Question

The following excerpt is from Richard II, which details the struggle for power in 15th century England. In this scene the nobleman John of Gaunt describes the state of England as he waits for the arrival of King Richard.

adapted from Richard II
by William Shakespeare

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
Fear'd by their breed and famous by their birth,
Renowned for their deeds as far from home,
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation through the world,
Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,
Like to a tenement or pelting farm:
England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!
3
Read the lines from the play.

England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,

Neptune was the Roman god of the sea. Why does the author make an allusion to Neptune here?
A.
to stress that England had a duty to protect other nations in the past
B.
to show that England had previously been driven by jealousy
C.
to highlight that England had previously withstood great threats
D.
to indicate that England had been overwhelmed by problems in the past

Answer 1

C.

By invoking Neptune (the god of the sea) Shakespeare personifies the sea as a hostile force whose "siege" is beaten back by England's rocky shore — emphasizing that England once successfully withstood great external threats.