Richard II (Vol. 52) | George D. Gopen (essay date 1987)
George D. Gopen (essay date 1987)
SOURCE: “Private Grief into Public Action: The Rhetoric of John of Gaunt in Richard II,” in Studies in Philology LXXXIV, No. 3, Summer, 1987, pp. 338-67.
[In the following essay, Gopen analyzes the rhetorical structure of Gaunt's deathbed speech and discusses how this speech informs other issues in the play.]
John of Gaunt's Deathbed Speech
| 31 | Methinks I am a prophet new inspired |
| And thus, expiring, do foretell of him: | |
| His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last | |
| For violent fires soon burn out themselves; | |
| 35 | Small show’rs last long, but sudden storms are short; |
| He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes; | |
| With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder; | |
| Light vanity,... |
[The entire page is 9575 words long]
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