Richard II

Study Guide by Course Hero

What's Inside d In Context

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1

Richard II's Place in the Henriad
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
Richard II is the first of four William Shakespeare history plays,
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3 known as the Henriad, about the establishment of the royal
family of Lancaster, which produced three kings of
h Characters .................................................................................................. 4
England—Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI. The other plays are
k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 7 Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V.

c Scene Summaries ................................................................................... 11 The events detailed in Richard II constituted a turning point for
England's monarchy. By the end of the play, the ruling king,
g Quotes ........................................................................................................ 22 Richard II, has been deposed and his cousin, Henry
Bolingbroke—a member of the House of Lancaster—has
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 24
ascended the English throne, becoming Henry IV. This caused

m Themes ...................................................................................................... 26 a crisis not simply because of the way one man took power
from the king, but also because of a pervading belief in the
e Suggested Reading .............................................................................. 26 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.
j Book Basics When Henry deposes Richard, he causes a crisis of faith in
England.
AUTHOR
The questionable way in which Henry IV comes into power
William Shakespeare
overshadows the remaining plays in the Henriad; concerns
YEARS WRITTEN over the legitimacy of his reign persist in the minds of nobles
1595–96 and the populace, giving rise to political factions. They persist
in Henry IV's own mind as well, and his internal tension and
GENRE doubt cause the crown to sit uncomfortably on his head. When
History he dies at the end of Henry IV, Part 2, his son, Henry V, must
legitimize his own reign to retroactively prove his father was
ABOUT THE TITLE
meant to be king. To this end, he deploys brilliant language,
The title character King Richard II of England is deposed by
ruthlessness, and warfare with France—events that form the
Henry Bolingbroke, who becomes King Henry IV. Alternate
plot of Henry V, the final chapter in the Henriad.
titles have included The Tragedie of Richard II and The Life and
Death of King Richard the Second, which suggest the interplay
between tragedy and history that the play addresses.
Richard II Study Guide
The Wars of the Roses
Several of Shakespeare's history plays involve people and
events connected to the Wars of the Roses, an ongoing
conflict between two royal houses, the House of Lancaster
(symbolized by the red rose) and the House of York
(symbolized by the white rose), which lasted from 1455 to 1485.
The two houses descended from Edward III, of the Plantagenet
royal house. A bitter feud developed between the two, both of
which made a claim to the throne based on family heritage.
Although the Wars of the Roses didn't officially begin until
years after Richard II is set, Henry IV is the first Lancaster to
take the throne, and thus the founder of the House of
Lancaster, which was preceded by the duchy of Lancaster.
The two houses were united when Henry Tudor, a Lancaster,
married Elizabeth, of the House of York, and became Henry VII.
This new Tudor house was in power during part of
Shakespeare's life. These plays were particularly well received
by the reigning monarchs of the time, since they concerned
their own family history.
Events Leading Up to Richard II
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 those 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.
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In Context 2
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.
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.
The Divine Right of Kings
The events of Richard II take place at the end of the 1300s, a
time when the divine right of kings was a growing political and
religious idea. This theory views kings as appointed directly by
God. Therefore, kings are not subject to any authority other
than God's, and they act as representatives of God on Earth.
The duty of the king's subjects, then, is unfailing loyalty to the
king and faithful service of the king's wishes. This would be
equated to serving God himself.
The concept arose from the religious idea that God has a hand
in establishing nations, governments, and rulers—an idea
popular in medieval Christianity and encouraged by monarchs
anxious to legitimize and consolidate their power and royal
family lines. The divine right of kings is a powerful source of
tension in the Henriad, and Richard II refers to this divine
connection often, clearly believing it means God is on his side
and Bolingbroke cannot succeed. Because they believe in this
divine right, several characters in the play have trouble
wholeheartedly opposing Richard and supporting Bolingbroke.
And in the Henriad's later installments both Henry IV and his
son, Henry V, work to prove themselves—something Richard
never felt obligated to do—since they did not ascend to the
throne by divine right.
Richard II Study Guide Author Biography 3

public school endowed by Elizabeth I, which would have

Sources and Early included studying the Latin language and Roman and Greek
classical literature. At age 18, Shakespeare married Anne
Performances Hathaway, a woman eight years his elder who was already
pregnant with their daughter Susanna. Anne gave birth to
As he did for many of his history plays, Shakespeare relied twins—Judith and Hamnet—a few years later. Church records
heavily on Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles (1577) as his main reveal Hamnet died in childhood.
information source for Richard II, supplementing it with Samuel
Daniel's The First Fowre Bookes of the Ciuile Warres between
the Two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke (1595); Edward Hall's
The Union of the Two Noble and Illustrate Famelies of
Theatrical Life
Lancastre and Yorke (1548); and Christopher Marlowe's
Shakespeare moved to London to pursue a career as an actor
Edward the Second (1594). Shakespeare may also have
and playwright, and over time, he achieved success. He
referred to an anonymous play titled Woodstock (early 1590s)
became a shareholder in the open-air Globe Theatre in London
to help him create the character of Richard II.
and had widespread fame as a playwright whose works

The first performance of Richard II was most likely at the included romantic and classically inspired comedies, histories,

James Burbage Theater in 1595, performed by Shakespeare's and tragedies. He is credited with writing at least 37 plays and

company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. The play was well over 150 sonnets.

received for the most part and remained popular throughout

Throughout his career Shakespeare and his fellow actors were
the early 17th century. However, since it showed a king being
supported by the patronage of the nation's monarchs—first by
deposed, it was risky subject matter, especially as the reigning
Elizabeth I (1533–1603), under whose reign Shakespeare's
queen at the time, Elizabeth I, had no children—like Richard
company was known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men. When
II—so it was uncertain who would succeed her on the throne.
James I (1566–1625) assumed the throne in 1603, the company
The part of the play showing Richard II's deposition (much of
was renamed The King's Men. Although many of
Act 4) was not published in print at the time, though it was
Shakespeare's plays were written for performance at the
performed. It was reinserted into the printed version in 1608, in
Globe, the King's Men also performed at the nearby Blackfriars
the fourth quarto.
Theater, a smaller indoor space, after 1608.

a Author Biography Retirement and Legacy

In 1610 or 1611 Shakespeare retired, moving back to Stratford-

Childhood and Family Life upon-Avon. Despite his retirement from London life, the
playwright continued to do some writing, contributing to Henry
VIII and Two Noble Kinsmen as well as to another play,
The childhood of William Shakespeare is a murky area for
Cardenio, now lost. Scholars believe these final works to be
scholars since few records of his early activities exist. Very
collaborations with John Fletcher (1579–1625), another
little is known about his birth, education, or upbringing.
playwright.
However, according to church records, he was baptized on
April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, which leads
Shakespeare most likely died on April 23, 1616, leading to the
scholars to the conclusion that he was born on April 23 of that
romantic notion he was born and died on the same date,
year. Birth records were not usually kept in Shakespeare's
although there are no records of the exact date of either event.
time, although church records—baptisms, weddings,
He was 52 at his death and was buried on April 25 at Holy
burials—were kept fastidiously by clergy.
Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. Over 400 years after
his death, Shakespeare is still regarded as the greatest
Shakespeare's family was solidly middle class, and he would
playwright of the English-speaking world.
have had a typical education for an English boy of his time at a

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Richard II Study Guide Characters 4

knows Richard was behind the death of Gaunt's brother, the

h Characters Duke of Gloucester. As he nears death, Gaunt displays a
heartfelt and deeply emotional love for England, which he
compares to the Garden of Eden; this love, and his proximity to

Richard II death, embolden him to unleash frank criticism of Richard's

governance.

Richard II is the son of the Black Prince, a military hero and

larger-than-life figure in English history. But Richard, who
ascended to the throne at age 10, is very different from his
Duke of York
father. He enjoys the privileges and power that come with the
The Duke of York is fiercely loyal to his nephew, Richard II.
kingship but is an ineffective ruler. He taxes, borrows, and
Knowing this, Richard leaves him in charge while he is away in
takes money to give his friends positions of power and to
Ireland. York unfailingly takes Richard's side—that is, until he
pursue expensive and ill-advised military actions. Richard is
doesn't. When it becomes clear Bolingbroke will be king, York
king at a time when kings are thought to be ordained by God
somewhat reluctantly joins Bolingbroke's rebel army. It seems
and answerable to God alone. He is deeply invested in this idea
his loyalty is to the monarch, whomever that may be—not to
and in playing the role of king—taking on a regal air and
any particular man. This is akin to Gaunt deciding his loyalty
speaking in poetic and beautiful language full of metaphor and
lies more with England than with its king. After York switches
imagery. It takes him a long time to realize the appearance of
his allegiance to Bolingbroke, he seems eager to prove his
kingliness is not enough to retain the crown. By then it is too
loyalty, quickly turning on his son, the Duke of Aumerle, who is
late: Henry Bolingbroke has eclipsed him in popularity and
plotting the new king's murder.
power and forces Richard to cede the throne.

Henry Bolingbroke
In stark contrast to the theatrical and regal Richard II, Henry
Bolingbroke is assertive and straightforward—a man of action
rather than words or grand gestures. In the play's first scene
he accuses Thomas Mowbray of treason and conspiring to
murder the Duke of Gloucester. After Richard banishes him
from England, Bolingbroke defies the king and cuts his
banishment short after Richard seizes his dead father's lands
and wealth. Bolingbroke returns to England with an army, gains
supporters, corners Richard, and forces the king to abdicate
the throne. He takes on kingly authority even before he wears
the crown, quickly trying and sentencing Richard's favorites
and having those who plot against him executed.

John of Gaunt
In his younger days John of Gaunt was a powerful man who
helped guide his nephew, Richard II, in the early years of his
rule. Now Gaunt is an old man who believes strongly in the
divine right of kings but is conflicted because he realizes
Richard is an incompetent and destructive leader. He also

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Richard II Study Guide Characters 5

Character Map

Supports Uncle/Reluctantly opposes

Richard II
Theatrical, ineffective king

Nephew/Steals
Banishes
wealth

Rivals/
Cousins

Thomas Mowbray John of Gaunt

Accused nobleman Prophetic dying man

Father
Henry Bolingbroke
Bold usurper

Brothers
Plots
against
Uncle/Reluctantly
supports

Duke of York
Loyal and devoted to the
Duke of Aumerle
kingship; conflicted over
Loyal royal cousin Father political support for
two nephews

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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Richard II Study Guide
Full Character List
Character Description
Richard II is a weak and
Richard II impractical man, but the kingship
is his by right of inheritance.
Bold and practical, Henry
Bolingbroke, Duke of
Hereford—who later becomes
Henry Bolingbroke Duke of Lancaster and then King
Henry IV—is a man of action
whose plain and direct ways
propel him toward the throne.
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster,
is Richard II's uncle and
John of Gaunt Bolingbroke's father; he gradually
realizes the king is damaging
England with his poor leadership.
Edmund, Duke of York, is another
of Richard II's uncles; he is loyal to
Duke of York
Richard until it seems inevitable
Bolingbroke will take the throne.
The Abbot of Westminster is loyal
Abbot of
to Richard and is executed for
Westminster
plotting against Henry IV.
Sir John Bagot is one of Richard
Sir John Bagot
II's closest advisers.
The Bishop of Carlisle supports
Bishop of Carlisle Richard II and defends the divine
right of kings.
Sir John Bushy is one of Richard
Sir John Bushy
II's closest advisers.
The Duchess of Gloucester wants
her brother-​in-​law, John of Gaunt,
Duchess of to avenge the death of her
Gloucester husband, the Duke of Gloucester,
who is killed before the play
begins.
The Duchess of York, the Duke of
Duchess of York Aumerle's mother, pleads with
Henry IV on her son's behalf.
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Characters 6
The Duke of Aumerle, also Earl of
Rutland, is the son of the Duke
Duke of Aumerle and Duchess of York, and is loyal
to Richard, his cousin; he plots
against Henry IV.
The Duke of Surrey is loyal to
Duke of Surrey Richard and is executed for
plotting against Henry IV.
The Earl of Northumberland,
Earl of Henry Percy, is Harry Percy's
Northumberland father and strongly supports
Henry Bolingbroke.
The Earl of Salisbury is loyal to
Earl of Salisbury Richard and is executed for
plotting against Henry IV.
The first herald is an official at
First herald Bolingbroke and Mowbray's trial
by combat.
The gardener has opinions about
Gardener
politics.
Sir Henry Green is one of Richard
Sir Henry Green
II's closest advisers.
The groom cares for the horses in
Groom
Richard's stables.
The keeper is a guard at Pomfret
Keeper Castle prison, where the deposed
Richard is sent.
Lord Berkeley is a noble loyal to
Lord Berkeley
Richard.
Lord Fitzwater is a noble who
claims he heard the Duke of
Lord Fitzwater Aumerle say he was responsible
for the Duke of Gloucester's
death.
Lord Marshal is an official at
Lord Marshal Bolingbroke and Mowbray's trial
by combat.
Lord Ross is a noble who allies
Lord Ross
with Bolingbroke.
Richard II Study Guide Plot Summary 7

reluctantly agrees to allow it.

Lord Willoughby is a noble who
Lord Willoughby
allies with Bolingbroke.
At Coventry, Bolingbroke and Mowbray meet to engage in
combat. The one who lives will be deemed in the right. Richard
Thomas Mowbray, the Duke of
II presides over the combat's "opening ceremonies." But just as
Norfolk, is at least partly
responsible for the Duke of Bolingbroke and Mowbray prepare to fight, Richard calls the
Gloucester's death; after whole thing off and banishes the two instead—Bolingbroke for
Thomas Mowbray Bolingbroke accuses him, the two
six years and Mowbray for life.
meet for a trial by combat, but
Richard II stops the fight and
banishes both Mowbray and
Bolingbroke.
Act 2
Harry Percy is the son of the Duke
Harry Percy After Bolingbroke leaves the country, Richard II reveals his
of Northumberland.
dislike of Bolingbroke stems, in part, from the latter's popularity
with the people of England. One of the king's close advisers,
Sir Pierce of Exton is a nobleman
loyal to Henry IV who murders Henry Green, reminds him of an Irish rebellion he should quell,
Sir Pierce of Exton
Richard while the deposed king is and Richard agrees he should take action. John Bushy, another
in prison. of Richard's close advisers says John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke's
father and Richard's uncle, is close to death. Richard hatches a
Sir Stephen Scroop is loyal to plan to seize Gaunt's lands and wealth while
Sir Stephen Scroop Richard and tells him Bolingbroke
has returned from banishment. Bolingbroke—Gaunt's heir—is still banished.

As Gaunt nears death, he has a conversation with the king,

Queen Isabel—whose first name is
not mentioned in the play—is
Queen Richard II's wife; she asks to be
sent to prison with her deposed
husband.
The second herald is an official at
Second herald Bolingbroke and Mowbray's trial
by combat.
during which he says Richard is doing a poor job managing the
country. But Richard doesn't listen to his uncle's scolding, and
after Gaunt dies, Richard follows through with his plan to seize
his uncle's estate and assets. This proves to be a grave
mistake. Popular sentiment favors Bolingbroke, Richard looks
like a tyrant who doesn't respect the conventions of
inheritance, and Bolingbroke is provided with an excuse for
coming back to England to take back his rightful inheritance.

The Welsh captain is a leader of And return he does, with an army alongside him.
Welsh captain
Richard's soldiers in Wales.

Act 3
k Plot Summary While Richard is away in Ireland to quell the rebellion,
Bolingbroke confronts Green and Bushy with the injustice of
Richard's acts, and he orders both executed. Bolingbroke's

Act 1 return is polarizing; some nobles side with him, and others
maintain that Richard, no matter his weaknesses, is still the
rightful king. However, Bolingbroke's popularity indicates he
The play begins as Thomas Mowbray and Henry Bolingbroke
will eventually force Richard out of power. When Richard learns
bring a quarrel before King Richard. Bolingbroke accuses
of Bolingbroke's actions, he plummets into despair and self-
Mowbray of various crimes, including responsibility for the
pity, seemingly certain the kingship has been lost to him; he
death of the Duke of Gloucester, who was Bolingbroke and
sends his troops home and retreats to Flint Castle in Wales.
Richard's uncle. Mowbray denies responsibility, and the two
challenge each other to a trial by combat, or duel. Richard
Bolingbroke and his troops travel to Flint Castle, and

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Richard II Study Guide Plot Summary 8

Bolingbroke tells the king he wishes only that his banishment

be repealed and the lands he rightfully inherited be returned to
him. Richard agrees to Bolingbroke's terms, effectively
surrendering his power, and says he will go to London; there, it
seems, the kingship will be formally decided.

Act 4
In London's Parliament Bolingbroke meets with a group
including several powerful people aligned with Richard—among
them the Duke of Aumerle, the Bishop of Carlisle, and the
Abbot of Westminster—to discuss his and Richard's actions
and to decide whether Richard will remain king. During the
meeting, the Duke of York enters and announces Richard has
willingly ceded the throne to Bolingbroke. When Bolingbroke
accepts the kingship, the Bishop of Carlyle strongly objects,
accusing Bolingbroke of unfairly putting Richard on trial; he
predicts dark days for England if Bolingbroke takes the throne.
Bolingbroke's ally the Duke of Northumberland orders Carlyle
arrested for treason.

Bolingbroke calls for Richard to be brought before the group.

Richard, alternately emotional and resigned to his fate, hands
his crown to Bolingbroke. After ceding the throne, Richard is
taken away, heading for prison.

Act 5
After Bolingbroke is crowned King Henry IV, the Duke of
Aumerle's parents visit him to beg mercy for their son, who was
involved in a plot against him. Henry agrees to pardon Aumerle
but says he will kill the other plotters. Sir Pierce of Exton, an
overly enthusiastic supporter of the new king, hears Henry say
he wishes to be rid of Richard, so he finds Richard in prison
and kills him. Exton brings Richard's body back to show Henry,
and the new king is appalled at what Exton has done. He
reprimands Exton but seems to understand he is complicit in
Richard's death, vowing to "make a voyage to the Holy Land, /
To wash the blood off from my guilty hand."

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Richard II Study Guide Plot Summary 9

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
10 Falling Action
Rising Action
6
11
5

4 12

3 Resolution

2
1

Introduction

Introduction Climax

1. Richard II banishes Henry Bolingbroke. 9. Bolingbroke forces Richard II to surrender.

Rising Action Falling Action

2. While Bolingbroke is away, his father, John of Gaunt, dies. 10. Richard II formally gives up his crown.

3. Richard II seizes the wealth John of Gaunt left. 11. Bolingbroke is crowned Henry IV.

4. Richard II goes to fight in an expensive war in Ireland.

5. Bolingbroke returns to England to demand his inheritance.

Resolution
6. Richard II returns to England to confront Bolingbroke.
12. Richard is imprisoned and later murdered.
7. Many of the English people side with Bolingbroke.

8. Bolingbroke and Richard II confront each other.

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Richard II Study Guide Plot Summary 10

Timeline of Events

September 1398

Richard II banishes Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas

Mowbray.

February 1399

John of Gaunt dies, and Richard II seizes his estate.

May 1399

Richard II leaves to fight rebels in Ireland, arriving in

June.

A short time later

Bolingbroke returns to England with a military force.

August 1399

Richard II returns to England.

August 1399

Richard surrenders to Bolingbroke.

September 1399

Richard officially abdicates the throne.

September 1399

Bolingbroke becomes Henry IV of England.

October 1399

Richard is imprisoned.

Four months later

Richard is killed while in prison.

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Richard II Study Guide
c Scene Summaries
Act 1, Scene 1
Summary
As the play begins, King Richard II is in his palace in London,
waiting for Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray to arrive.
John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke's father, is answering the king's
questions about the argument between Bolingbroke and
Mowbray. Then Bolingbroke and Mowbray enter. After
greeting the king, Bolingbroke accuses Mowbray of being "a
traitor and a miscreant." Bolingbroke says Mowbray murdered
the Duke of Gloucester—uncle to Bolingbroke and Richard. He
further accuses Mowbray of stealing the king's money and
generally acting against the king's interests for the last 18
years. Mowbray denies the charge of treason vehemently,
though he admits he neglected his duty regarding Gloucester.
Bolingbroke challenges Mowbray to combat, and Mowbray
accepts; they angrily level insults at each other. Richard and
Gaunt try to force them to give up their argument, to no avail.
Richard tells them to settle their differences in combat at the
lists at Coventry, northwest of London, on Saint Lambert's day.
Analysis
Notably, the stage directions do not include settings, although
some of them can be inferred and others are based on
traditional stagings. This scene at the London palace draws
the audience into the play without delay. King Richard and
John of Gaunt are already aware Mowbray and Bolingbroke
are having a serious quarrel; Richard alludes to having put off
hearing Bolingbroke's accusation on a previous occasion. After
Mowbray and Bolingbroke enter, they make the briefest
possible greetings to the king before they launch into a heated
argument peppered with accusations and denials. The
interactions between characters here also include a great deal
of gage throwing. A gage is usually an item of clothing such as
a glove or hood, and quite often a gauntlet, or armored glove.
Throwing down a gage began in medieval times, to
communicate a challenge to a trial by combat—a fight to the
death in which the winner is declared to have been in the right.
(Today, to "throw down the gauntlet" means to confront or
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Scene Summaries 11
challenge someone—though not usually to a duel.) To show
how serious he is, Bolingbroke throws down a gage; by picking
up the gage, Mowbray accepts the challenge.
Apart from being exciting and action packed, this scene
introduces some of the central characters and themes of the
play. Richard II is the rightful king, and as such, he is believed
to have been divinely appointed by God to be ruler of England.
At this point, all the characters accept his right to the throne.
Mowbray and Bolingbroke dutifully praise their king before
airing their quarrel, tying their honor to how they act toward
the king. And Richard clearly sees himself as God's
representative, using the "royal we" as he tells Mowbray,
"impartial are our eyes and ears," and says he will not give
preference to Bolingbroke even though Henry is related to "our
sacred blood."
Family ties, an important theme in the play, are shown to be
quite complicated. John of Gaunt is Henry Bolingbroke's father,
and Bolingbroke and King Richard II are cousins. The murdered
Duke of Gloucester is Bolingbroke and Richard's uncle and
Gaunt's brother. Although the play's events concern the
political realm—as one leader is deposed and another takes
power—they are also family conflicts. To understand the
Henriad, including Richard II, readers must keep both the
political and the familial relationships in mind.
Act 1, Scene 2
Summary
At his home John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, meets with
his late brother's widow. The Duchess of Gloucester asks
Gaunt to avenge the death of his murdered brother, the Duke
of Gloucester, reminding him "his blood was thine." Gaunt
refuses, because Richard II ordered the killing, and no one can
act against the king, whom God himself appointed: "God's is
the quarrel; for God's substitute, / His deputy anointed in His
sight, / Hath caused his death, the which if wrongfully / Let
heaven revenge, for I may never lift / An angry arm against His
minister." Gaunt then tells her he is going to the city of
Coventry, where Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray are
scheduled to trial by combat. The duchess prays Bolingbroke
will kill Mowbray.
Richard II Study Guide
Analysis
This scene directly reveals Scene 1's unspoken truth: Richard II
is the one who ordered the Duke of Gloucester's death.
Shakespeare's audience would have been familiar with this
fact, adding dramatic irony to the play's already turbulent
beginning. It is likely Henry Bolingbroke also knows Richard
was involved in the Duke of Gloucester's death. Thus it is
possible Bolingbroke knowingly becomes a threat to Richard II
by raising the issue of the Duke of Gloucester's killing.
This short scene further develops themes of family ties and
rightful king. John of Gaunt faces a conundrum as he weighs
his duty to support the God-given king against his familial duty.
Although the duchess argues passionately for Gaunt to
remember and avenge Gloucester, reminding him they share
the same blood, he cannot entertain the idea that Richard,
God's "deputy anointed in His sight," could have been wrong.
As a result he adamantly refuses to do anything to harm
Richard. Though Gaunt seems to view his duty clearly, it
remains to be seen if others share his aversion to acting
against the king.
Act 1, Scene 3
Summary
Richard II, John of Gaunt, and other nobles are at the lists at
Coventry—an arena where trials by combat can take place.
Here, Bolingbroke and Mowbray are to fight to the death.
Richard II presides over the beginning of the trial, which begins
formally: "Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms / Both who he is
and why he cometh hither / Thus plated in habiliments of war, /
And formally, according to our law / Depose him in the justice
of his cause." The combatants are armed and swear loyalty to
the king. But just as they prepare to fight, Richard stops them,
banishing them both instead for the way they sought to shed
each other's blood: "And for we think the eagle-wingèd pride /
Of sky-aspiring and ambitious thoughts .... make us wade even
in our kindred's blood." Bolingbroke is banished for 10 years
and Mowbray for life. Mowbray is distraught about leaving
England. He says Richard will someday realize Bolingbroke is
the one who lacks loyalty.
John of Gaunt is anguished about his son's banishment, so
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Scene Summaries 12
Richard relents a little, reducing Bolingbroke's banishment to
six years. However, old Gaunt does not think he will live to see
his son return. Trying his best to brighten his son's mood,
Gaunt then advises Bolingbroke to think of the six years as an
opportunity to visit other places. But Bolingbroke refuses to
imagine banishment as anything but punishment: "O, who can ...
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?"
Analysis
This scene begins with a formal ceremony in which Richard
seems completely at ease. He tells the Marshal to swear in the
combatants according to the rules. His language is
unemotional and ritualistic as he asks the Marshal to question
Mowbray as to "the justice of his cause" and instructs the
Marshal to "ask yonder knight in arms / Both who he is and
why he cometh hither." Richard knows full well who the
combatants are. The king—a man who assumed the throne at
age 10 and puts great stock in the idea he is God's
representative—is in his comfort zone. His pleasure in the
trappings and appearances of kingship is on full display.
This attentiveness to the rules, and the apparent enjoyment
Richard seems to find in all the pomp and ceremony, leaves
both the audience and the characters unprepared for the
reversal that takes place as Bolingbroke and Mowbray face
off. Suddenly the king throws his warder (staff) down, signaling
the end of combat even before the men begin to fight. His
change of mind seems impulsive, and while there is no obvious
motivation, the possibilities do not reflect well on his character.
Does he want to stay in the spotlight, preferring his own artful
speech to a bloody fight to the death? Does he want to get rid
of Mowbray, who knows Richard's role in Gloucester's murder,
and decide Bolingbroke might not be successful in winning the
combat?
Richard also acts on impulse when he reduces Bolingbroke's
sentence by four years, and this underscores the king's
weakness as a leader. He likes to have the appearance of
kingliness—making pronouncements, meting out justice—but
his decisions lack substance and sound reasoning. This
fundamental tension will surface again and again throughout
the play. He is the king. Yet he lacks the strength of character
to be much more than the image of a king.
Richard II Study Guide
In contrast Bolingbroke rejects appearance and image in favor
of stark reality. Richard relies on poetry and metaphor as he
banishes Bolingbroke and Mowbray. Yet even when John of
Gaunt encourages Bolingbroke to "imagine" his banishment as
something enjoyable, Bolingbroke has no heart for metaphor or
imagination, pointing out the "hungry edge of appetite" cannot
be satisfied by "imagination of a feast" and the coldness of
snow cannot be made warm by thinking on "fantastic summer's
heat."
Act 1, Scene 4
Summary
At the king's court, the Duke of Aumerle—cousin of both
Richard II and Bolingbroke—announces Bolingbroke has left
the country. The king reveals he dislikes Bolingbroke because
Bolingbroke is so popular with the people.
Sir Henry Green, one of Richard's loyal men, reminds the king
of an ongoing rebellion in Ireland and says it should be quelled.
Richard decides to lead his army against the Irish rebellion.
Knowing this will be another expense, the king proposes a way
to raise some funds: make some wealthy noblemen lend them
gold and sell to other wealthy men the right to collect taxes. Sir
John Bushy, another of Richard's men, arrives and says John
of Gaunt, who is very ill, wants to see the king. Richard seems
unconcerned about Gaunt's illness and says he hopes the old
man will die quickly. Then the court can seize Gaunt's wealth
and use it to pay for the campaign in Ireland.
Analysis
As Act 1 wraps up, the pieces are in place for Richard's
downfall. He complains about Henry Bolingbroke's popularity,
which eventually will enable Bolingbroke to depose Richard
and become king. Richard also plans to use Gaunt's estate to
pay for military action against the Irish rebels. Bolingbroke is
John of Gaunt's son, heir to the very estate Richard proposes
to seize. People already feel a great deal of sympathy for
Bolingbroke because of his banishment; they are likely to see
Richard's move to take Gaunt's estate as another injustice.
Richard is not gaining the people's support with his other
schemes for raising money for the Irish war, either, but he
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Scene Summaries 13
seems oblivious. He is insulated by Green, Bushy, and other
enablers, men whose power is tied up in his; though they are
supposed to be his advisers, they seem to be more interested
in maintaining the power structure than in helping Richard be a
good king. Richard's ability to govern is in question, his
decisions are arbitrary, and his own advisers only amplify his
faults. The time is ripe for a practical and popular man to usurp
the throne.
Act 2, Scene 1
Summary
Gaunt, who is ill and near death, speaks with the Duke of York,
who is Gaunt's brother, Richard's uncle, and Aumerle's father.
Gaunt says he wants to give his nephew some advice. York
tells him Richard will not listen, but Gaunt still hopes the king
will heed his dying words: "Methinks I am a prophet new
inspired / And thus expiring do foretell of him: / His rash fierce
blaze of riot cannot last, / For violent fires soon burn out
themselves." He describes England as "[t]his other Eden, demi-
paradise" and a "precious stone set in the silver sea" as he
bemoans Richard's poor management of the country: "That
England that was wont to conquer others / Hath made a
shameful conquest of itself."
When Gaunt speaks with Richard, the old man takes the young
king to task for doing such a poor job leading the country. The
king grows angry and warns Gaunt he could have him killed.
Gaunt then accuses Richard of ordering the Duke of
Gloucester's murder. Gaunt is taken offstage, and the Earl of
Northumberland soon reports he has died.
Richard quickly announces he will take over Gaunt's estate.
York warns Richard he should not try to change the way titles
and land are inherited: "for how art thou a king / But by fair
sequence and succession?" Richard ignores York's advice but
then appoints him to govern the country while Richard fights in
Ireland.
After the king and his followers leave, Northumberland and two
other nobles—Ross and Willoughby—discuss Richard's unjust
seizure of Gaunt's wealth, which should have passed to
Bolingbroke. Northumberland reveals Bolingbroke is coming
back to England, leading his own army—even though his
banishment has not yet expired. The three nobles say they will
Richard II Study Guide
join Bolingbroke.
Analysis
Gaunt seems to have resolved his inner conflict about
criticizing the rightful king. With the religious conviction of a
dying man, Gaunt declares himself "a prophet new inspired,"
and this religious office gives him the freedom to speak the
truth to Richard. This reversal from his position in Act 1, Scene
2 seems to stem from his love for England. As he speaks of his
country, he uses religious language, calling it "This earth of
majesty, this seat of Mars" and "This other Eden, demi-
paradise." He is moved to criticize the king because he
believes Richard's mismanagement is ruining the nation.
Gaunt's priorities have shifted, though his faith in God is still a
powerful motivator. He has now come to believe God has
blessed the land of England, not just its king, and this frees him
to honor the kingdom but not the king.
Richard's plan to take over the estate Bolingbroke should
inherit is a dangerous move, and York immediately tells the
king it will weaken the whole system of inheritance. Someday,
someone might use this very weakening to justify taking away
Richard's crown. York's concerns are for Richard and the
possibility his hasty decision will negatively affect his reign's
legitimacy as well as the monarchy in general, especially since
Richard has no children. However, weakening inheritance could
affect more than just the royal line of succession. This can be
seen at the end of the scene, as the nobles are concerned
their own lands and wealth could be taken away if the rights of
inheritance are threatened.
Act 2, Scene 2
Summary
Bushy and Bagot console the queen, who is bereft because
her husband has gone to Ireland; she feels as though "[s]ome
unborn sorrow ripe in Fortune's womb / Is coming towards
me." Green arrives and reports Bolingbroke has returned from
banishment with an army and has been joined by several
noblemen.
The Duke of York arrives. He worries he cannot defend against
Bolingbroke's army because so many soldiers went with
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Scene Summaries 14
Richard to Ireland. He sends a servingman to ask the Duchess
of Gloucester for a loan to raise an army against Bolingbroke,
but he learns she is dead. Then he puts out a call for soldiers.
However, York remains conflicted about the rising tension
between Richard and Bolingbroke; he believes the king was
wrong to seize Gaunt's wealth, but he also thinks it is wrong to
act against the rightful king. In addition, both Richard and
Bolingbroke are family: "Both are my kinsmen. / T' one is my
sovereign, whom both my oath / And duty bids defend; t' other
again / Is my kinsman, whom the King hath wronged, / Whom
conscience and my kindred bids to right."
After York and the queen leave, Bushy, Bagot, and Green
worry they will suffer for their association with Richard, since
the public largely sides with Bolingbroke. Bushy and Green
decide to take refuge at Bristow Castle, but Bagot decides to
join Richard in Ireland. They say farewell, noting that they may
never meet again.
Analysis
The queen is not a significant character in the play, but her
grief here is prophetic. She herself notes it is more than the
usual grief of being parted from a spouse, saying it feels more
as if she is being approached by a tragic fate: "Now hath my
soul brought forth her prodigy, / And I, a gasping new-delivered
mother, / Have woe to woe, sorrow to sorrow joined."
The Duke of York's internal conflict in this scene is the same
conflict Gaunt grappled with—the central conflict and theme of
the play: what do you do when the king, someone you believe
God has chosen, is a poor king? York feels it is wrong to
oppose the king, as Bolingbroke is doing, but he also knows
Bolingbroke has been terribly wronged by the king. To make
matters worse, both Richard and Bolingbroke are York's family
members. When devotion to family, devotion to country, and
devotion to God leave you with no acceptable option, how can
you make a choice?
Regarding the news of the Duchess of Gloucester's death, her
plea in Act I that the Duke of Lancaster avenge his brother and
her husband's death represents one crack in Richard's
authority. In this scene Richard is now under attack from an
array of forces, and York can only mourn the death of his
sister-in-law, who might have foretold the situation, because
her death prevents him from getting money to buttress
Richard's shaky power.
Richard II Study Guide
In contrast with York's moral deliberations, Bushy, Bagot, and
Green approach the problem more pragmatically. They know
they have benefited from the king's favor, and they know
popular sentiment supports Bolingbroke. Rather than muse on
the situation's implications, they quickly assess what it means
for them and take action.
Act 2, Scene 3
Summary
Bolingbroke has landed in Gloucestershire, England, and he
and Northumberland are leading an army. Northumberland's
son, Harry (Henry) Percy, is with them. Percy reports the Duke
of York is at a nearby castle with a small number of soldiers,
but many soldiers have sided with Bolingbroke. Ross and
Willoughby arrive, ready to support Bolingbroke.
Lord Berkeley arrives with a message from York, who wants to
know why Bolingbroke has returned from banishment. Then
York arrives to ask Bolingbroke this question in person.
Bolingbroke says he has come to claim his father's property.
The other lords agree with Bolingbroke's position, but York
does not, even though Bolingbroke appeals to him as a father
figure: "You are my father, for methinks in you / I see old Gaunt
alive. O, then, my father, / Will you permit that I shall stand
condemned / A wandering vagabond, my rights and royalties /
Plucked from my arms perforce and given away / To upstart
unthrifts?" York agrees Richard was wrong to take Gaunt's
wealth, but he considers it treason to disobey the king, let
alone lead an army against him. But he also says he will take a
neutral position in the conflict, so he invites Bolingbroke,
Northumberland, and the others to stay at Berkeley Castle.
Bolingbroke accepts, though he will go first to Bristol to "weed
and pluck away" the "caterpillars of the commonwealth"—the
king's friends who are hiding there.
Analysis
This scene introduces Harry Percy, who will become more
central to the next installment of the Henriad, Henry IV Part 1. In
that play Percy, also called Hotspur, is a favorite of Henry
Bolingbroke, who has become King Henry IV. Henry IV prefers
Percy to his own son, Hal—who later kills Percy and goes on to
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Scene Summaries 15
become Henry V. Percy's appearance in this scene of Richard
II, which emphasizes family dynamics, is a preview of the
conflict and themes of Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and
Henry V.
To defend his return from banishment, Bolingbroke says he
was "banished Herford"—that is, when his title was Duke of
Hereford—but now he is coming "for Lancaster"—the title Duke
of Lancaster, which is his after his father's death. The
banishment should not apply if he is now Duke of Lancaster.
This verbal separation of the title from the man who inhabits it
ties in to Richard II's ability to play the role of king but his
inability to govern as a king should.
At the end of the scene, Bolingbroke says he will go to Bristow
Castle to deal with "the caterpillars of the commonwealth"
whom he has "sworn to weed and pluck away." These
"caterpillars" are Bushy, Bagot, and their allies. "Caterpillar" is
an insult meant to suggest these men feed off the
commonwealth, but it also hearkens back to the metaphor of
England as a garden of Eden, which Gaunt so beautifully used
to describe his nation in Act 2, Scene 1. Bushy and Bagot are
like pests who feed on and destroy the garden.
Act 2, Scene 4
Summary
The Earl of Salisbury, still loyal to Richard, speaks with a Welsh
captain at a soldiers' camp. The Welsh soldiers have so far
stayed loyal to Richard, but now they want to leave because
the king has not communicated with them for 10 days.
Salisbury asks the soldiers to wait one more day, but their
captain refuses. He tells Salisbury there are rumors the king is
dead. People have seen signs in nature associated with a
king's death, such as meteors, withered bay trees, and a "pale-
faced moon" that "looks bloody on the Earth," all of which
make them believe the rumor. Salisbury knows this is not good
news for Richard, and he ends the scene lamenting, "I see thy
glory like a shooting star / Fall to the base earth from the
firmament. / Thy sun sets weeping in the lowly west, /
Witnessing storms to come, woe, and unrest. / Thy friends are
fled to wait upon thy foes, / And crossly to thy good all fortune
goes."
Richard II Study Guide
Analysis
Although Bolingbroke has not made a claim to the throne, Act
2 is full of the rising action that will lead to Richard's overthrow.
The king has made several missteps, the most egregious being
his seizure of Gaunt's wealth, which stokes public sympathy for
Bolingbroke, calls into question the concept of rightful
inheritance, and gives Bolingbroke an excuse to return to
England with soldiers to help him claim what is his.
This scene relies on supernatural signs and heavenly imagery
to foreshadow what will happen to Richard. The Welsh soldiers
observe signs and omens that supposedly auger a king's
death, and though Richard is not yet dead, he will be by the
end of the play. Salisbury also sums up Richard's dark future
with figures of speech involving heavenly bodies. Salisbury's
two metaphorical descriptions of Richard's fate—"a shooting
star / Fall to the base earth from the firmament" and his sun
"sets weeping in the lowly west"—both depict something high
and wonderful falling to a lower place. These images poetically
describe what is happening to Richard, evoking a sense of
grief and loss. In the next act this descent will be enacted both
literally and figuratively as Richard loses power and
Bolingbroke gains it.
Act 3, Scene 1
Summary
Bolingbroke has captured Bushy and Green and now accuses
them. He declares himself "a prince by fortune of my birth, /
Near to the King in blood," and blames them for making the
king misinterpret Bolingbroke's words and actions, which led to
his banishment, as well as for taking his property while he was
banished. For these things, he sentences Bushy and Green to
death. Both are defiant. After Northumberland takes them
away to be killed, Bolingbroke asks York to send his friendly
greetings to the queen, who is staying with York. York says he
has already sent such letters to her.
Analysis
Although Bolingbroke has not stated his intention to depose
Richard, the thought is clearly in his mind as he describes his
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Scene Summaries 16
close relation to the king ("Near to the King in blood"). While
Richard threatens the concept of inheritance by rashly seizing
Gaunt's wealth, Bolingbroke plays up his shared lineage with
Richard. This, along with Bolingbroke's popularity among the
people, bring him to within a step of the throne.
As he calls for Bushy and Green to be brought forth, accuses
them of crimes against the king and himself, and sentences
them, Bolingbroke speaks with a king's authority, even though
he is not one yet. He uses formal, poetic language as he
describes their various crimes, sounding like Richard playing
his kingly role. As Bolingbroke becomes nearer to making a
claim to England's crown, he takes on more and more of the
performative aspects of kingship.
Act 3, Scene 2
Summary
Richard II has returned to England from Ireland to find
Bolingbroke's support is stronger than ever. Richard and his
supporters—including the Duke of Aumerle and the Bishop of
Carlisle—are on the coast of Wales, and Richard calls upon the
land of England itself to support him, its rightful king, saying,
"Not all the water in the rough rude sea / Can wash the balm
off from an anointed king." But then he receives a string of bad
news: Salisbury tells him the Welsh soldiers have fled; some
have joined Bolingbroke. Richard is shaken, but brings himself
back to confidence, reminding himself of his divine right: "I had
forgot myself; am I not king?" But then Sir Stephen Scroop tells
him Bolingbroke has many followers, including York; Scroop
also reveals Bushy, Green, and the Earl of Wiltshire have been
executed. Richard loses heart quickly, seemingly bewildered by
the failure of his divine right to protect him. He begins to see
himself as a mere mortal, and his role as king simply playacting:
"For within the hollow crown / That rounds the mortal temples
of a king / Keeps Death his court, and there the antic sits, /
Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp, / Allowing him a
breath, a little scene, / To monarchize, be feared, and kill with
looks, / Infusing him with self and vain conceit, / As if this flesh
which walls about our life / Were brass impregnable; and
humored thus, / Comes at the last and with a little pin / Bores
through his castle wall, and farewell, king!"
After this realization Richard discharges his soldiers: "Let them
Richard II Study Guide
hence away, / From Richard's night to Bolingbroke's fair day."
He then sets out to take refuge at Flint Castle.
Analysis
This scene is a turning point for Richard. Having ascended to
the throne as a child, he knows no other life. In many ways he
is still a spoiled child whose every whim has been indulged, and
his impulses have created havoc in his kingdom. His ability to
preside ceremonially, speak eloquently, and in general perform
the role of king have served him—to a point. However, it has
become clear he is all style and no substance. Thus the
country's people have begun to look more and more to
Bolingbroke, who seems to have the substance Richard lacks.
During this scene Richard comes to understand the situation.
He begins confident God will fight on his side against
Bolingbroke, because God has appointed him and anointed him
king. He then receives some bad news, is dismayed, but
manages to muster faith in his kingship once again. Finally, he
must face the terrible reality: he will not be king much longer;
he will lose everything. For a man who has known nothing other
than ultimate power, this is a blow not just to ego, but also to
identity. Who is he if not king? As he comes to terms with his
own humanity, he finally has the coming-of-age moment denied
him by his early ascent to the throne. He gains perspective and
even some wisdom, speaking poignantly of the nature of
mortality as he describes Death as the real king, holding court
within "the hollow crown." A monarch is only a mortal man, he
realizes, and Death condescendingly allows him to play the role
of king for a time. But Death will eventually, "with a little pin,"
break through the "castle walls" of a man's life—the "walls" of
his flesh-and-blood body—and he will die.
Richard's sudden awareness that his own "state" and "pomp"
are merely the feeble, vain actions of a mortal man follows
from a passage introducing this idea of performance or
theatricality. As he suggests "let us sit upon the ground / And
tell sad stories of the death of kings," he frames the death of a
king as a story that might be told, or enacted, onstage. Some
readers have noted the descriptions of these deaths are like
some of Shakespeare's own plots. Even though he
acknowledges his own humanity, he can't let go of this sense
of himself as an actor in a story.
Richard's imagery reflects Salisbury's metaphor of Richard as
a falling star or setting sun. At first Richard compares his
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Scene Summaries 17
absence in Ireland to the absence of the sun at night ("That
when the searching eye of heaven is hid / Behind the globe
that lights the lower world") and suggests when the sun is
away, the traitor Bolingbroke has been thieving. He believes he
will rise again, just like the sun rises in the east. But after he
hears all the terrible news, he changes the image, speaking of
his own sun setting and Bolingbroke's rising: "Richard's night to
Bolingbroke's fair day."
Act 3, Scene 3
Summary
Bolingbroke, Northumberland, and their men bask in their
success outside Flint Castle, though York feels
Northumberland is not being respectful of Richard. Harry Percy
arrives, telling them Richard and a few followers are inside the
castle. When Richard appears on the castle walls with Aumerle
and the Bishop of Carlisle, Bolingbroke sends Northumberland
to tell Richard he simply wants his banishment rescinded and
Gaunt's lands returned to him.
As Northumberland approaches, Richard remains proud,
insisting only God can remove a king. After Northumberland
relays Bolingbroke's message, Richard agrees, but he also
says he does not believe Bolingbroke's promises of loyalty. He
predicts he will be deposed and killed. Northumberland asks
him to come down to the lower courtyard of the castle to talk
to Bolingbroke. Richard complies, saying, "Down, down I come
... In the base court—base court, where kings grow base, / To
come at traitors' calls and do them grace. / In the base court
come down—down court, down king / For nightowls shriek
where mounting larks should sing." As the king approaches,
Bolingbroke kneels. Richard knows this is merely a gesture and
Bolingbroke now holds the power: "Your own is yours, and I am
yours, and all." Bolingbroke says they must now return to
London.
Analysis
Although Bolingbroke says he only wants to come back to
England and have his father's lands returned to him, and
despite his show of kneeling to Richard, both Bolingbroke and
Richard know this is the pivotal moment. Bolingbroke will be
Richard II Study Guide
king. Richard will be deposed. Bolingbroke will ascend in title
and power, and Richard will descend.
Richard's descent from his high office is acted out concretely,
as Northumberland asks him to "come down" to the "base," or
lower, courtyard. The symbolism of "coming down" to talk to
Bolingbroke is not lost on Richard, and he makes sure to
employ the imagery to best effect as he prepares to physically
move down toward where Bolingbroke waits "[i]n the base
court ... where kings grow base." By coming down to a lower
court, Richard becomes increasingly base (lower) himself. His
descent to the base court is his acceptance of his fate. As
always, he is acutely aware of how his actions appear—of his
performance. He performs his own descent quite literally, as he
moves from the high castle wall to the lower court.
To cap off his eloquent speech, he again uses the metaphor of
sunset/sunrise and night/day, noting his sunset and night have
come. The "nightowls shriek," he says, referring to the owl
sounds that usually accompany night, as opposed to the sound
of larks, who sing at dawn. He believes that what is happening
is not right—not the way God intended—but he has no power,
now.
Act 3, Scene 4
Summary
The queen is in her garden with her ladies. The gardener and
two assistants come in, and she hides, hoping to overhear
news of the king. As the men discuss what is happening with
Richard and Bolingbroke, they compare the kingdom to a
garden. If Richard had tended his kingdom as they tend this
garden, Richard would not be in trouble. Hearing this, the
queen reveals herself, and the gardener tells her Richard is
now a prisoner of Bolingbroke. The queen decides to go to
London. When she leaves, the gardener says he will plant some
rue, an herb associated with sorrow and remorse, where she
shed her tears.
Analysis
This scene picks up the metaphor begun by John of Gaunt
comparing England to a garden. Being gardeners, they
approach the metaphor from a slightly different
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Scene Summaries 18
perspective—much more actively and practically. The gardener
and his men discuss ruling a kingdom as if the task is like
caring for a garden. It isn't so much a paradise, as Gaunt
painted it, but an unwieldy garden with weeds and pests that
must be constantly tended and defended from harm. This is
more in line with Bolingbroke's attitude: a man of action, he is
more likely than Richard to aggressively tend the garden. It is
no accident the gardeners echo here Bolingbroke's reference
to caterpillars. The gardener's man sadly notes the kingdom's
"wholesome herbs" are "swarming with caterpillars."
Bolingbroke has already stated his intention to rid the kingdom
of "caterpillars of the commonwealth" (Act 2, Scene 4).
Act 4, Scene 1
Summary
Many of the lords are present at Parliament, along with the
Bishop of Carlisle and the Abbot of Westminster. Bolingbroke
presides over the meeting. He questions Bagot about the
murder of his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and Bagot
accuses Aumerle of being involved. Aumerle vehemently
denies the charge, throwing down a gage as a challenge to trial
by combat. Lords Fitzwater, Percy, and Surrey join in the
quarreling, and multiple gages are thrown down and picked up.
Suddenly, the Bishop of Carlisle announces the banished
Thomas Mowbray has died. At this news, Bolingbroke delays
the trials by combat to a later date.
York arrives and tells the assembly Richard has consented to
abdicate the throne, and Bolingbroke announces he will
ascend the royal throne. The Bishop of Carlisle objects, saying
God appoints kings, and no man there has any right to judge
Richard. He says deposing the king will result in civil war.
Northumberland praises this speech but then arrests Carlisle
for treason.
Richard enters to surrender his crown to Bolingbroke. He
speaks eloquently and sadly about what has happened,
offering one side of the crown to Bolingbroke as he holds on to
the other: "Now is this golden crown like a deep well / That
owes two buckets, filling one another, / The emptier ever
dancing in the air, / The other down, unseen, and full of water. /
That bucket down and full of tears am I, / Drinking my griefs,
whilst you mount up on high." As usual, Bolingbroke has no
 Richard II Study Guide
time for these poetic phrases, replying, "I thought you had been
willing to resign."
Then Richard calls for a mirror, and, looking at his face in it,
describes what he sees as easily broken: "A brittle glory
shineth in this face. / As brittle as the glory is the face." To
show just how easily broken is his brittle visage, he shatters
the mirror, saying: "For there it is, cracked in an hundred
shivers ... How soon my sorrow hath destroyed my face." And
again, Bolingbroke has no time for Richard's introspection:
"The shadow of your sorrow hath destroyed / The shadow of
your face." Bolingbroke then gives orders for Richard to be
imprisoned in the Tower of London, then announces his
upcoming coronation.
As Bolingbroke exits, the Duke of Aumerle, the Bishop of
Carlisle, and the Abbot of Westminster, who are still loyal to
Richard, stay behind. They make plans to meet and devise a
plot against Bolingbroke.
Analysis
The beginning of this scene is almost a parody of the opening
scene of the play, with accusations and gages flying every
which way. However, it gives Bolingbroke the opportunity to
play the kingly role, rather than Richard, as was the case in Act
1, Scene 1.
The Bishop of Carlisle's prediction that civil war will result from
Bolingbroke's actions is more foreshadowing. The prediction
concerns not only events in the Henriad, though Henry IV's
reign was marred by a great deal of civil unrest, but also the
Wars of the Roses—bloody civil wars fought between two
families descended from the Plantagenet royal house. Henry IV
is the first Lancastrian monarch, and the Lancaster family
eventually will be locked in a terrible conflict with the House of
York. The conflict between the Lancaster and York Houses will
be resolved only when marriage between a Lancaster and a
York gives rise to the House of Tudor—the house of Elizabeth
I.
This scene contains powerful imagery. Richard and
Bolingbroke hold the crown between them, and Richard
describes it in metaphorical terms. The "golden crown" is "like
a deep well" that links two buckets: Richard and Bolingbroke.
Richard's bucket is filling with tears and grief, so it sinks, and at
the same time Bolingbroke's bucket is draining and thus rising.
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Scene Summaries 19
This beautiful and poignant image makes use of the
rising/falling symbolism, but it also shows that Richard was
emptier before and now is becoming filled. This suggests that
he is gaining something—grief, mortality, humility—even as he
loses his identity as king.
Richard also describes beautifully the symbolic act of
shattering the mirror; he figuratively equates his kingly "glory"
with his reflection in the mirror to show that the mirror, his
divine glory, and his face are all "brittle," and easily shattered.
Richard's repertoire of symbolic imagery, and his gift for
employing it, is an important feature of his character. In this
scene he gives his all to the theatrical performance. The crown,
symbol of his kingship, is given to Bolingbroke. Richard's kingly
glory and identity, represented by his image in the mirror, is
shattered and broken. It really is an admirable performance.
Act 5, Scene 1
Summary
The queen waits near the Tower of London to see Richard as
he is taken to be imprisoned. When he appears, she criticizes
him for not being angry: "The lion dying thrusteth forth his paw,
/ And wounds the earth, if nothing else, with rage." However,
he tells her she should accept what has happened: "Think I am
dead and that even here thou takest, / As from my deathbed,
thy last living leave." Northumberland enters and tells them
Bolingbroke has decided Richard is to be imprisoned at
Pomfret Castle, not the Tower of London, and the queen will
be sent to France. Richard predicts Northumberland and
Bolingbroke will soon be in conflict, telling Northumberland,
"He shall think that thou, which knowest the way / To plant
unrightful kings, wilt know again, / Being ne'er so little urged
another way, / To pluck him headlong from the usurped
throne." The queen begs to be allowed to go with Richard, but
Northumberland denies her request. Richard and his queen say
their farewells.
Analysis
Richard's lack of emotion shows being king was central to his
sense of self. With that defining role gone, he has very little will
to live. He tells his queen, who begs him to show some
Richard II Study Guide
emotion—some anger—to consider him as a dead or dying
man, and say goodbye.
Richard predicts Northumberland and Bolingbroke will soon be
at odds; Bolingbroke eventually must consider that
Northumberland may be eager to unseat another king.
Northumberland knows how to "plant unrightful kings" now,
and that knowledge cannot be taken back. This idea is similar
to the warning York gave Richard in Act 2: once the rights of
inheritance are questioned for your benefit, it is a slippery
slope to having this same tactic turned on you. Perhaps the
norms of English hierarchy are being dismantled for present
gains without thought for the long-term consequences.
Richard's words also foreshadow events to come in the
Henriad; conflict between Northumberland and Henry IV is a
major driver of the plot of Henry IV, Part 1.
Act 5, Scene 2
Summary
At home the Duke and Duchess of York discuss Bolingbroke's
coronation. The duke says people cheered for Bolingbroke but
disdained Richard. Both the duke and duchess feel terrible for
Richard, but they too have sworn loyalty to Henry IV: "To
Bolingbroke are we sworn subjects now, / Whose state and
honor I for aye allow."
Their son enters. No longer Duke of Aumerle, he is now Earl of
Rutland, having lost some of his lands in the transition of
power. York sees a paper sticking out of his son's clothes,
grabs it, and starts to read; it reveals his son and others are
plotting to murder Henry IV. York, appalled, says he will go at
once to tell the king, even though his son is involved. The
duchess begs him not to, crying "Wilt thou not hide the
trespass of thine own? / Have we more sons? Or are we like to
have?" But York is insistent. The duchess tells her son to try to
reach the king first, reveal the plot, and ask for pardon. She will
follow to plead on her son's behalf.
Analysis
The theme of family ties again takes prominence in this scene.
The Duke and Duchess of York share a private moment
discussing Richard's tragic fate, but at the same time they
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Scene Summaries 20
reiterate their new commitment to be "the sworn subjects" of
Henry IV. This commitment is quickly tested as they learn their
son is plotting to kill Henry. Just as John of Gaunt was torn
between family obligation and duty to the crown, now York is
put in a similar conflict. York does not hesitate; he immediately
decides his loyalty to Henry far outweighs his duty to his son.
The Duchess of York argues on the side of family ties, just as
the Duchess of Gloucester argued with John of Gaunt. She
desperately begs the duke to "hide the trespass" of his son
because they do not have any other sons and she cannot have
more children. York's mind is made up, however, and he does
not budge. Unlike the Duchess of Gloucester, who seemed to
take Gaunt's refusal as an absolute, the Duchess of York will
not accept York's decision. This may be because the Duchess
of Gloucester's loss was in the past, but the Duchess of York's
loss may still be prevented.
Act 5, Scene 3
Summary
At his palace Henry IV speaks with some followers, including
Henry Percy. He is worried his son, Prince Hal—who later
becomes Henry V—is spending time "'mongst the taverns" of
London, with a bunch of criminals: "he daily doth frequent /
With unrestrainèd loose companions." The king hopes Prince
Hal will mature and improve with time.
Aumerle/Rutland enters. He asks the king for pardon for a
crime he had planned to commit, not giving any specifics. The
king agrees, but just then York arrives and tells the king about
the treasonous plot, then asks the king to punish his son. Then
the Duchess of York arrives. She begs the king to have mercy
on her son. Henry IV pardons Aumerle/Rutland and plans to
execute the other plotters.
Analysis
The mention of Prince Hal in this scene again foreshadows
important elements of subsequent plays in the Henriad. Prince
Hal is said to be hanging out in the taverns of London with
"unrestrainèd loose companions." Among those loose
companions is John Falstaff, one of Shakespeare's most
popular comic characters. The shenanigans of Hal, Falstaff,
Richard II Study Guide
and other tavern-goers plays a large part in Henry IV, Part 1 and
Henry IV, Part 2, and Hal's poor treatment of these former
friends when he is crowned Henry V provides part of the
underlying emotional tension of the tetralogy's final play.
Henry IV shows he can dispense mercy as well as justice when
he agrees to pardon Aumerle/Rutland. This is an important
development in his character, since an ideal king would show
both traits; this idea will come back as a major theme in Henry
V.
Act 5, Scene 4
Summary
Elsewhere in the palace, Sir Pierce of Exton talks to a
servingman. He says he overheard Henry IV say "Have I no
friend will rid me of this living fear?" Exton assumes Henry IV
meant Richard, and as an enthusiastic supporter of the new
king, he wants to fulfill this wish. He decides to kill Richard.
Analysis
Henry IV does not specifically refer to Richard, and this may
mean he is talking about something else entirely, and Exton
just takes the wrong meaning. It is also possible—and quite
likely—Henry IV does mean Richard and is hoping someone will
do exactly what Exton does. He may be thinking back to
Richard's hand in the murder of the Duke of Gloucester and
trying to avoid getting his hands dirty in this way.
Act 5, Scene 5
Summary
Richard, alone in prison at Pomfret castle, reflects on his life,
saying, "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me." Music
begins to play, and then singing, and Richard realizes someone
still loves him. A visitor arrives—a groom who took care of
Richard's horses when he was still king. The groom describes
to Richard how Bolingbroke rode to his coronation on
Richard's horse. Richard is momentarily angry, but then he
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Scene Summaries 21
realizes the horse was just doing its job. The groom leaves, and
the keeper of the prison enters with food. Strangely, the
keeper refuses to taste the food to ensure it isn't poisoned,
telling Richard that Sir Pierce of Exton has commanded him
not to do so. Richard is suspicious and attacks the keeper.
Exton and some murderers-for-hire burst in and fight Richard,
who kills one or more of the attackers but finally is killed at the
hand of Exton. As Richard dies, he says, "Mount, mount, my
soul. Thy seat is up on high, / Whilst my gross flesh sinks
downward, here to die." Exton says the former king was brave,
and he regrets his action.
Analysis
The scene of Richard's death is a fascinating expose on
Richard's thoughts, as he is alone with them in prison. He
begins by setting himself a riddle of sorts: how to compare the
prison to the world, even though the world is full of people and
the prison is not. He solves this riddle by imagining his brain as
a female and his body as a male, and the two breeding and
having offspring—thoughts with which he can "people" his
solitary world. In his thoughts he has many identities, from
beggar to king: "Thus play I in one person many people." This
suggests another way he might populate his lonely prison
world. It also recalls the theme of performance, as Richard
speaks of his thoughts as if they allow him to play various
roles.
As Richard dies, his last words echo the imagery of ascending
and descending, sunrise and sunset, woven throughout the
play. In this use of the image, Richard's soul ascends, mounting
"up on high," while his "flesh sinks downward, here to die."
Act 5, Scene 6
Summary
Back at the palace, Henry IV learns all his enemies are either
defeated or dead. He says he will reward those who have
helped in this effort. When the Bishop of Carlisle is brought
before him, he pardons the clergyman because, even though
Carlisle has always been his enemy, Henry IV has seen "[h]igh
sparks of honour" in him. Suddenly, Exton enters with Richard's
coffin, expecting a warm welcome (and probably a reward).
Richard II Study Guide
But Henry IV appears to be horrified at what Exton has done,
and refuses to honor or reward him. Seemingly remorseful for
how his words were taken, he laments "[t]hat blood should
sprinkle me to make me grow." He promises to "make a voyage
to the Holy Land, / To wash the blood off from my guilty hand."
He exits, following the coffin containing the body of Richard.
Analysis
While Henry IV has just talked about rewarding supporters who
help deal with his enemies, he does not reward Exton for
getting rid of Richard. If Richard had lived, he likely would have
been a constant source of tension and conflict—an invitation to
more civil war. Exton has solved a big problem for the new
king, but Henry IV cannot acknowledge it; he's all too aware of
how Richard's role in killing the Duke of Gloucester added to
the former king's problems.
Henry IV admirably navigates a tricky situation. He is just in
denouncing the murder of Richard, yet merciful as he pardons
Carlisle. He rewards his supporters. He shows humility and
religious devotion as he plans to mourn Richard and make a
pilgrimage to be absolved of the blood spilled on his behalf.
The stage seems set for a peaceful reign. Unfortunately, that is
not to be.
g Quotes
"Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be
ruled by me. / Let's purge this
choler without letting blood."
— Richard II, Act 1, Scene 1
Richard shows his preference for talk rather than violence.
While not in itself a fault, his unwillingness to act and his
tendency to wax long and metaphorically make him seem weak
next to Bolingbroke, who is bolder and more decisive.
"We were not born to sue, but to
command, / Which, since we
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Quotes 22
cannot do, to make you friends, /
Be ready, as your lives shall
answer it."
— Richard II, Act 1, Scene 1
Richard asserts his kingly privilege, saying he is not going to
plead with the quarreling Bolingbroke and Mowbray, but he will
command them. He gives them permission to meet for a trial by
combat; however, when the opponents meet, Richard banishes
them before they have a chance to fight.
"Edward's seven sons, whereof
thyself art one, /Were as seven
vials of his sacred blood"
— Duchess of Gloucester, Act 1, Scene 2
The Duchess of Gloucester appeals to John of Gaunt, citing his
family connection to Edward III, to move him to avenge the
murder of the Duke of Gloucester, another of the "seven vials."
Her point seems to be if anyone has the right to oppose the
king, he does, since he is a closer descendant of Edward III
than Richard II is.
"How long a time lies in one little
word! / Four lagging winters and
four wanton springs / End in a
word; such is the breath of kings."
— Henry Bolingbroke, Act 1, Scene 3
As Richard II banishes both Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas
Mowbray in a quick and rash decision, Bolingbroke laments the
power of a simple word when spoken by a king. The hastily
spoken words of Richard—his breath—impose a 10-year
banishment, then on a whim shorten it by four years.
Richard II Study Guide Quotes 23

"This royal throne of kings, this "For God's sake, let us sit upon the
sceptered isle, / This earth of ground / And tell sad stories of the
majesty, this seat of Mars, / This death of kings— / How some have
other Eden, demi-paradise." been deposed."

— John of Gaunt, Act 2, Scene 1 — Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2

John of Gaunt beautifully articulates his devotion not to the
king himself, not to the people, not to family, but to the land of
England, characterizing it as akin to the garden of Eden, or
paradise. This love prompts him to speak plainly as he
chastises Richard for mismanaging the country.
Richard II finally realizes he is not going to be able to defeat
Henry Bolingbroke, and he begins to despair. He considers his
story may join those other stories of kings who died, were
deposed, and were poisoned.

"For within the hollow crown /

"That power that made you king /
That rounds the mortal temples of
Hath power to keep you king in
a king / Keeps Death his court."
spite of all."
— Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2
— Bishop of Carlisle, Act 3, Scene 2

Richard invokes the symbol of the crown, the symbol of the

The Bishop of Carlisle speaks of his complete confidence that kingship of England, but he calls it a "hollow crown," which can
God appointed Richard king of England and will keep him on be passed from one to another as Death intervenes in a king's
the throne. To his mind, Bolingbroke cannot possibly become life. The crown cares nothing for the head within it, but it
king because God has not chosen him for the position. confers power where it rests.

"I had forgot myself. Am I not king? "Show us the hand of God / That
/ Awake, thou coward majesty, hath dismissed us from our
thou sleepest!" stewardship."

— Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2 — Richard II, Act 3, Scene 3

Richard desperately tries to bolster his confidence and
courage as reports roll in about Bolingbroke's successes and
his increasing support among nobles. Sir Stephen Scroop
responds to Richard's confident statements by saying, "Glad
am I that your Highness is so armed / To bear the tidings of
calamity" before he launches in to the tidings of Bolingbroke's
fearsome forces.
Richard, confronted with Henry Bolingbroke's demand that he
give up power, is amazed anyone would have the nerve to
question his right to be king. He feels only God can dismiss him
from his position.
"Must he be deposed? / The King

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Richard II Study Guide Symbols 24

Richard makes this comment after looking into a mirror and

shall be contented. Must he lose /
then smashing it to pieces. It is a typically theatrical gesture for
The name of king? I' God's name, the king, and Bolingbroke gives a typically levelheaded reply:
"The shadow of your sorrow hath destroyed / The shadow of
let it go."
your face."

— Richard II, Act 3, Scene 3

"I'll make a voyage to the Holy

Richard II equates losing his kingship with losing his name. The
kingship is an essential part of who he is, and he has difficulty
Land / To wash this blood off from
finding a sense of self without it. my guilty hand."

— Henry Bolingbroke, Act 5, Scene 6

"Bolingbroke / Hath seized the
wasteful king. O, what pity is it / At the end of the play, Henry Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV,
pledges to visit the Holy Land to purge some of the guilt he
That he had not so trimmed and
feels for Richard's death. Although the death was not directly
dressed his land / As we this his fault, he feels responsible because one of his avid followers
murdered Richard in the prison to which Henry sent him.
garden!"

— Gardener, Act 3, Scene 4

l Symbols
A gardener expresses his gratitude for Bolingbroke's removal
of the "wasteful" king. He characterizes Richard as a gardener
who did not tend his own garden. Blood

"Who sits here that is not
Richard's subject?"
— Bishop of Carlisle, Act 4, Scene 1
The Bishop of Carlisle cannot believe Bolingbroke would be so
bold as to declare himself king; he reminds everyone they are
all technically Richard's subjects. Bolingbroke does not heed
his opinion.
Blood is a powerful symbol of family ties; in a royal or noble line
it symbolizes the inheritance and status passed down from a
person's ancestors. The political feud between Richard and
Bolingbroke is also a family conflict, since both are descended
from Edward III's "sacred blood" (Act 1, Scene 2). Bolingbroke
refers to his "high blood" in Act 1, Scene 1 and Richard II to his
own "sacred blood" shortly thereafter. In Act 1, Scene 3
Bolingbroke calls Gaunt, his father, "the earthly author of my
blood," and in Act 3, Scene 1 he describes his family
connection to the king by saying he is "[n]ear to the King in
blood."

"How soon my sorrow hath

destroyed my face."

— Richard II, Act 4, Scene 1

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Richard II Study Guide Symbols 25

substance: "My grief lies all within; / And these external

Sunrise and Sunset manners of laments / Are merely shadows to the unseen grief
/ That swells with silence in the tortured soul."

The king is often spoken of symbolically as a sun that lights

England. For example, Richard speaks of his time away from
England as a time "when the searching eye of heaven is hid / Garden
Behind the globe," that is, night. As Richard's popularity and
power wane, Salisbury says, "Thy sun sets weeping in the lowly
west" (Act 2, Scene 4). In Act 4, Scene 1 Richard References to gardens in the text are often metaphors for
acknowledges Bolingbroke's ascendancy as he says he is England. In Act 2, Scene 1 Gaunt laments the way Richard has
"standing before the sun of Bolingbroke." not cared for England, which he compares to the Garden of
Eden. In Act 3, Scene 4 the gardener and his man discuss the
These images of the sun rising or setting are ways to talk
executions of Richard's followers Bushy and Green, wondering
about the failing power of Richard and the concurrent rise of
why they should keep the estate's own garden in order, "When
Bolingbroke, who will be England's new sun. They align with
our sea-wallèd garden, the whole land, / Is full of weeds, her
other images of falling or moving downward used to describe
fairest flowers choked up, / Her fruit trees all unpruned, her
Richard's trajectory. For example, in Act 2, Scene 4 Salisbury
hedges ruined, / Her knots disordered, and her wholesome
also describes Richard's downward spiral: "I see thy glory like a
herbs / Swarming with caterpillars?" Bolingbroke also refers to
shooting star / Fall to the base earth from the firmament." And
Richard's close followers as "caterpillars of the
in Act 3, Scene 3 Richard poetically describes his deposition:
commonwealth" in Act 2, Scene 4, suggesting they are feeding
"Down, down I come, like glist'ring Phaëton, / Wanting the
on the garden of England and harming it in the process.
manage of unruly jades. / In the base court—base court, where
kings grow base, / To come at traitors' calls and do them
grace." Here, Richard physically comes down from a high
castle wall to a lower court as he invokes Phaëton, the son of Crown
Apollo who was killed while driving Apollo's sun chariot.

In both reality and in the text, the crown is a symbol of kingly

Mirror power and majesty. As such, it is significant that in Act 4,
Scene 1 York asks Richard for "[t]he resignation of thy state
and crown / To Henry Bolingbroke." The crown will not be
taken by force, exactly, though Richard has little choice.
In Act 4, Scene 1 Richard demands a mirror, in which he
Richard is asked to give it up of his own volition. He does so in
examines his face and muses despairingly on losing the
a final symbolic act, offering the crown to Bolingbroke as he
kingship—a large part of his personal identity: "Was this face
continues to hold one side: "Here, cousin, seize the crown. /
the face / That every day under his household roof / Did keep
Here, cousin. / On this side my hand, on that side thine." As he
ten thousand men? Was this the face / That like the sun did
finally lets go of the crown and abdicates the throne to
make beholders wink?" In a symbolic action, Richard smashes
Bolingbroke, he states with finality, "With mine own hands I give
the mirror, declaring that his glory is now broken: "brittle as the
away my crown."
glory is the face, / *He breaks the mirror.* For there it is,
cracked in an hundred shivers."

The broken mirror represents Richard's broken sense of self,

which he only too late sees was only an image of reality, not
reality itself. It is only after he loses the kingship that he
realizes outward appearance is no substitute for inner

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Richard II Study Guide
m Themes
Rightful King
The divine right of kings is a central concern in Richard II.
Questions about who can be king pervade the text. Richard II
fervently believes he is God's appointed representative and
ordained to lead England. He refers frequently to this divine
connection. After John of Gaunt's brother is killed, John of
Gaunt initially refuses to confront Richard about it; he believes
only God has the authority to judge a king and opposing a king
is not only treasonous but also equates to opposing God. He
calls Richard "God's substitute, / His deputy anointed in His
sight" (Act 1, Scene 2). The Bishop of Carlisle speaks strongly
against Bolingbroke becoming king, coming squarely down on
the side of Richard's divine right. He says, "And shall the figure
of God's majesty, / His captain, steward, deputy elect, /
Anointed, crowned, planted many years, / Be judged by subject
and inferior breath" (Act 4, Scene 1).
Henry Bolingbroke has a more flexible view of the divine right
of kings. In this play he seems confident God will support him.
When he has forced Richard's surrender and the path to the
throne is clear, he declares, "In God's name, I'll ascend the
regal throne" (Act 4, Scene 1). But in later plays in the Henriad
the issue comes back to haunt him as he grapples with doubts
about the legitimacy of his kingship and eventually passes this
burden on to his son, Hal/Henry V.
Family Ties
Although the play largely concerns powerful men vying for
ultimate power, it is also about family. Many of the characters
are related. Several are descended from Edward III, by all
accounts a great English king. The blood of Edward III runs in
the veins of Richard, Gaunt, York, and Bolingbroke; Richard
may be king, but plenty of people are almost as closely related
to the previous king as he is. This is the only reason
Bolingbroke can make a case for his own ascension to the
kingship. The word cousin is repeated over and over
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Themes 26
throughout the play. That those who choose opposite sides of
the Bolingbroke–Richard conflict are closely related sets up
internal conflicts within characters. They must grapple with
their divided loyalty to God, England, king, and family.
The close family ties don't only add drama to the plot. They
also remind the audience the events in this play are a
precursor to the Wars of the Roses. These wars were not
originally called the Wars of the Roses—that label appeared in
the 1800s. They were referred to as the "Cousins' Wars."
Performance
All the plays in the Henriad develop ideas about the difference
between appearance and reality, the inner person versus the
outer image, the deception and the revelation. In this play the
theme manifests in Richard II's tendency to act the king as if he
is performing a role in a theatrical production. He enjoys the
ceremonial functions of a king and loves to speak in kingly
phrases. Historically Richard was known for his attention to
clothing and personal hygiene; some accounts name him as
the popularizer of the pocket handkerchief.
Though he cultivated a regal image, he had few traditionally
"kingly" personal qualities. Specifically, he did not have an
aggressive, action-oriented personality like his father or
grandfather. His attention to performance and presentation
proves to be his undoing. The people of England seem to
prefer the traditionally manly Bolingbroke. In addition, the
energy expended in maintaining the performance leaves little
time for Richard to develop many other qualities. When his
performed role is stripped from him, he must confront his
identify as a human being for the first time.
e Suggested Reading
Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare's Histories. Chelsea, 2000.
Bloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's Richard II. Chelsea, 1988.
Dobson, Michael, et al. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare.
Oxford UP, 2015.
Richard II Study Guide Themes 27

Goff, Moira. "Richard II - Shakespeare in quarto." British Library,

17 Sept. 2004.

Pressley, J. M. Shakespeare Resource Center, 2017.

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