This paper examines the traditional and materialist conceptions of subjectivity, as portrayed in Shakespeare’s Richard II. The traditional view theorizes a human subject with a unified, coherent, and unchanging core, independent of its historical and social contexts, and characterized by self-determination. In contrast, materialist thought, as articulated by thinkers like Dollimore, rejects the notion of a fixed, essential self and emphasizes instead the constructed and contingent nature of identity. This perspective views identity as shaped by social, political, and ideological forces, and as inherently fluid and other-determined. The paper applies this theoretical framework to the character of Richard, who embodies the traditional view of a divinely ordained, autonomous king. Richard's inability to recognize the constructed nature of his identity leads to his political downfall and personal disintegration. Conversely, Bolingbroke, who succeeds Richard, demonstrates a keen awareness of the contingent and relational aspects of identity and emphasizes the importance of social and political legitimation. The examination of Richard II highlights the shift from a medieval, essentialist understanding of identity to a Renaissance, materialist one, underscoring the political and ideological implications of these differing conceptions of the self.
Keramatfar,H. and Dehghani Firouz Abadi,M. (2025). Deconstructing Identity in Shakespeare’s Richard II. (e725397). Applications of Language Studies, (), e725397 doi: 10.22034/jals.2025.2059378.1079
MLA
Keramatfar,H. , and Dehghani Firouz Abadi,M. . "Deconstructing Identity in Shakespeare’s Richard II" .e725397 , Applications of Language Studies, , , 2025, e725397. doi: 10.22034/jals.2025.2059378.1079
HARVARD
Keramatfar H., Dehghani Firouz Abadi M. (2025). 'Deconstructing Identity in Shakespeare’s Richard II', Applications of Language Studies, (), e725397. doi: 10.22034/jals.2025.2059378.1079
CHICAGO
H. Keramatfar and M. Dehghani Firouz Abadi, "Deconstructing Identity in Shakespeare’s Richard II," Applications of Language Studies, (2025): e725397, doi: 10.22034/jals.2025.2059378.1079
VANCOUVER
Keramatfar H., Dehghani Firouz Abadi M. Deconstructing Identity in Shakespeare’s Richard II. ALS, 2025; (): e725397. doi: 10.22034/jals.2025.2059378.1079
