about the playwright

SHAKESPEARE'S RICHARD II

THE PLOT, IN A SENTENCE

King Richard II loses public favor when he raises taxes and seizes other people's property to fund wars, so they depose him and put his cousin Henry on the throne instead.

For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground

And tell sad stories of the death of kings.

- Act 3, Scene 2

THE DRAMATURGY OF THE MOMENT (aka. what's it about)

FUN FACTS

People have different hot takes. Here are a few common ones:

The downfall of a king
The sacrifice of a king
The rise of a king
A revolution of the people
Destiny, or the will of God

It’s technically a prequel to a trilogy of plays about kings named Henry
3rd shortest Shakespeare play (636 words)
One of 2 plays written only in verse
6th most deaths in all of his plays (tied with Macbeth for 15)

The events detailed in Richard II constituted a turning point for England's monarchy. By the end of the play, the ruling king, Richard II, has been deposed and his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke—a member of the House of Lancaster—has ascended the English throne, becoming Henry IV. This caused a crisis not simply because of the way one man took power from the king, but also because of a pervading belief in the divine right of kings: the idea that God gave certain men—including Richard—the right to be kings of England. Someone who is not divinely chosen—namely Bolingbroke—should not be able to take the kingship away. When Henry deposes Richard, he causes a crisis of faith in England. Learn more about divine right to rule here.

If you haven't listened yet, this podcast episode is your best friend for understanding this play. I couldn't say it better myself, seriously!

Okay, now that you've done that, here are some infographics that further break down the events, locations, and characters of the play:

EVENTS LEADING UP TO SCENE 1

As the first play in the Henriad, Richard II is not only tied to the events recounted in the following plays, but also to the events preceding the play. Most of Shakespeare's audience would have been quite familiar with the play's historical setting, since the events of that time are central to English history.

Edward III (grandfather of Richard II) famously won several important victories against the French. Edward III had seven sons and five daughters. The eldest son was Prince Edward, also called the Black Prince, who made a name for himself as a military leader in his father's wars. The Black Prince died before becoming king, and the throne eventually passed to his son, Richard II, when he was just 10 years old.

John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and brother to the Black Prince, was one of the nobles who assisted Richard II in the early years of the boy's reign. As Richard II grew into his teens, he began giving titles and power to his personal friends. The nobility objected to this practice, as they considered Richard's friends wasteful and destructive. Parliament eventually ordered the king to get rid of them; in 1388 they were ousted, and some were executed.

A group of five Lords Appellant, including Henry Bolingbroke, Thomas Mowbray, and the Duke of Gloucester, were given authority over the king's activities. After this Richard seemed to settle down, making peace with those who had opposed his appointments. Yet at the same time he was forming another, larger group of favorites. He also made several unpopular decisions, including levying additional taxes. His opponents, meanwhile, grew bolder in their opposition to him. In 1397 Richard ordered three of the Lords Appellant arrested, including the Duke of Gloucester. Gloucester was given to the charge of Thomas Mowbray, and he died while in Mowbray's care. Many people believed Richard ordered Gloucester's murder and that Mowbray was complicit. (Don't forget that the Duke of Gloucester was Richard and Henry's uncle!)

As Richard II begins, Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray are feuding. Bolingbroke has accused Mowbray of murdering the Duke of Gloucester, a charge Mowbray denies. The two come to Richard to demand a trial by combat; aka. a duel to the death. The idea is that whoever survives was telling the truth, proven by God letting them win.