Richard II, William Shakespeare

Title: Richard II

Original: Richard II

Category: Tragedy

Author: William Shakespeare

Publisher: Collins Classics

Year: 2011

Pgs: 134

Weight: 0.094 kg

ISBN: 978-0-00-790229-3

This book is in English

About the book

King Richard II rules England in a wasteful and short-sighted way, spending money unwisely and selecting his counselors foolishly. His manner ostracises him from his people and his country and it’s not long before both commoners and noblemen feel Richard has gone too far.

When Richard seizes land that rightfully belongs to his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, Bolingbroke retaliates by invading England while Richard is at war in Ireland. More popular with the commoners, Henry is eventually crowned King Henry IV.

One of Shakespeare’s ‘history plays’, Richard II explores the notion of the shadow that is cast over a king’s reign if the throne is gained in underhand ways.

 First published in 1853, this extraordinary true story proved to be a powerful voice in the debate over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. It is a true-life testament of one man’s courage and conviction in the face of unfathomable injustice and brutality: its influence on the course of American history cannot be overstated.