Richard II Act 4 - "You may my glories and my state depose, but not my griefs; still am I king of those."

'Richard II' takes a little getting used to. 'Richard III' is a melodrama garnished with comic irony served by the monologues and direct addresses of its hero/villain. But 'Richard II' has no comic irony, no humorous interludes and no pouncing prose. It takes it meandering course through ponderous poetic verse as it weaves the subtle magic of its lyric tragedy on an audience examining the nature of power, the throne, politics, patriotism, action and inaction. Shakespeare is dealing with a person who is a political failure, contemplative rather than able to react, introspective rather than explicit. 'Rrichard II' is such an important play for our times because Richard II like many politicians and executives of our times expects sees power as his inheritance and right and does not expect it to be torn from his grasp. When glory of his power is gone, Richard becomes as attached to his grief.
"You may my glories and my state depose,
But not my griefs; still am I king of those."

Act IV is done in one long uninterrupted scene which helps to give a sense of almost Ancient Greek sense of dramatic and tragic inevitability to the act. It is set back in London and starts with Bolingbroke and his men interrogating Bagot and Aumerie to find out their parts in the death of Thomas, the Dule of Gloucester. After many accusations, denials and throwing down of gloves (Shakespeare's father would have made a fortune if he had provided all the gloves for this scene), it seems obvious that Richard is responsible for the death of Gloucester.

When the Duke of York brings news that Richard II will give up his crown, the Bishop of Carlisle prophetically warns that the taken of a crown from God's chosen king will bring a future where,
"The blood of English shall manure the ground."

Richard is then brought on stage. He seems willing to give up the crown but then recants. He sees that giving up his crown does not take away his worries.
"Your cares set up do not pluck my cares down."
Richard will not initially sign a statement resigning the crown and confessing his crimes. He asks for a looking glass and eventually smashes it,
"... my sorrow hath destroyed my face."
To this Bolingbroke promptly replies,
"The shadow of your sorrow hath destry'd
The shadow of your face."
Richard likes this sentiment and concedes and asks to be free to roam. Bolingbroke refuses and allows Richard to mentally roam the corridors of his own mind while in a cell in the tower  of London.

While Bolingbroke goes off to organise his own coronation, the Abbot of Westminster, the Bishop of Carlisle and Aumerie conspire other possibilities.