Echoes of the Sceptred Isle in modern English patriotism

How Shakespeare's works continue to influence perceptions of English identity

The speeches of John of Gaunt in Richard II and Philip the Bastard in King John have left a lasting impression on the English imagination of patriotism. Far from mere artifacts of Elizabethan drama, these monologues, laden with images of insular exceptionalism, self-reliant unity, and national resilience continue to resonate in political rhetoric, cultural media and public discourse.

Their enduring appeal lies in a duality: England (and by extension Britain) is a ‘precious stone set in the silver sea’, unconquerable if faithful to its core, yet vulnerable to internal ‘wounds’. This tension has made them powerful tools in shaping collective identity, from Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches to contemporary populist campaigns, while also inviting scrutiny for their Anglocentric bias in a devolved United Kingdom.

John of Gaunt’s monologue in Richard II, ‘This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle’, presents England as a paradisiacal, self-contained realm, a ‘demi-paradise’ fortified by nature against ‘less happier lands’. Initially celebrating England’s distinctiveness under a sovereign ruler, the speech has evolved into a cornerstone of modern English exceptionalist rhetoric. The island is no longer merely a setting; it symbolizes sovereignty, cultural pride, and historical continuity, framing the nation as resilient and morally significant.

Churchill, an avid Shakespearean, drew on Gaunt’s imagery in his histories and speeches, portraying Britain’s wartime fortitude during the Blitz as the living embodiment of Lancaster’s vision: a realm ‘fear’d by their breed and famous by their birth’. The ‘sea-walled’ kingdom became a narrative of enduring national strength, combining historical myth with immediate political purpose.

In the twenty-first century, Gaunt’s rhetoric resurfaced prominently during the Brexit referendum. Pro-Leave campaigners invoked it as cultural leverage, framing EU membership as a subtle threat to England’s sovereign identity. The MEP Daniel Hannan cited the ‘sceptred isle’ in a 2009 European Parliament address, later recirculating it online as ‘Shakespeare on the EU,’ claiming the Bard anticipated continental overreach.

Critics, including Labour MP Chris Bryant, argued that such selective readings misrepresented Shakespeare’s nuanced patriotism, prompting debate over the monologue’s contemporary relevance. Post-referendum, Hannan reiterated its symbolic power, asserting that the preservation of the English language and Shakespeare’s canon secures cultural continuity distinct from Europe.

This deployment of Gaunt’s speech exemplifies restorative nostalgia: Brexit becomes rhetorically framed as a reclamation of Gaunt’s ‘blessed plot’ from foreign influence. Yet the speech’s Anglocentrism, its selective vision of ‘England’ rather than ‘Britain’, reflects ongoing tensions in English identity. This goes some way to explaining the differences between English and Scottish reactions to Brexit — with the latter never having understood separateness as central to national identity in quite the same way.

Beyond politics, Gaunt’s warnings of internal decay, ‘England, bound in with the triumphant sea… is now bound in with shame’, resonate in contemporary debates over social division, national identity, and even environmental concerns. Modern leftist interpretations reimagine the ‘happy breed’ as a global community, advocating for a patriotism based on environmental stewardship and acceptance of cultural diversity, but retain both the notion of a nation uniquely destined to construct a certain domestic utopia and the understanding that the principal threat thereto is internal corruption, rather than irresistible external impositions.

Philip the Bastard’s speech in King John complements Gaunt’s lament with exhortation. His declaration, ‘This England never did, nor never shall, / Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror, / But when it first did help to wound itself’, positions national exceptionalism as conditional on internal fidelity. The Bastard embodies a proto-national archetype, his hybrid vigor reflecting England’s capacity for adaptive resilience, evolving from feudal fragmentation to a unified ‘body politic’. His journey from cynical observer to communal advocate models patriotism as dynamic, situational, and morally grounded.

Like Gaunt’s, the Bastard’s speech has surfaced in contemporary political discourse. During the Brexit campaign, Leave.EU selectively quoted it, ‘And we shall shock them’, casting the EU as a potential conqueror while omitting the caveat of self-inflicted harm. This manipulation reinforced an underdog narrative of defiant sovereignty, echoing Hannan’s post-referendum recitations of Henry V at Agincourt.

Scholarly readings, however, emphasize the Bastard’s moral and relational nuance: his deference to Prince Henry, coupled with exhortations to defend the realm, models a flexible nationalism, one that is capable of reconciling exceptionalism with ethical reflection, a quality increasingly relevant amid devolution and debates over the future of the United Kingdom.

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Both speeches exemplify Shakespeare’s art of indirect persuasion: pairing patriotic heroism with acknowledged vulnerability. This technique has shaped the discourse on the English and their identity from the Armada era to the present day. During World War II, Laurence Olivier’s 1944 film of Henry V invoked this duality, inspiring morale with rhetoric that celebrated courage while acknowledging the human cost thereof.

Humphrey Jennings’ documentaries, including Diary for Timothy (1944), depicted Blitz-era solidarity with a ‘stiff upper lip’ ethos tempered by awareness of real danger. Shakespeare’s Globe thus functioned as an early soft hegemon, shaping public sentiment through dramatized reflections of national character.

Today, these speeches underpin cultural and civic identity across theatre, public ritual, and media. They continue to inform English narratives of resilience and unity on both sides of the multicultural divide. Brexit-era deployments demonstrate their capacity to fuse nostalgic patriotism with contemporary realism: references to internal ‘wounds’ lend credibility to nationalistic appeals, acknowledging social or economic challenges while celebrating enduring strength. Yet, their Anglocentric core invites critical reflection: in a post-imperial UK, the speeches inspire both populist revival and inclusive reinterpretation, ensuring that the ‘sceptered isle’ remains a contested, dynamic symbol.

John of Gaunt and Philip the Bastard endure as midwives of modern English patriotism. They are not flawless anthems but mirrors reflecting a nation’s capacity for self-critique, renewal, and adaptive resilience. Gaunt’s melancholic grandeur evokes historical continuity and warns against internal decay, while the Bastard’s fiery exhortations model unity tempered by moral consciousness.

Together, they shape rhetoric that blends nostalgia, realism, and exceptionalist pride, influencing public morale, political campaigns, and cultural identity across centuries. In Shakespeare’s terms, England remains a ‘precious stone set in the silver sea’, capable of enduring as long as it remains vigilant, morally self-aware, and true to itself. In an era of contested identities, these speeches retain relevance not as rigid blueprints for nationalism but as enduring frameworks for reflection on collective identity, resilience, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

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This article was written by Professor Clifford Bates Jr., a Pimlico Journal contributor. Have a pitch? Send it to submissions@pimlicojournal.co.uk.

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