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Richard II (play)
Overview
Shakespearean history
In the First Folio, the plays of William Shakespeare were grouped into three categories: comedies, histories, and tragedies. This categorisation has become established, although some critics have argued for other categories such as romances and problem plays. The histories were those plays based on...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
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 King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. 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...
(ruled 1377–1399) and is the first part of a tetralogy
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad
Henriad
Henriad is a common title used by scholars for Shakespeare's 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 play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, 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.-Sources:...
, and Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
. 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 edition of 1597 calls itself The tragedie of King Richard the second.
- King Richard IIRichard II of EnglandRichard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. 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...
- John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
, uncle to the king - Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of YorkEdmund of Langley, 1st Duke of YorkEdmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of Cambridge, KG was a younger son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, the fourth of the five sons who lived to adulthood, of this Royal couple. Like so many medieval princes, Edmund gained his identifying nickname from his...
, uncle to the king - Henry Bolingbroke (sometimes spelt Bullingbrook), Duke of Hereford, son of John of Gaunt, afterwards King Henry IVHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
- The Duke of Aumerle, (Edward, Duke of AlbermarleEdward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of YorkSir Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, 2nd Earl of Cambridge, Earl of Rutland, Earl of Cork, Duke of Aumale KG was a member of the English royal family 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 SurreyThomas Holland, 1st Duke of SurreyThomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, 3rd Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.-Early life and family:...
) - Earl of Salisbury (John Montacute, 3rd Earl of SalisburyJohn Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury`John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury and 5th and 2nd Baron Montacute, KG was an English nobleman, one of the few who remained loyal to Richard II after Henry IV became king.-Early life:...
) - Lord Berkeley (Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron BerkeleyThomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron BerkeleyThomas 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....
) - Bushy (Sir John BussyJohn BussySir John Bussy of Hougham in Lincolnshire was a Member of Parliament representing Lincolnshire or Rutland eleven times from 1383 to 1398 as a Knight of the Shire and was also Speaker of the House of Commons at the three Parliaments between 1393 and 1398...
), Bagot (Sir William BagotWilliam Bagot (politician)Sir William Bagot was a politician and administrator under Richard II.William Bagot was a Warwickshire man who began his career in politics in Warwickshire under the Earl of Warwick. In addition, he also served both John of Gaunt and his son Henry Bolingbroke, as well as Thomas de Mowbray, 1st...
), Green (Sir Henry Green), all favourites to King Richard - Henry Percy, 1st Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 1st Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal 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, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and...
- Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, his son
- Lord Ross (William de Ros, 7th Baron de RosWilliam de Ros, 7th Baron de RosWilliam de Ros, 7th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG was Lord Treasurer of England.He was a son of Thomas de Ros, 5th Baron de Ros and Beatrice Stafford, daughter of Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford. He was also a younger brother of John de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros.-Career:His older brother died...
)
- Lord Willoughby (William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby)
- Lord Fitzwalter (Walter Fitzwalter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter)
- Bishop of Carlisle (Thomas MerkeThomas MerkeThomas 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. He was consecrated bishop about 23 April 1397...
) - Abbot of Westminster (William de Colchester)
- Lord MarshalEarl MarshalEarl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
(post held in 1399 by Duke of Surrey, though this is not recognised in the play) - Sir Stephen Scroop
- Sir Piers Exton
- Welsh captain
- Queen to Richard (an unnamed composite of Anne of BohemiaAnne of BohemiaAnne of Bohemia was Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II. A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the eldest daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elizabeth of Pomerania....
, died 1394, and Isabella of Valois, who was born in 1389 and so still a child at the time of Richard's death) - Duchess of York (an unnamed composite of Infanta Isabella of CastileIsabella of Castile, Duchess of YorkInfanta Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York was a daughter ofKing Peter of Castile and María de Padilla. She was a younger sister of Constance, Duchess of Lancaster....
, died 1392, the mother of Aumerle, and Joan HollandJoan HollandJoan Holland was the third daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Alice FitzAlan. She married four times. Her first husband was a duke, and the following three were barons...
, who bore no children) - Duchess of Gloucester (Eleanor de BohunEleanor de BohunEleanor 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 Lady Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster.-Marriage:In 1376 she...
, widow of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of GloucesterThomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of GloucesterThomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Buckingham, 1st Earl of Essex, Duke of Aumale, KG was the thirteenth and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
, who was uncle to the king)
- attendants, lords, soldiers, messengers, etc.
Richard II is the main character of the play.
Quotations
Old John of Gaunt, time-honour'd Lancaster.
King Richard, scene i
In rage, deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.
King Richard, scene i
That which in mean men we entitle patience,Is pale cold cowardice in noble breasts.
Duchess of Gloucester, scene ii
The daintiest last, to make the end most sweet.
Bolingbroke, scene iii
Truth hath a quiet breast.
Norfolk, scene iii
John of Gaunt: What is six winters? they are quickly gone.Bolingbroke: To men in joy; but grief makes one hour ten.
Scene iii
All places that the eye of heaven visits,Are to a wise man ports and happy havens.
John of Gaunt, scene iii
O, who can hold a fire in his hand,By thinking on the frosty Caucasus?Or cloy the hungry edge of appetite,By bare imagination of a feast?Or wallow naked in December snow,By thinking on fantastic summer’s heat?O, no! the apprehension of the goodGives but the greater feeling to the worse.
Bolingbroke, scene iii
They say, the tongues of dying men,Enforce attention, like deep harmony:Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain.
John of Gaunt, scene i