Richard II: Manhood, Youth, and Politics 1377-99 (Oxford Historical Monographs)

"Richard II (1377-99) has long suffered from an unusually unmanly reputation. Over the centuries, he has been habitually associated with lavish courtly expenditure, absolutist ideas, Francophile tendencies, and a love of peace, all of which have been linked to the king's physical effeminacy. Even sympathetic accounts have essentially retained this picture, merely dismissing particular facets of it, or representing Richard's reputation as evidence of praiseworthy dissent from accepted norms of masculinity." "Christopher Fletcher takes a radically different approach, setting the politics of Richard II's reign firmly in the context of late medieval assumptions about the nature of manhood and youth. This makes it possible not only to understand the agenda of the king's critics, but also to suggest a new account of his actions. Far from being the effeminate tyrant of historical imagination, Richard was a typical young nobleman, trying to establish his manhood - and hence his authority to rule - by thoroughly conventional means; first through a military campaign, and then, fatally, through violent revenge against those who attempted to restrain him." "The failure of Richard's subjects to support this aspiration produced a sequence of conflicts with the king, in which his opponents found it convenient to ascribe to him the conventional faults of youth. These critiques derived their force not from the king's real personality, but from the fit between certain contemporary assumptions about youth, effeminacy, and masculinity on the one hand, and the actions of Richard's government - constrained by difficult and complex circumstances - on the other."--BOOK JACKET
Richard II (1377-99) has long suffered from an unusually unmanly reputation. Over the centuries, he has been habitually associated with lavish courtly expenditure, absolutist ideas, Francophile tendencies, and a love of peace, all of which have been linked to the king's physical effeminacy. Even sympathetic accounts have essentially retained this picture, merely dismissing particular facets of it, or representing Richard's reputation as evidence of praiseworthy dissent from accepted norms of masculinity.

Christopher Fletcher takes a radically different approach, setting the politics of Richard II's reign firmly in the context of late medieval assumptions about the nature of manhood and youth. This makes it possible not only to understand the agenda of the king's critics, but also to suggest a new account of his actions. Far from being the effeminate tyrant of historical imagination, Richard was a typical young nobleman, trying to establish his manhood-and hence his authority to rule-by thoroughly conventional means; first through a military campaign, and then, fatally, through violent revenge against those who attempted to restrain him.

The failure of Richard's subjects to support this aspiration produced a sequence of conflicts with the king, in which his opponents found it convenient to ascribe to him the conventional faults of youth. These critiques derived their force not from the king's real personality, but from the fit between certain contemporary assumptions about youth, effeminacy, and masculinity on the one hand, and the actions of Richard's government-constrained by difficult and complex circumstances-on the other.

Contents......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 14 1. Introduction......Page 22 2. The Language of Manhood I: Strength, Violence, and Honour......Page 46 3. The Language of Manhood II: ‘Humanitas’, Decorum, and Largesse......Page 66 4. Medico-Moral Theories of Manhood: Strength, Constancy, and Reason......Page 81 5. The Royal Authority and the King’s Childhood, 1376–82......Page 95 6. The Emergence of the King’s Firm Purpose, 1382–84......Page 118 7. The Pursuit of Manhood, 1384–86......Page 148 8. The Return of the King’s Youth, 1386–88......Page 172 9. The Establishment of a Conciliar Regime, 1388–90......Page 197 10. Majesty and Restriction, 1390–92......Page 213 11. The Drift to Power, c.1390–97......Page 242 12. A Boy not a Man? 1397–99......Page 270 Conclusion......Page 296 Bibliography......Page 302 B......Page 326 C......Page 327 F......Page 328 H......Page 329 M......Page 330 O......Page 331 R......Page 332 S......Page 334 W......Page 335 Y......Page 336 Contents 12 Abbreviations 14 1. Introduction 22 2. The Language of Manhood I: Strength, Violence, and Honour 46 3. The Language of Manhood II: ‘Humanitas’, Decorum, and Largesse 66 4. Medico-Moral Theories of Manhood: Strength, Constancy, and Reason 81 5. The Royal Authority and the King’s Childhood, 1376–82 95 6. The Emergence of the King’s Firm Purpose, 1382–84 118 7. The Pursuit of Manhood, 1384–86 148 8. The Return of the King’s Youth, 1386–88 172 9. The Establishment of a Conciliar Regime, 1388–90 197 10. Majesty and Restriction, 1390–92 213 11. The Drift to Power, c.1390–97 242 12. A Boy not a Man? 1397–99 270 Conclusion 296 Bibliography 302 Index 326 A 326 B 326 C 327 D 328 E 328 F 328 G 329 H 329 I 330 J 330 K 330 L 330 M 330 N 331 O 331 P 332 Q 332 R 332 S 334 T 335 U 335 V 335 W 335 Y 336 Richard Ii Has Long Suffered From A Reputation For Effeminacy But The Real King Was Very Different. Fletcher Argues That The King Sought To Assert His Authority By Acting In Accordance With Prevailing Ideas Of Manhood, First Through A Military Campaign And Then, Fatally, Through Revenge Against Those Who Attempted To Restrain Him. Christopher Fletcher. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [281]-304) And Index.