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King Richard II Play
King Richard II begins with Henry Bolingbroke
accusing the Duke of Norfolk, Mowbray for the Duke of
Gloucester's death, the brother of King Richard II.
Mowbray did not murder him. However he does not reveal
that King Richard II ordered this nor that he could
have prevented Gloucester's death. To settle the dispute,
King Richard II decides to let the men joust, only to
later decide that they shall both be banished (Mowbray
for life, Bolingbroke for five years) instead. Mowbray
correctly predicts Bolingbroke's return and his hand
in Richard II's downfall. Henry Bolingbroke's father
Gaunt soon dies, largely from sorrow at his son's banishment,
Richard II wasting little time in seizing the late Duke's
estate since he needs money to fight the Irish.
Henry Bolingbroke, meanwhile has secretly returned,
finding that the nobles of England are far from happy
with the Duke of York, Richard's II deputy whilst he
is fighting in Ireland, and are moving against him.
Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland is the most
vocal in criticising Richard for stealing from Gaunt,
taxing commoners, unfairly fining nobles for ancestor's
crimes and wasting England's wealth. Richard returns
from Ireland to find not only the banished Bolingbroke
but also that the lands he took from Bolingbroke's father
have been reclaimed in Henry's name! Even worse, he
discovers Bolingbroke has seen fit kill his favorites
Sir John Bushy, Sir John Green and the Earl of Wiltshire.
The Duke of Aumerle, the Duke of York's son, tries to
help Richard II, confident that the heavens will aide
his cause.
Unfortunately for Richard, his army disbands upon hearing
the false rumor that he is dead. The commoners seeing
no army, revolt, even the Duke of York joining Bolingbroke's
rebellion. Realising he barely controls England, Richard
II goes into hiding at Flint Castle. Bolingbroke meets
Richard II at the castle, asking him to overturn his
banishment order in return for peace, Bolingbroke instead
imprisoning the King in London. Before Parliament, cornered,
and with little option, the monarch is forced to confess
his many crimes against England, resulting in his handing
over the crown to Bolingbroke who later becomes King
Henry IV.
With Richard losing the throne, and his the Queen sent
back to her native France, Aumerle, the son of the Duke
of York, plots against Henry IV, planning on poisoning
him at Oxford. The plot discovered, Aumerlie is shown
mercy whilst Richard II is imprisoned at Ponfret Castle,
Sir Pierce of Exton killing him in the mistaken belief
it is Henry IV's wish. The deposed monarch did not go
quietly, killing two of Exton's accomplices. Henry IV
banishes Exton, Henry IV upon seeing Richard II's dead
body, denounces the killing, though he did desire it
in part, deciding to mount a Holy crusade (which he
never has the opportunity to launch) as atonement for
his death.
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act IV
Scene I
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI
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