"I'm a Big Kid Now!"

"My nobles rule; I bear the name of king.
I wear the crown but am controlled by them"
(V.i.28-29)

I found these two lines to be the most interesting lines said by King Edward throughout the play's entirety. It alludes to a certain self-awareness that was not exactly evident before. It seems that Edward finally came to terms with his position and status as King. Although in the beginning he did as he pleased with Gaveston, there was an underlying manipulation happening when he had to give Gaveston up in order to please the nobles, mostly in fear of being overthrown. This entire play was about who could rule who and who could manipulate who. It seems that in this particular monologue Edward has realized how incompetent he was. Edward is obviously grieving at this point and is struck by indecision as he hesitates to take the crown off his head. Another thing that I found interesting was the fact that he was aware of Mortimer's intention to manipulate Edward III, perhaps realizing that, as we discussed in class, he had handed his most powerful weapon, his son, to his enemy.

I also found Edward III's reaction upon hearing of his father's murder interesting. In the previous act, he seemed a bit spiteful towards his father, claiming that he did not care for him and seemed quite unsure of himself. In this act, however, everything changes once Edward II is murdered and Edward III steps up and assumes the role of King. He has Mortimer, the conspirator of his father's murder, hanged and quartered, which is a pretty intense command coming from a 10-12 year old... not to mention the fact that he was obviously aware that Mortimer was not as good as he attempted to portray (V.ii.110). This not only further supported the fact that he was quite mature for his age, but also that blood is thicker than water and that not all are governed by politics since the familial ties are also of great importance.