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
