Richard II
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1595
- Era
- Renaissance
- Form
- Drama
- Language
- English
- Length
- Medium · 260 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendRichard IIFolger Shakespeare Library (Simon and Schuster), 2005Explains the feudal politics and keeps the verse readable.
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Richard, an anointed but capricious king, banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and seizes the estate of Bolingbroke's dead father to fund a war in Ireland. Bolingbroke returns with an army while Richard is away, the nobles go over to him, and Richard surrenders without a battle. In a long deposition scene he hands over the crown and is sent to Pomfret Castle, where he is murdered. Written entirely in verse, the play begins the cycle that runs through the Henry IV plays to Henry V.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Richard II are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
