KING RICHARD II Ay, hand from hand, my love, and heart from heart. Merchandise. As the tournament begins, the uncertain and impulsive Richard stops the contest. Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV, performs his first royal act (and displays his pragmatic approach to governing) by acquiescing to the Duchess of York’s pleas for Aumerle’s life while the zealous York demands his “disloyal” son’s execution. Shakespeare wrote and published ‘Richard II’ around 1595 but the first editions of the play were printed without an important scene: the Parliament scene or ‘abdication episode’ which shows Richard II resigning his throne. The story of Richard II was taken mainly from Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles. Synopsis. Shakespeare began his career with a history play, and he wrote eight major history plays in the 1590s; all concerned with English history, the kings, queens and historical events ranging from about 1377, when Richard II assumed the throne, to about 1485, when Richard III was deposed and the rule of Henry VII began. Richard II Starring David Tennant The first part of his history tetralogy, Shakespeare’s interpretation of the deposed king is brought to life in this richly detailed production from the Royal Shakespeare … Ironically, Shakespeare's dramatically themed portrait of Richard II has largely overshadowed the historic persona. QUEEN Banish us both and send the king with me. The independent charity that cares for the world’s greatest Shakespeare heritage sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, and promotes the enjoyment and understanding of his works, life and times all over the world. Free Shakespeare on the Radio: Richard II FROM OPEN AIR TO ON THE AIR! Omissions? Corrections? In 1608, the play was printed again (Q4), this time including what we now refer to as the deposition scene (4.1.160–331). Education. With mine own tears I wash away my balm, With mine own hands I give away my crown. Join WNYC and The Public Theater as we bring Free Shakespeare in the Park to the airwaves with William Shakespeare's RICHARD II. Character Analysis Richard II As a king, Richard is supposedly divine and all powerful; as a man, he is an ordinary mortal and prey to his own weaknesses. 10 likes. Act 2, Scene 1: Ely House. The private tragedy of the play, for Richard, is in his being forced to face this duality. The play ends with Henry inquiring about his own wastrel son, Prince Hal, and swearing to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to atone for his part in Richard’s murder. Henry claims innocence, blaming Exton for misunderstanding his intentions. Explore information and resources for teachers and learners on Richard II Find out more. When John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke’s father, dies, Richard seizes his properties to finance a war against the Irish. Shakespeare shows Richard quite openly preparing to take his country's wealth to spend on a foreign war and also hoping for an early death for the venerable old Gaunt. This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle… This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. A story of power and plotting, Richard II is the first of Shakespeare's four plays about the House of Lancaster. In 1608, the play was printed again (Q4), this time including what we now refer to as the deposition scene (4.1.160–331). Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Richard II, chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare, written in 1595–96 and published in a quarto edition in 1597 and in the First Folio of 1623. Like “My dear dear lord, The purest treasure mortal times afford Is spotless reputation: that away, Men are but gilded loam or painted clay. The White Hart ("hart" being an archaic word for a mature stag) was the personal badge of Richard II, who probably derived it from the arms of his mother, Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent", heiress of Edmund of Woodstock.It may also have been a pun on his name, as in "Rich-hart". Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). World authority on Shakespeare. A complete summary of William Shakespeare's Play, Richard II. Richard II takes place during two years of the life of England’s King Richard II, who reigned from 1377 to 1399. Act 2, Scene 2: The palace. Richard II was seen as a politically suspect them… Yet Richard is also seen by many as a tyrant. David Tennant stars as the doomed Richard II in Greg Doran’s critically-acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production, available for the first time online across the world. ― William Shakespeare, Richard II. This presents some memorable dialogue and wonderful quotes as the play progresses – from both the King, and his subjects. David Tennant stars as the doomed Richard II in Greg Doran’s critically-acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production, available for the first time online across the world. Phyllis Fay Horton Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Humanities and Chair of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Chicago. Shakespeare began his career with a history play, and he wrote eight major history plays in the 1590s; all concerned with English history, the kings, queens and historical events ranging from about 1377, when Richard II assumed the throne, to about 1485, when Richard III was deposed and the rule of … Amazon Price New from Used from Kindle Edition "Please retry" £0.49 — — Richard takes possession of Gaunt's land and money. Richard II was first printed in 1597 as a quarto (Q1) and then reprinted twice in 1598 (Q2 and Q3). The commoners and nobles are already critical of Richard. In prison—lonely, miserable, and forgotten—he soliloquizes on the meaning of his suffering. King Henry IV's rule (and his dealings with his son, Hal, who eventually becomes King Henry V) are the subject of Shakespeare's plays, Henry IV Part 1 and Henry IV Part 2. Richard II is a 2012 British television film based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name.It is the first of four television adaptations of Shakespeare's second history tetralogy commissioned by BBC Two under the series title The Hollow Crown. Synopsis: John of Gaunt, knowing that he is dying, speaks plainly to Richard about his deficiencies as king. They welcome Henry in the north, led by the powerful Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy. Born the grandson of Edward III and a member of the Plantagenet family, Richard II inherited the throne as a child. Unable to defeat Bolingbroke militarily, Richard reluctantly agrees to surrender and abdicate the throne. Directed by Gregory Doran. Richard’s last surviving uncle, Edmund of Langley, duke of York, serves as regent while the king is fighting in Ireland. QUEEN Then whither he goes, thither let me go. Richard II was directed by Rupert Goold, who adapted the screenplay with Ben Power. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Richard-II-by-Shakespeare, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Richard II, William Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s plays and poems. You can buy the Arden text of this play from the Amazon.com online bookstore: King Richard II (Arden Shakespeare: Third Series) Entire play in one page. A synopsis of Shakespeare's Richard II Read More. From this moment of truth, he rediscovers pride, trust, and courage, so that, when he is murdered, he dies with access to strength and an ascending spirit. In the presence of King Richard, Henry Bolingbroke (who would eventually be Henry IV) accuses Thomas Mowbray (Duke of Norfolk) of embezzling crown funds and of plotting the death of his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Richard II Act 2, scene 1. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years. Henry's father, Gaunt, dies, finally broken by his son's banishment, and by the state of the kingdom under Richard's rule. Henry marches through England, gathering his willing forces. Folger Shakespeare » Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets, and Poems » Richard II » Act 2, scene 1 » Richard II. Richard expresses his fury. This is rather bold characterization, somewhat melodramatic, and more typical of Shakespeare's early plays than his later ones. The play is the first in a sequence of four history plays known collectively as the ‘second tetralogy.’ Richard IIis a grand, lyrical allegory and a poignant exploration of character. It turns out that he has also been leasing out royal land. After taking refuge at Flint castle, Richard surrenders and agrees to go to London, where the lords will decide what should happen next. Thank you for your support to help care for the world's greatest Shakespeare heritage and keep his story alive. TL;DR: Richard wastes money, steals land, and kills political rivals; people are angry and rebel; Henry becomes king. Henry spares the son of York, but he is now aware of his tenuous position as king. He toys with his subjects, exiling Bolingbroke for six years. When Henry hears that his father has died and that Richard took his inheritance, he returns from exile with an invading army. Henry returns to England to reclaim his land, gathers an army of those opposed to Richard, and deposes him. Both of these monetary acquisitions have helped him to fund wars with Ireland. by Shakespeare, William, Dawson, Anthony B., Yachnin, Paul (ISBN: 9780199602285) from Amazon's Book Store. The seizure gives Bolingbroke an excuse to invade England with his own armies; he insists that his return in arms is solely to regain his illegally seized dukedom. The play was popular during the 1590s and early 1600s, and may have also been performed at the Curtain and the Swan. Weep thou for me in France, I for thee here; Better far off than near, be ne'er the near. Our year-long exploration of ‘our scepter’d isle’ will take us on a journey through history via Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Richard III. Richard II (Shakespeare, Signet Classic) Mass Market Paperback – 15 May 1963 by William Shakespeare (Author) 4.3 out of 5 stars 51 ratings. Richard II takes place during two years of the life of England’s King Richard II, who reigned from 1377 to 1399. It was almost certainly revived at the Globeon 7 February 1601, when a performance was commanded by one of the Earl of Essex’s supporters shortly before his rebellion. NORTHUMBERLAND That were some love but little policy. Richard II marks the beginning of a cycle of history plays that will provide a unique opportunity to rediscover how Shakespeare perceived ‘this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England’. Gaunt is … Powerful earls, especially the Earl of Northumberland and his family, support Bolingbroke because of their intense disapproval of Richard’s invasion of baronial rights. Due to this, Shakespeare took many information about the circumstances of the king's deposition from chronicles written by Raphael Holinshed and Edward Hall which helped him to present the events in a greater detail. (Its sequel plays are Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, and Henry V.) Richard II, set around the year 1398, traces the fall from power of the last king of the house of Plantagenet, Richard II, and his replacement by the first Lancaster king, Henry IV … Richard hands over his crown in a ceremony. The play ends as King Henry banishes Exton, orders a funeral for Richard, and swears to make reparation for his cousin's death by going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Find out more about his poor rule as king, his loss of the crown and his eventual murder Summary of William Shakespeare's Richard II: Richard wastes money, steals land, and kills political rivals; people are angry and rebel; Henry becomes king. The private tragedy of the play, for Richard, is in his being forced to face this duality. Richard II was first printed in 1597 as a quarto (Q1) and then reprinted twice in 1598 (Q2 and Q3). Richard's posthumous reputation has been shaped to a large extent by William Shakespeare, whose play Richard II portrayed Richard's misrule and his deposition as responsible for the 15th-century Wars of the Roses. Now as Henry IV, Henry imprisons Richard, and Richard is murdered in prison. With David Tennant, Elliot Barnes-Worrell, Antony Byrne, Sean Chapman. Gaunt is taken offstage and word comes that he has died. Modern historians do not accept this interpretation, while not exonerating Richard from responsibility for his own deposition. Richard arrives back after the Irish war to find that his Welsh allies have dispersed. In line with his customary behaviour, Richard is misled by his friends into poor government of the country. Updates? What makes Richard II such a brilliant play was Shakespeare’s effort to find the larger meanings behind the historical events. The most important moment in the play was the deposing of the king where Richard actually resigned the crown and gave it to his cousin Henry. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire play or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis. The insult to himself and his father and the urging which he receives from his peers are the determining factors in his effort to depose Richard. Others have been executed on Henry's orders. Richard II details the reign of the historical Richard II of England, who sat on the throne from 1377 to 1399, and his usurpation by Henry Bolingbroke, later King Henry IV. The play opens in King Richard's court, as Henry Bolingbroke, son of Gaunt (the Duke of Lancaster), challenges Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Richard II, chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare, written in 1595–96 and published in a quarto edition in 1597 and in the First Folio. He is keenly aware of the magnitude of the crime which he is embarking on, and he quickly learns the tediousness of being a ruler, as is particularly evident in the scene which precedes Richard's prison cell monologue.