King Richard the Second

William Shakespeare

Penguin, 1981 - Drama - 282 pages

A history play by William Shakespeare believed based on the life of King Richard II of England (ruled 1377-1399). The play begins with King Richard sitting majestically on his throne in full state, having been requested that he arbitrate a dispute between Thomas Mowbray and Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who has accused Mowbray of squandering money given to him by Richard for the King's soldiers and of murdering his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester.

Contents

• INTRODUCTION: 7
• FURTHER READING: 47
• KING RICHARD THE SECOND: 51
• COMMENTARY: 161
• AN ACCOUNT OF THE TEXT: 269

About the author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, and was baptised on 26 April 1564. His father was a glove maker and wool merchant and his mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a well-to-do local land owner. Shakespeare was probably educated in Stratford's grammar school. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, and the couple had a daughter the following year and twins in 1585.

Shakespeare's theatrical life seems to have commenced around 1590. We do know that he was part of the Lord Chamberlain's Company, which was renamed the King's Company in 1603 when James I succeeded to the throne. The Company acquired interests in two theatres in the Southwark area of London, near the banks of the Thames - the Globe and the Blackfriars.

Shakespeare's poetry was published before his plays, with two poems appearing in 1593 and 1594, dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. Most of Shakespeare's sonnets were probably written at this time as well.

Records of Shakespeare's plays begin to appear in 1594, and he produced roughly two a year until around 1611. His earliest plays includeHenry VIandTitus Andronicus. A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice and Richard IIall date from the mid to late 1590s. Some of his most famous tragedies were written in the early 1600s; these include Hamlet, Ot

Bibliographic information

• Title: King Richard the Second; Volume 19 of New Penguin Shakespeare, William Shakespeare general ed.: T. J. B. Spencer; New Penguin Shakespeare: Drama/Theatre; Shakespeare, Penguin Series; Shakespeare, William: New Penguin Shakespeare
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Editor: Stanley Wells
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Penguin, 1981
• ISBN: 0140707190, 9780140707199
• Length: 282 pages
• Subjects: Drama / Shakespeare