Richard II -- Printing history

1
Richard II -- Printing history

• Date
• Probably no earlier than 1595
• First printing 1597. Printed twice more before
  Elizabeths death in March, 1603 (I think both
  times in 1598).
• Fourth printing 1608

2
Richard II -- Sources

• Primarily Raphael Holinsheds Chronicles, 1577,
  revd enlarged 1587.
• Edward Halles chronicle The Union of the Two
  Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and York
  (1548)
• The Mirrour for Magistrates (1559)
• Samuel Daniels First Four Books of the Civil
  Wars (1595)
• the anonymous play Woodstock (1591 - 5?)
• Froissarts Chronicle, trans. 1523 - 5 by Lord
  Berners
• an anonymous French ms chronicle entitled
  Chronicque de la TraVson et Mort de Richart Deux
  Roy Dengleterre (c. 1400)
• Crétons Histoire du Roy dAngleterre Richard
  (1399?)
• And possibly Marlowes Edward II as a dramatic
  model

3
Richard II -- Style

• Written entirely in verse, Shakespeare forgoes
  stylistic variety in favour of an intense,
  plangent lyricism (Wells, 367).
• The c20th actor Sir John Gielgud warns of the
  danger of monotony in a drama whose artificial
  and tapestried style is often more musical than
  revealing of character (Forker, 55 - 6).

4
Richard II -- Themes or topics of interest

• Stanley Wells has written that the
  subject-matter of Richard II seemed
  inflammatorily topical to Shakespeares
  contemporaries. Richard, who had notoriously
  indulged his favourites, had been compelled to
  yield his throne to Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of
  Hereford like Richard, the ageing Queen
  Elizabeth had no obvious successor, and she too
  encouraged favouritessuch as the Earl of
  Essexwho might aspire to the throne. . . . In
  1601, on the day before Essex led a rebellion
  against Elizabeth, his fellow conspirators
  including the Earl of Southampton (Bloom
  Invention of the Human, 262) commissioned a
  special performance in the hope of arousing
  popular support (367). The Queens response to
  the 1601 production was I am Richard II, know ye
  not that? (Bloom, 262).
• I.e. the use of history in history, specifically
  the use of Richard II to offer public comment on
  the reign and succession of Elizabeth I.

5
Richard II -- Themes or topics of interest

• Pervasively lamenting, in the tradition of
  Mediaeval Renaissance complaint literature
  (Forker, 56).
• I.e. the place of Richard II in the literary
  tradition of complaint literature
• Harold Bloom writes of the play that Since we
  are not meant to like Richard, and no one could
  like the usurper Bolingbroke, Shakespeare has
  little trouble distancing us from the only
  actions of the play, abdication and murder
  (Invention of the Human, 253).

6
Richard II -- Themes or topics of interest

• The poems fourth printing in 1608 was the first
  to contain the deposition scene (4.1.155 - 320).
  It was probably previously suppressed because of
  the politically contentious subject of the
  queens succession (Drabble, Richard II, King,
  826).
• I.e. closely exam this scene, possibly extend
  your discussion to the broader cultural context
• The royal prerogative
• I.e. how far does the power of the Crown extend?
  What limits are placed on it?

7
History of Richard II

• Richard II reigned from June 1377 to September
  1399
• He became King while still a minor, at the age of
  9
• John of Gaunt dominated royal affairs during this
  period, and was the leader of a Lancastrian
  faction that sought to influence, ultimately
  control the crown
• In addition to the Lancastrian faction, there
  were two others vying for power through Richard
• From 1386 - 89 Gaunt, a much more ambitious
  fellow than Shakespeare makes him out to be,
  fought in Spain in a failed attempt to enforce
  his own claim on the Castillian crown

8
History of Richard II

• Starting just before this time, a second faction,
  made up of friends advisors of Richards own
  choosing, became more influential, and from 1383
  on, parliament frequently complained of the
  extravagance and instability of Richards
  behaviour and the evil counsel of the favourites
  who encouraged it (Saccio, 20 - 1)
• After Gaunts departure for Castille, in 1386, a
  deputation of lords led by Richards youngest
  uncle, the duke of Gloucester (Thomas of
  Woodstock) rebuked Richard for misgovernment,
  parliament impeached one of Richards favourites,
  Michael de la Pole
• Richard responded by touring in the north and
  consolidating a Royalist following to condemn the
  impeachment as treasonous behaviour violating the
  royal prerogative

9
History of Richard II

• This led to the birth of the third faction, the
  Lords Appellant, led by Gloucester
• This faction gathered an army of their own
• Two who joined this faction were Henry of
  Bolingbroke earl of Derby, and Thomas Mowbray
  earl of Nottingham, later duke of Norfolk
• In 1388 the army of the Lords Appellant defeated
  the Kings army, and in the so-called Merciless
  Parliament of that year won their appeal against
  the Kings favourites, with the result thatthe
  favourites were either executed or, effectively,
  exiled
• The Lords Appellant ruled for about a year

10
History of Richard II

• In 1389 Richard announced his intention to rule
  on his own, and the Appellants disbanded, Gaunt
  returned from Spain, and peace broke out, after a
  fashion
• In 1396 he secured a meaningful peace with
  France, with whom England had been at war since
  Edward III entered the Hundred Years War in 1337
• In 1397 factional struggle recommenced, with some
  new actors, and with some who were involved
  before having shifted allegiances

11
History of Richard II

• The Kings friends now included Edward earl of
  Rutland, son of the Duke of York. Edward was
  soon to be created duke of Albemarle (Shpes
  Aumerle), Thomas Mowbray, and among others three
  members of parliament named Sir John Bushy, Sir
  William Bagot, and Sir Henry Greene
• The senior Appellants, Gloucester, Arundel, and
  Warwick remained hostile to the king Henry of
  Bolingbrokes allegiances are uncertain, but in
  any event he was mostly out of the country on
  crusade or pilgrimage
• For reasons that remain unclear, Richard suddenly
  arrested Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick
• The three were convicted Warwick confessed and
  was exiled, Arundel remained defiant and was
  beheaded.

12
History of Richard II

• During the trial Gloucesters guard, the duke of
  Norfolk (i.e. Mowbray) announced that his
  prisoner had died in custody
• Almost certainly this means murder, but the
  question remains open as to the kings degree of
  complicity in this murder
• This brings us, pretty much, to curtain rise on
  Richard II