Bolingbroke, and in doing so, proves to be what Blades has described as the catalyst to Richards downfall. (8) In response to the charge, Mowbray answers with as much force as his opponent, calling him "so foul a liar" (1.1.114) and the accusation mere "slander" (1. …

中文翻译：

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“你活着和呼吸，但你在他身上被杀了”：理查二世权力的缺失

理查二世从一具尸体开始。XVstage 上没有尸体，也没有葬礼队伍，但托马斯伍德斯托克、格洛斯特公爵和国王的叔叔的尸体出现在戏剧的开头，并为它的展示定下了基调。当两个对手——亨利·博林布鲁克和托马斯·莫布雷——在国王面前互相指责对方犯下各种罪行时，它一直萦绕在开场的场景中，其中博林布鲁克声称莫布雷谋杀了伍德斯托克。正如尼古拉斯·格雷内 (Nicolas Grene) 所写，“理查二世最直接回顾的事件是相对较新的格洛斯特公爵被杀事件。” (2) 这个无法解释的死亡——迈克尔·哈塔维指出伍德斯托克于 1397 年在加莱“神秘地死去”——预示着国王未来的困境。(3) 正如我将要展示的，他缺席的身体成为莎士比亚戏剧情节中的重要工具。兰开斯特公爵的儿子亨利·博林布鲁克和诺福克公爵托马斯·莫布雷被召到国王面前宣泄他们的不满。理查德质疑他们的动机：“我们的堂兄对莫布雷的指控是什么？/这一定很棒”（1.1.84-85）。在相应的指责和辩护下，场景呈现出两极分化的阐述和主要人物的第一印象。正如约翰·布莱兹所说，“迅速介绍剧中的主要人物至关重要”：国王、他的宫廷圈子、他的两个臣民。(4) 约翰·诺里奇 (John Norwich) 对此进行总结，回忆历史事件：“1398 年 4 月 29 日……两位公爵第一次面对面出现在国王面前；这十八年的所有叛国罪都在这片土地上精心策划和策划，从虚假的莫布雷那里获得他们的第一个头和春天。我进一步说，并将继续坚持他的糟糕生活使这一切变得美好，他确实策划了格洛斯特公爵的死，暗示他很快相信的对手，因此，像叛徒懦夫一样，通过溪流榨干了他无辜的灵魂血——这种血，就像献祭亚伯的血一样，甚至从地球上无言的洞穴中呼喊着向我寻求正义和粗暴的惩罚。以我血统的光荣价值， 这只手臂会做到，否则这辈子就废了！(1.1.87-108) Bolingbroke 指控 Mowbray 三项罪行，每一项都比前一项更可怕：腐败、叛国和谋杀。他的演讲结构合理：据约翰·布莱兹 (John Blades) 称，他表现出“完全的声音指挥” ; 他的交付是“均匀且可控的”。第三个指控显然是他演讲的高潮；前两个“是他最令人震惊的指控的相对温和的序言。” (6) 正如哈塔维所说，博林布鲁克对谋杀的指控是他“最严重的指控，将自己置于上帝的牧师或祸害的角色中，被派去清除世界上的堕落。” (7) 因此，死去的格洛斯特挑起了莫布雷和博林布鲁克之间的这场争吵，而这样做，被证明是布莱兹所说的理查兹垮台的催化剂。(8) 作为对指控的回应，莫布雷的回答与他的对手一样有力，称他为“如此犯规的骗子”（1.1.114），指控仅仅是“诽谤”（1. ... 第三个指控显然是他演讲的高潮；前两个“是他最令人震惊的指控的相对温和的序言。” (6) 正如哈塔维所说，博林布鲁克对谋杀的指控是他“最严重的指控，将自己置于上帝的牧师或祸害的角色中，被派去清除世界上的堕落。” (7) 因此，死去的格洛斯特挑起了莫布雷和博林布鲁克之间的这场争吵，而这样做，被证明是布莱兹所说的理查兹垮台的催化剂。(8) 作为对指控的回应，莫布雷的回答与他的对手一样有力，称他为“如此犯规的骗子”（1.1.114），指控仅仅是“诽谤”（1. ... 第三个指控显然是他演讲的高潮；前两个“是他最令人震惊的指控的相对温和的序言。” (6) 正如哈塔维所说，博林布鲁克对谋杀的指控是他“最严重的指控，将自己置于上帝的牧师或祸害的角色中，被派去清除世界上的堕落。” (7) 因此，死去的格洛斯特挑起了莫布雷和博林布鲁克之间的这场争吵，而这样做，被证明是布莱兹所说的理查兹垮台的催化剂。(8) 作为对指控的回应，莫布雷的回答与他的对手一样有力，称他为“如此犯规的骗子”（1.1.114），指控仅仅是“诽谤”（1. ... 对谋杀的指控是他“最严重的指控，将自己塑造成上帝的牧师或祸害，被派去清除世界上的堕落。” (7) 因此，死去的格洛斯特挑起了莫布雷和博林布鲁克之间的这场争吵，而这样做，被证明是布莱兹所说的理查兹垮台的催化剂。(8) 作为对指控的回应，莫布雷的回答与他的对手一样有力，称他为“如此犯规的骗子”（1.1.114），指控仅仅是“诽谤”（1. ... 对谋杀的指控是他“最严重的指控，将自己塑造成上帝的牧师或祸害，被派去清除世界上的堕落。” (7) 因此，死去的格洛斯特挑起了莫布雷和博林布鲁克之间的这场争吵，而这样做，被证明是布莱兹所说的理查兹垮台的催化剂。(8) 作为对指控的回应，莫布雷的回答与他的对手一样有力，称他为“如此犯规的骗子”（1.1.114），指控仅仅是“诽谤”（1. ...