Comparing King Richard II And England's Fall From Grace

The Concept of Gardens in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard II and England’s Fall from Grace.
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard II, tells of the turmoil that England is going through because of the incompetence of King Richard II. John of Gaunt explains in his Act 2, Scene 3 speech that England has fallen from grace. The tragic fall of England is told by Gaunt’s comparison of England to the Garden of Eden, the Queen comparing Richard II to Adam, and the vivid picture of this beautiful island now in dismay.
John of Gaunt describes the beauty and solitude of the small lone island as being, “This precious stone set in the silver sea” (Shakespeare, 2014, 2.1.46). Gaunt explains how the might and power of England has been envied by all the world. England was once set on conquest of the entire planet Earth and the English people were strong despite their small size in numbers. Gaunt goes on to describe England as a garden of God saying, “This other Eden, demi-paradise” (Shakespeare, 2014, 2.1.42). There is no denying that Gaunt felt that England is comparable to the Garden of Eden.

The Gardener mentions how England is the King’s garden and that Richard II has not done anything to tend to this garden. Therefore, Richard II has let the garden wither and die. The Queen also refers to how England is comparable to the Garden of Eden when she describes her fallen husband as Adam. After overhearing a gardener speaking about the dethroning of Richard II, the Queen mentions the Garden of Eden saying, “Thou, Old Adam’s likeness” (Shakespeare, 2014, 3.4.72). She is clearly comparing the fall of her husband from the throne with the fall of Adam from the Garden of