Shakespeare's Richard II--Summary and Discussion

Is it okay to overthrow a ruler? We find out in one of my favorite history plays!
See below for links to other Shakespeare discussions:
Twelfth Night: January 2-8 • Shakespeare's Twelfth ... ​
Henry VI Part 1: January 10-16 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Henry VI Part 2: January 18-25 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Henry VI Part 3: January 27-February 2 • Shakespeare's Henry VI... ​
Comedy of Errors: February 4-8 • Shakespeare's Comedy o... ​
Taming of the Shrew: February 10-15 • Shakespeare's Taming o... ​
Titus Andronicus: February 17-22 • Shakespeare's Titus An... ​
Romeo and Juliet: February 24-March 2 • Shakespeare's Romeo & ... ​
• Shakespeare's Romeo & ... ​
Richard III: March 4-12
Julius Caesar: March 14-19 • Shakespeare's Julius C... ​
Two Gentlemen of Verona: March 21-25 • Shakespeare's Two Gent... ​
King John: March 27-April 1 • Shakespeare's King Joh... ​
Richard II: April 3-9 • Shakespeare's Richard ... ​
Venus and Adonis: April 13-17 • Shakespeare's "Venus a... ​
Hamlet: April 19-28 • Shakespeare's Hamlet: ... ​
The Rape of Lucrece: April 30-May 4 • Shakespeare's "Lucrece... ​
Sonnets 1-80: May 6-8 • Shakespeare's Sonnets ​
Bonus Episode! Sir Thomas More: • Shakespeare's Sir Thom... ​
Othello: May 11-18 • Shakespeare's Othello-... ​
Sonnets 81-154: May 20-22 • Shakespeare's Sonnets ​
Love’s Labour’s Lost: May 26-June 2 • Shakespeare's Love's L... ​
Pericles: June 4-9 • Shakespeare's Pericles... ​
Cymbeline: June 11-18 • Shakespeare's Cymbelin... ​
King Lear: June 22-30 • Shakespeare's King Lea... ​
A Lover’s Complaint: July 2 • Shakespeare's "A Lover... ​
The Passionate Pilgrim: July 3 • Shakespeare's The Pass... ​
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: July 6-10 • Shakespeare's A Midsum... ​
The Merchant of Venice: July 12-16 • Shakespeare's Merchant... ​
Bonus Episode! Love's Labour's Won: • Shakespeare's Love's L... ​
Much Ado About Nothing: July 20-26 • Shakespeare's Much Ado... ​
As You Like It: July 28-August 3 • Shakespeare's As You L... ​
Macbeth: August 5-10 • Shakespeare's MacBeth-... ​
Troilus and Cressida: August 12-20 • Shakespeare's Troilus ... ​
Antony and Cleopatra: August 22-29 • Shakespeare's Antony a...
Coriolanus: August 31-September 10
All’s Well That Ends Well: September 12-19
Measure for Measure: September 21-27 • Shakespeare's Measure ...
Henry IV Part 1: September 29-October 5
The Merry Wives of Windsor: October 7-13
Henry IV Part 2: October 15-22
Henry V: October 24-31
Henry VIII: November 2-9
Edward III: November 11-17
Timon of Athens: November 19-24
The Winter’s Tale: December 1-7 • Shakespeare's The Wint...
• Shakespeare's The Wint...
The Tempest: December 9-14 • Shakespeare's The Temp... ​
The Two Noble Kinsmen: December 16-23
The Phoenix and Turtle: December 27 • Shakespeare's "The Pho...

[@dellh86]

Thank you for covering this less talked about Shakespeare play. I liked it the whole way, but found Act 5 really confusing. This video helped clear that up.

[@BurkertProduct]

This man is carrying me through my classes. Bless his soul!

[@lukealadeen7836]

Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the balm from an anointed King;

[@eveb446]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Richard II.

[@hansvanmeurs]

After seeing about a dozen videos about Richard II, none have helped me as much as this one. Thank you so so much! It’s been a tremendous help for my spoken literature test I have this week! I really don’t get how this doesn’t have more views…

[@Nancenotes]

Thank you! I also highly recommend watching the Royal Shakespeare Company performance starring David Tennant as Richard II if you ever get a chance. It’s a brilliant performance!

[@blackeyedlily]

My favorite of Shakespeare’s English history plays. Such beautiful language!

[@chrisjohnson-di2lb]

I could listen to this guy talk Shakespeare all day!

[@soninoscardelletti2844]

Good Stuff Pal! God Bless

[@the_dusky_queen]

English is not my mother tongue... But I love literature eventually I learnt English as well...I am amazed by your knowledge over literature and its background... And the way u explain Shakespeare is truly fantastic... Feeling happy that I found your youtube channel... 😊

[@atwork90210]

ty for these videos. its helped me understand the play more

[@ameyakeni]

What an analysis! Genius you are dear sir!

[@kaleidoscope977]

I really appreciate how clear and engaging your Shakespeare summaries are! I'm finding it helpful to watch each one before diving into a play :)

[@jackfullerton5762]

yeah…. many times over its been phrased “he might be a stupid ‘so n so’, but he’s our ‘so n so’”.

[@halehazalhekimoglu7866]

I reall felt likeI was living in the play! It was great, thank you!!

[@miriamstratton4201]

Excellent!

[@justanothergoogler6436]

Such an interesting play!

[@tomservo75]

What confuses me is the sudden 180 that Northumberland and Percy did, from supporting Bolingbroke / Henry IV throughout the play, even when he takes the throne, yet by the next play they're rebelling against him and complaining about Henry taking the throne, while they were the very ones who helped him do it. The only clue we have is in II Henry VI where he gives a line that he had no intention to take the throne but that "fortune and him were *compelled* to kiss"

[@AtticusHatzis23483]

Is this play part of Shakespeare's historical tetralogy, with Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V? If so, what makes them relevant?

[@Nancenotes]

Yes, it’s the first, establishing the reign of Henry IV, which will be plagued by uncertainty and rebellion, due to the overthrow and death of Richard in this play. Also, it foreshadows Prince Hal’s arc and his comparisons with Hotspur. Ultimately, the climax will arise in Henry V, an epic about England’s favorite hero-king, who is humanized by his struggle with his own past and the sins of his father.

[@cuchulain1647]

Thank you

[@austinb3560]

Thank u 🙏🏻 I’m in a Shakespeare class and I have such a hard time listening and understanding this stuff

[@rdno2572]

Loving your discussions- Do you know why York asks the king to give pardon to his son in French near the end of the play?

[@Nancenotes]

So, here’s my reading of that line: first, the Duchess is pleading for her son’s pardon since he’s in the middle of a plot to commit treason, but the Duke pleads AGAINST his own son. He was always hesitant to give Bolingbroke power because he doesn’t believe in going against the God-given authority of the king. But now that Henry IS king, York will go so far as to sacrifice his own son to stop treason for essentially the same reason. So York and his wife are arguing against each other, she for her son’s safety and York for the security of the throne. To your point, the Duchess refuses to stand until she hears Henry say the word “Pardon” and she talks of teaching him the word as a nurse teaches language to a toddler. I think York’s reply that he should say in French “pardonne moi” plays on this in two ways: 1. As a language acquisition idea, and 2. As a way of using her word “pardon,” but with the French meaning of a polite refusal. So, don’t forgive him, but say no thanks. Does that make sense? I’ve not really read anyone else’s take on it, but that’s my reading.

[@rdno2572]

@@Nancenotes I understand - excellent - I had also looked for other comments on these lines and found none but I like yours

[@dalmapeller2285]

ughhh

[@frankwestatx]

Thank you