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King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
 believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England
Richard II of England

Richard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III of England....
 and is the first part of a tetralogy
Tetralogy

A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. Compare to a trilogy; made up of three works.The name comes from the Attica theater, where tetralogies were meant to be played in one sitting at the Dionysia....
, referred to by scholars as the Henriad
Henriad

Henriad is a common title used by scholars for William Shakespeare second historical tetralogy, comprising Richard II ; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V ....
, followed by three plays concerning Richard's successors: Henry IV, part 1
Henry IV, Part 1

Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England , and Henry V of England....
, Henry IV, part 2
Henry IV, Part 2

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V ....
, and Henry V
Henry V (play)

Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War....
. It may not have been written as a stand-alone work.

Although the First Folio
First Folio

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
 (1623) edition of Shakespeare's works lists the play as a history play, the earlier Quarto
Quarto

Quarto could refer to:Texts:* A Quarto is a Bookbinding#Terms and techniques and publishing, and the books of the resulting size, when four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper...
 edition of 1597 calls itself The tragedie of King Richard the second.

espeare's primary source for Richard II, as for most of his chronicle histories, was Raphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed

Raphael Holinshed was an England chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of Shakespeare's plays....
's Chronicles; the publication of the second edition in 1589 provides a terminus post quem
Terminus post quem

Terminus post quem and the related terminus ante quem are terms used to give an approximate date for a text. Terminus post quem is used to indicate the earliest point in time when the text may have been written, while Terminus ante quem signifies the latest date at which a text may have been written....
 for the play.






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Quotations


As in a theatre, the eyes of men,After a well-grac'd actor leaves the stage,Are idly bent on him that enters next.

Duke of York, scene ii

O! call back yesterday, bid time return.

Salisbury, scene ii

Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster.

King Richard, scene i

That which in mean men we entitle patience,Is pale cold cowardice in noble breasts.

Duchess of Gloucester, scene ii

Thoughts tending to content, flatter themselvesThat they are not the first of fortune's slaves,Nor shall not be the last.

King Richard, scene v

They say, the tongues of dying menEnforce attention, like deep harmony:Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain.

John of Gaunt, scene i





Encyclopedia


King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
 believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England
Richard II of England

Richard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III of England....
 and is the first part of a tetralogy
Tetralogy

A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. Compare to a trilogy; made up of three works.The name comes from the Attica theater, where tetralogies were meant to be played in one sitting at the Dionysia....
, referred to by scholars as the Henriad
Henriad

Henriad is a common title used by scholars for William Shakespeare second historical tetralogy, comprising Richard II ; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V ....
, followed by three plays concerning Richard's successors: Henry IV, part 1
Henry IV, Part 1

Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II of England, Henry IV of England , and Henry V of England....
, Henry IV, part 2
Henry IV, Part 2

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V ....
, and Henry V
Henry V (play)

Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War....
. It may not have been written as a stand-alone work.

Although the First Folio
First Folio

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
 (1623) edition of Shakespeare's works lists the play as a history play, the earlier Quarto
Quarto

Quarto could refer to:Texts:* A Quarto is a Bookbinding#Terms and techniques and publishing, and the books of the resulting size, when four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper...
 edition of 1597 calls itself The tragedie of King Richard the second.

Sources

Shakespeare's primary source for Richard II, as for most of his chronicle histories, was Raphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed

Raphael Holinshed was an England chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of Shakespeare's plays....
's Chronicles; the publication of the second edition in 1589 provides a terminus post quem
Terminus post quem

Terminus post quem and the related terminus ante quem are terms used to give an approximate date for a text. Terminus post quem is used to indicate the earliest point in time when the text may have been written, while Terminus ante quem signifies the latest date at which a text may have been written....
 for the play. Edward Hall
Edward Hall

Edward Hall , England chronicler and lawyer, was born about the end of the 15th century, being a son of John Hall of Northall, Shropshire.Educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, he became a barrister and after-wards filled the offices of common sergeant of the city of London and judge of the sheriff's court....
's The Union of the Two Illustrious Families of Lancaster and York appears also to have been consulted, and scholars have also supposed Shakespeare familiar with Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel

Samuel Daniel was an England English poetry and History of England....
's poem on the civil wars.

A somewhat more complicated case is presented by the anonymous play The First Part of Richard II. This play, which exists in one incomplete manuscript copy (at the British Museum
British Museum

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture situated in London. Its collections, which number more than 7 million Object , are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present....
) is subtitled Thomas of Woodstock, and it is by this name that scholars since F. S. Boas
Frederick S. Boas

Frederick Samuel Boas was an English scholar of early modern drama. He was born 24 July 1862, the eldest son of Hermann Boas of Belfast. He attended Clifton College as a scholar and went up to Balliol College, Oxford, in 1881....
 have usually called it. This play treats the events leading up to the start of Shakespeare's play (though the two texts do not have identical characters). This closeness, along with the anonymity of the manuscript, has led certain scholars to attribute all or part of the play to Shakespeare, though, many critics view this play as a secondary influence on Shakespeare, and not as his work.

Date and text

Richard Ii (play)
The play was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company
Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers

The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was founded in 1403; it received a Royal Charter in 1557....
 on August 29, 1597 by the bookseller Andrew Wise
Andrew Wise

Andrew Wise , or Wyse or Wythes, was a London publisher of the Elizabethan era who issued first editions of five William Shakespeare plays....
; the first quarto
Book size

The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers.However, in bookbinding, printing, and publishing, a series of terms are used to indicate the approximate size of a book....
 was published by him later that year, printed by Valentine Simmes
Valentine Simmes

Valentine Simmes was an Elizabethan era and Jacobean era printer; he did business in London, "on Adling Hill near Bainard's Castle at the sign of the White Swan." Simmes has a reputation as one of the better printers of his generation, and was responsible for several book size of William Shakespeare plays....
. The second and third quartos followed in 1598 — the only time a Shakespearean play was printed in three editions in two years. Q4 followed in 1608, and Q5 in 1615. The play was next published in the First Folio
First Folio

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
 in 1623.

Richard II exists in a number of variations. The quarto
Quarto

Quarto could refer to:Texts:* A Quarto is a Bookbinding#Terms and techniques and publishing, and the books of the resulting size, when four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper...
s vary to some degree from one another, and the folio
Folio

Folio may refer to:* In bookbinding,** A sheet of paper, parchment, or other material folded in half to make two leaves in a codex.** Mainly for manuscripts, a leaf ....
 presents further differences. The first three quartos (printed in 1597
1597 in literature

Events*In February, Pembroke's Men contract with Francis Langley to play the next year at his new Swan Theatre. Their season goes disastrously wrong in July, when they stage the scandalous play The Isle of Dogs , which provokes the authorities to close all of the London theatres for the remainder of the summer....
 and 1598
1598 in literature

Events*On September 22, Ben Jonson is charged with manslaughter, after killing actor Gabriel Spenser in a duel.*Lancelot Andrewes turns down the bishoprics of both Ely and Salisbury....
, commonly assumed to have been prepared from Shakespeare's holograph) lack the deposition
Deposition (politics)

Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication....
 scene. The fourth quarto, published in 1608
1608 in literature

The year 1608 in literature involved some significant events....
, includes a version of the deposition scene shorter than the one later printed, presumably from a prompt-book
Prompt (theatre)

The prompt in a theatre is traditionally the person who prompts or cues an actor when they forget their next line or neglect to move on the stage to where they are supposed to be situated....
, in the 1623
1623 in literature

The year 1623 in literature involved some significant events....
 First Folio
First Folio

Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
. The scanty evidence makes explaining these differences largely conjectural. Traditionally, it has been supposed that the quartos lack the deposition scene because of censorship, either from the playhouse or by the Master of the Revels
Master of the Revels

The Master of the Revels was a position within the United Kingdom Noble court heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for theater censorship, until this function was transferred to the Lord Chamberlain in...
 Edmund Tylney
Edmund Tylney

Edmund Tilney was a courtier best known now as Master of the Revels to Elizabeth I of England and James I of England.He was the son of Phillip Tilney, an usher to Henry VIII of England, and Malyn Chambre, who had served Catherine Howard, and was briefly imprisoned after that queen's downfall....
 and that the Folio version may better reflect Shakespeare's original intentions. There is no external evidence for this hypothesis, however, and the title page of the 1608 quarto refers to a "lately acted" deposition scene (although again, this could be due to earlier censorship).

Characters

  • King Richard II
    Richard II of England

    Richard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III of England....
  • John of Gaunt
    John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster

    John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Aquitaine was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England of England and Philippa of Hainault....
    , Duke of Lancaster, uncle to the king
  • Edmund of Langley
    Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York

    Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York was a younger son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, the fourth of the five sons of the Royal couple who lived to adulthood....
    , Duke of York, uncle to the king
  • Henry Bolingbroke (sometimes spelled Bullingbrook), Duke of Hereford, son of John of Gaunt, afterwards King Henry IV
    Henry IV of England

    Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
  • The Duke of Aumerle, (Edward, Duke of Albermarle
    Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York

    Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York and 1st Duke of Aumale , was a member of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom who died at the Battle of Agincourt....
    , later Duke of York), son to the Duke of York
  • Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk
  • Duke of Surrey (Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey
    Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey

    Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey , also 3rd Earl of Kent.He was the son of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Alice Fitzalan. His maternal grandparents were Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor of Lancaster....
    )
  • Earl of Salisbury (John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury
    John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury

    John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury was an England nobleman, one of the few who remained loyal to Richard II of England after Henry IV of England became king....
    )
  • Lord Berkeley (Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley
    Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley

    Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley the Magnificent was an English peer born in the Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England to Maurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley and Elizabeth le Despencer, Baroness Berkeley....
    )
  • Sir John Bushy, Sir William Bagot, Sir Henry Green, all favourites to King Richard
  • Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
    Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland

    Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland , was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund Crouchback, who was the son of Henry III....
  • Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, his son
  • Lord Ross (William Lord Rosse)
  • Lord Willoughby (William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby)
  • Lord Fitzwalter (Walter Fitzwalter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter)
  • Bishop of Carlisle (Thomas Merke
    Thomas Merke

    Thomas Merke was an English priest and Bishop of Carlisle from 1397 to 1400. Educated at Oxford University, be became a Benedictine monk at Westminster Abbey....
    )
  • Abbot of Westminster (William de Colchest)
  • Lord Marshal (John FitzAlan)
  • Sir Stephen Scroop
  • Sir Piers Exton
  • Welsh captain


  • Queen to Richard (Isabella of Valois
    Isabella of Valois

    Isabella of Valois was a Princess of France, daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabella of Bavaria-Ingolstadt. She was Queen consort of Richard II of England from 1396 to 1400....
    )
  • Duchess of York (Isabelle of Castile
    Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York

    Infanta Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York was a daughter ofKing Peter of Castile and Mar?a de Padilla. She was a younger sister of Infanta Constance of Castile....
    )
  • Duchess of Gloucester (Eleanor de Bohun
    Eleanor de Bohun

    Eleanor de Bohun was the elder daughter and co-heiress with her sister Mary de Bohun, of their father Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford. Her mother was Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster....
    )


  • attendants, lords, soldiers, messengers, etc.


Synopsis

Richard II is the main character of the play. The first Act begins with King Richard sitting majestically on his throne in full state. We learn that Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
, Richard's cousin, is having a dispute with Thomas Mowbray
Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk

Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk was an England nobleman.Mowbray was the son of John de Mowbray, 4th Baron Mowbray , and Lady Elizabeth de Segrave, Baroness Mowbray ....
, and they both want the king to act as judge. The subject of the quarrel is Bolingbroke's accusation that Mowbray had squandered monies given to him by Richard for the King's soldiers. There is also concern raised over the recent, mysterious death of the Duke of Gloucester
Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester

Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester was the thirteenth and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Queen Philippa of Hainault....
, which both men accuse the other of, although in reality Richard II was responsible for the Duke's death. After several attempts to calm both men, Richard acquiesces and Bolingbroke and Mowbray challenge each other to a duel, over the objections of both Richard and John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke's father.

The tournament scene is very formal with a long, ceremonial introduction. But Richard interrupts the duel at the very beginning and sentences both men to banishment from England. Bolingbroke has to leave for six years, whereas Mowbray is banished forever. The king's decision can be seen as the first mistake in a series that will lead eventually to his overthrow and death. Indeed, Mowbray predicts that the king will fall sooner or later.

After that, Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, dies and Richard II seizes all of his land and money. This angers the nobility, who accuse Richard of wasting England's money, of taking Gaunt's money to fund a war with Ireland, of taxing the commoners, and of fining the nobles for crimes their ancestors committed. Next, they help Bolingbroke secretly to return to England and plan to overthrow Richard II. However, there remain some subjects faithful to Richard, among them Bushy, Bagot, Green and the Duke of Aumerle. King Richard leaves England to administer the war in Ireland, and Bolingbroke takes the opportunity to assemble an army and invade the north coast of England. When Richard returns, Bolingbroke first claims his land back but then additionally claims the throne. He crowns himself King Henry IV
Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . Like other kings of England, he also claimed the title of King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke....
 and Richard is taken into prison to the castle of Pomfret
Pontefract

Pontefract is a market town in West Yorkshire, England, near the A1 road , the M62 motorway, and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of approximately 35,000....
. After interpreting King Henry's "living fear" as a reference to the still-living Richard, an ambitious nobleman (Exton) goes to the prison and murders the former king. King Henry repudiates the murderer and vows to journey to Jerusalem to cleanse himself of his part in Richard's death.

Analysis and Criticism


Structure and Language

The play is divided into five acts and its structure is as formal as its language. It has a double complementary plot describing the fall of Richard II and the rise of Bolingbroke, later known as Henry IV. Critic John R. Elliott Jr. notes that this particular history play can be distinguished from the other history plays because it contains an ulterior political purpose. The normal structure of Shakespearean tragedy is modified to portray a central political theme: the rise of Bolingbroke to the throne and the conflict between Richard and Bolingbroke over the kingship. In acts IV and V, Shakespeare includes incidents irrelevant to the fate of Richard, which are later resolved in the future plays of the Richard II-Henry V tetralogy.

Literary critic Hugh M. Richmond notes that Richard's beliefs about the Divine Right of Kings
Divine Right of Kings

The Divine Right of Kings is a politics and religion doctrine of royal absolutism. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God....
 tend to fall more in line with the medieval view of the throne. Bolingbroke on the other hand represents a more modern view of the throne, arguing that not only bloodline but also intellect and political savvy contribute to the makings of a good king. Richard believes that as king he is chosen and guided by God, that he is not subject to human frailty, and that the English people are his to do with as he pleases. Elliott argues that this mistaken notion of his role as king ultimately leads to Richard's failure. Elliot goes on further to point out that it is Bolingbroke's ability to relate and speak with those of the middle and lower classes that allows him to take the throne.

Unusual for Shakespeare, Richard II is written almost entirely in verse. The play contains a number of memorable metaphor
Metaphor

Metaphor is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things without using the words "like" or "as." More generally, a metaphor describes a first subject as being or equal to a second object in some way....
s, including the extended comparison of England with a garden in Act IV, and of its reigning king to a lion or to the sun (kings are often referred to as the 'sun' as they make people "wink" - Act IV).

The language of Richard II is more eloquent than the earlier history plays, and serves to set the tone and themes of the play. Shakespeare uses lengthy verses, metaphors, similes, and soliloquies to reflect Richard's character as a man who likes to analyze situations rather than act upon them. He always speaks in tropes using analogies such as the sun as a symbol of his kingly status. Richard places great emphasis on symbols which govern his behavior. His crown serves as a symbol of his royal power and is of more concern to him than his actual kingly duties.

Unlike Shakespeare's other history plays, Richard II contains very little prose. There are also great differences in the use of language amongst the characters. Traditionally, Shakespeare uses prose to distinguish social classes- the upper class generally speaks in poetry while the lower classes speak in prose. However, in Richard II, Richard uses flowery, metaphorical language in his speeches whereas Bolingbroke, who is also of the noble class, uses a more plain and direct language.

Historical context

The play was performed and published late in the reign of the childless Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
, at a time when the queen's age made the succession an important political concern. The historical parallels in the succession of Richard II may have been intended as political comment on the contemporary situation, with the weak Richard II analogous to Queen Elizabeth and an implicit argument in favour of her replacement by a monarch capable of creating a stable dynasty.

That the history surrounding the descent from Edward III
Edward III of England

Edward III was one of the most successful List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Englands of the Britain in the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II of England, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe....
 was viewed as politically explosive is evidenced by the treason trial of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex , a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the best-known of the many holders of the title "Earl of Essex." He was a military hero and royal favourite, but following a poor campaign against Irish rebels during the Nine Years War in 1599, he defied the Queen and was executed for treason....
 in 1600. Among the evidence presented at this trial was John Hayward
John Hayward

Sir John Hayward , England historian, was born at or near Felixstowe, Suffolk, where he was educated, and afterwards proceeded to Pembroke College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge, where he took the degrees of B.A., M.A....
's history of Henry IV, which was dedicated to Essex, whom the crown may have suspected of commissioning the work. Hayward was committed to prison, and he was examined again in January 1601, just before Essex led a failed rebellion against Elizabeth.

Shakespeare's play appears to have played a minor role in the events surrounding the final downfall of Essex. On Feb. 7, 1601, just before the uprising, supporters of the Earl of Essex, among them Charles and Joclyn Percy (younger brothers of the Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland

Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland was an English aristocrat. He was a grandee and one of the wealthiest peers of the court of Elizabeth I, who under James I of England was a long-term prisoner in the Tower of London....
), paid for a performance of the play at the Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613....
 on the eve of their armed rebellion. By this agreement, reported at the trial of Essex by the Chamberlain's Men
Lord Chamberlain's Men

The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a playing company that William Shakespeare worked at as an actor and playwright for most of his career. Formed at the end of a period of flux in the theatrical world of London, it had become, by 1603, one of the two leading companies of the city and was subsequently patronized by James I of England....
 actor Augustine Phillips, the conspirators paid the company forty shilling
Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in current and former Commonwealth of Nations countries, and continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth, such as Republic of Ireland and Tanzania....
s to stage this play, which the players felt was too old and "out of use" to attract a large audience. Eleven of Essex's supporters attended the Saturday performance.

Elizabeth was aware of the political ramifications of the story of Richard II, according to a well-known but dubious anecdote in which she asks William Lambarde
William Lambarde

William Lambarde was an antiquarian and writer on legal subjects....
, "I am Richard II, know ye not that?" In the same document, the Queen is reported as having complained that the play was performed forty times in "open streets and houses"; there is no extant evidence to corroborate this claim. At any rate, the Chamberlain's Men do not appear to have suffered at all for their association with the Essex group; they performed for the Queen on Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is a term used in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia for the day preceding the first day of the Christian season of fasting and prayer called Lent....
 in 1601, the day before Essex's execution.

Themes and Motifs


The King's Two Bodies
In his analysis of medieval political theology, The King’s Two Bodies, Ernst H. Kantorowicz describes medieval Kings as containing two bodies: a body natural, and a body politic
Body politic

A body politic or body corporate is a state or one of its subordinate civil authorities, such as a province, prefecture, county, municipality, city, or district....
. The theme of the King's two bodies is pertinent throughout Richard II, from the exile of Bolingbroke to the deposition of King Richard II. The body natural is a mortal body, subject to all the weaknesses of mortal human beings. On the other hand, the body politic is a spiritual body which cannot be affected by mortal infirmities such as disease and old age. These two bodies form one indivisible unit, with the body politic superior to the body natural.

Many critics agree that in Richard II, this central theme of the king's two bodies unfolds in three main scenes: the scenes at the Coast of Wales, at Flint Castle, and at Westminster. At the coast of Wales, Richard has just returned from a trip to Ireland and kisses the soil of England, demonstrating his kingly attachment to his Kingdom. This image of kingship gradually fades as Bolingbroke's rebellion continues. Richard starts to forget his kingly nature as his mind becomes occupied by the rebellion. This change is portrayed in the scene at Flint Castle during which the unity of the two bodies disintegrates and the king starts to use more poetic and symbolic language. Richard's body politic has been shaken as his followers have joined Bolingbroke's army, diminishing Richard's military capacity. He has been forced to give up his jewels, losing his kingly appearance. He loses his temper at Bolingbroke, but then regains his composure as he starts to remember his divine side. At Flint castle, Richard is determined to hang onto his kingship even though the title no longer fits his appearance. However at Westminster the image of the divine kingship is supported by the Bishop of Carlisle rather than Richard, who at this point is becoming mentally unstable as his authority slips away. Biblical references are used to liken the humbled king to the humbled Christ. The names of Judas and Pilate are used to further extend this comparison. Before Richard is sent to his death, he "un-kings" himself by giving away his crown, sceptre, and the balm that is used to anoint a king to the throne. The mirror scene is the final end to the dual personality. After examining his plain physical appearance, Richard shatters the mirror on the ground and thus relinquishes of his past and present as king. Stripped of his former glory, Richard finally releases his body politic and retires to his body natural and his own inner thoughts and griefs. Even Critic J.D. Wilson notes that Richard's double nature as man and martyr is the dilemma that runs the play eventually leading to Richard's death. Richard acts the part of a royal martyr, and due to the spilling of his blood, England continually undergoes civil war for the next two generations.

The Rise of a Machiavellian King
The play ends with the rise of Bolingbroke to the throne, marking the start of a new era in England. According to historical research, an English translation of Machiavelli's The Prince might have existed as early as 1585, influencing the reign of the kings of England. Critic Irving Ribner notes that a manifestation of Machiavellian philosophy may be seen in Bolingbroke. Machiavelli wrote The Prince during a time of political chaos in Italy, and writes down a formula by which a leader can lead the country out of turmoil and return it to prosperity. Bolingbroke seems to be a leader coming into power at a time England is in turmoil. and follows closely the formula stated by Machiavelli. At the start of Richard II Bolingbroke accuses Mowbray and ulteriorly attacks the government of King Richard. He keeps Northumberland by his side as a tool to control certain constituents. From the minute Bolingbroke comes into power, he destroys the faithful supporters of Richard such as Bushy, Green and the Earl of Wilshire. Also, Bolingbroke is highly concerned with the maintenance of legality to the kingdom, an important principle of Machiavellian philosophy, and therefore makes Richard surrender his crown and physical accessories to erase any doubt as to the real heir to the throne. Machiavelli also states that the deposed king must be killed, and Bolingbroke therefore kills Richard, showing his extreme cruelty to secure his kingly title. Since Bolingbroke is a disciple of the Machiavellin philosophy he cannot do the killing himself and employs Pierce of Exton for the killing of the deposed king and his ex-friend whose use is no longer needed. Yet, Irving Ribner still notes a few incidents where Bolingbroke does not follow true Machiavellian philosophy, such as his failure to destroy Aumerle, but such incidents are minuscule compared to the bigger events of the play. Even Bolingbroke's last statement follows Machiavellian philosophy as he alludes to making a voyage to the Holy Land, since Machiavellian philosophy states rulers must appear pious. Therefore, this particular play can be viewed as a turning point in the history of England as the throne is taken over by a more commanding king in comparison to King Richard II.

Performance

Richard II has one of the most detailed and unusual performance histories of all the plays of the Shakespearean canon.
  • The earliest recorded performance was on December 9, 1595, when Sir Robert Cecil
    Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury

    Sir Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, Order of the Garter, Privy Council of the United Kingdom , son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, and half-brother of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl...
     watched it at Sir Edward Hoby's house in Canon Row. Such specially-commissioned private performances were not unusual for Shakespeare's company.
  • Another commissioned performance of a different type occurred at the Globe Theatre
    Globe Theatre

    The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613....
     on Feb. 7, 1601. This was the performance paid for by supporters of the Earl of Essex's
    Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

    Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex , a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the best-known of the many holders of the title "Earl of Essex." He was a military hero and royal favourite, but following a poor campaign against Irish rebels during the Nine Years War in 1599, he defied the Queen and was executed for treason....
     planned revolt (see Historical Context above).
  • On September 30, 1607, among the oddest of all early performances: the crew of Capt. William Keeling acted Richard II aboard the British East India Company
    British East India Company

    The East India Company was an early England joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the Indies, but that ended up trading with the Indian subcontinent and China....
     ship The Red Dragon, off Sierra Leone
    Sierra Leone

    Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the northeast, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest....
    .
  • The play was performed two days in a row at the Globe on June 11 and 12, 1631.
The play retained its political charge in the Restoration
English Restoration

The English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored under Charles II of England after the Interregnum that followed the English Civil War....
: a 1680 adaptation at Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a London borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane....
 by Nahum Tate
Nahum Tate

Nahum Tate was an Irish poet, hymnist, and lyricist, who became England's poet laureate in 1692....
 was suppressed for its perceived political implications. Tate attempted to mask his version, called The Sicilian Usurper, with a foreign setting; he attempted to blunt his criticism of the Stuart court by highlighting Richard's noble qualities and downplaying his weaknesses. Neither expedient prevented the play from being "silenc'd on the third day," as Tate wrote in his preface. Lewis Theobald
Lewis Theobald

Lewis Theobald , United Kingdom textual editor and author, was a landmark figure both in the history of William Shakespeare editing and in literary satire....
 staged a successful and less troubled adaptation in 1719 at Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields

Lincoln's Inn Fields is the List of city squares by size in London, England. It is thought to have been one of the inspirations of Central Park, New York City....
; Shakespeare's original version was revived at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building, often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", is the home of Royal Opera, London , Royal Ballet, London and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House....
 in 1738.

The play had limited popularity in the twentieth century, although two interpretations were outstanding triumphs. John Gielgud
John Gielgud

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
 exploded onto the world theatrical consciousness through his performance as Richard at the Old Vic Theatre in 1929, returning to the character in 1937 and 1953 in what ultimately was considered as the definitive performance of the role. Another legendary Richard was Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (actor)

Maurice Herbert Evans was an English actor noted for his interpretations of Shakespearean characters....
, who first played the role at the Old Vic in 1934 and then created a sensation in his 1937 Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
 performance, revived it in New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
 in 1940 and then immortalized it on television for the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on United States television. It has had a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and still continuing today....
 in 1954. One of the most accessible versions was the 1978 production by the BBC of "the Shakespeare Plays" (a several years-long production to put all of Shakespeare's plays on tape). This version, still available on DVD, starred Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi Order of the British Empire is an England actor and film director. Like Laurence Olivier, he bears the distinction of holding two knighthoods, Danish and British....
 as Richard, with John Gielgud
John Gielgud

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
 making an appearance as John of Gaunt.

Bibliography

  • Barroll, Leeds. "A New History for Shakespeare and His Time." Shakespeare Quarterly 39 (1988), 441-4.
  • Bergeron, David. "The Deposition Scene in Richard II." Renaissance Papers 1974, 31-7.
  • Bullough, Geoffrey. "Narrative and Dramatic Sources of Shakespeare". Early English History Plays: Henry VI Richard III Richard II, volume III, Routledge: London, New York, 1960.
  • Chambers, E. K.
    Edmund Kerchever Chambers

    Sir Edmund Kerchever Chambers was an English people literary critic and Shakespearean scholar. His four-volume history of Elizabethan theater, published in 1923, remains a standard resource for scholars of the period's drama....
     William Shakespeare: A Study of Facts and Problems. 2 Volumes. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930.
  • Rose, Alexander. Kings in the North - The House of Percy in British History. Phoenix/Orion Books Ltd, 2002, ISBN 1-84212-485-4
  • Shakespeare, William. Richard II, ed. by Andrew Gurr, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1990.
  • Smitd, Kristian. Unconformities in Shakespeare's History Plays, St. Martin's Press: New York, 1993.
  • Tillyard, E. M. W.
    E. M. W. Tillyard

    Eustace Mandeville Wetenhall Tillyard was a British classical scholar and literary scholar. He was a Fellow in English at Jesus College and later Master of Jesus College ....
     Shakespeare's History Plays, Chatto&Windus: London,1944.of Virginia


See also



External links

  • Complete text of play at University of Virginia: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/MobRic2.html
  • - text from Project Gutenberg
    Project Gutenberg

    Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works, as founder Michael Hart said "To encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."....
  • - background, analysis and research essays.