num_pages: 593
description: This richly annotated edition takes a fresh look at the first part of Shakespeare's second tetralogy of history plays, showing how it relates to the other plays in the sequence. Forker places the play in its political context, discussing its relation to competing theories of monarchy, how it faced censorship because of possible comparisons between Richard II and Elizabeth I, and how Bolingbroke's rebellion could be compared to the Essex rising of the time. This edition also reconsiders Shakespeare's use of sources, asking why he chose to emphasize one approach over another. Forker also looks at the play's rich afterlife, and the many interpretations that actors and directors have taken. Finally, the edition looks closely at the aesthetic relationship between language, character, structure, and political import. A textual analysis of the play's eight early editions, a doubling chart for casting, and geneological tables are included as appendices.The Arden Shakespeare has developed a reputation as the pre-eminent critical edition of Shakespeare for its exceptional scholarship, reflected in the thoroughness of each volume. An introduction comprehensively contextualizes the play, chronicling the history and culture that surrounded and influenced Shakespeare at the time of its writing and performance, and closely surveying critical approaches to the work. Detailed appendices address problems like dating and casting, and analyze the differing Quarto and Folio sources. A full commentary by one or more of the play's foremost contemporary scholars illuminates the text, glossing unfamiliar terms and drawing from an abundance of research and expertise to explain allusions and significant background information. Highly informative and accessible, Arden offers the fullest experience of Shakespeare available to a reader.Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsGeneral Editors' PrefacePrefaceIntroductionPoliticsHistorical Context and the Issue of TopicalityThe Connection with EssexIdeology: Competing Conceptions of MonarchyCharacterization: Attitudes towards Richard and BolingbrokePolitics in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth- Century StagingsLanguageStyleImagery, Major Themes, Symbolism, Patterns of AllusionRhetoricAfterlifeThe DateThe Relation to Edward II and WoodstockRichard II and the Second TetralogyProbable Venues of Early PerformanceSourcesHolinshedHallThe Mirror for MagistratesDanielWoodstockFroissart; Creton; TraisonEdward IIMinor SourcesTextTHE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND Longer Notes Appendices 1 Textual Analysis2 Doubling Chart3 Genealogical TablesAbbreviations and referencesAbbreviations used in notesWorks by and partly by ShakespeareEditions of Shakespeare collated or referred toOther worksModern stage and television productions citedIndex
language: English
title: King Richard II
titlecomplete: King Richard II
characters: Thomas Merke, Bishop of Carlisle, 2nd Gardener's Man, William le Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, King of Mann, Joan Holland, Sir William Bushy, 1st Lady, Henry Percy "Hotspur", Henry IV of England, Henry V of England, Edward of Langley, 2nd Duke of York, 1st Gardener's Man, Sir Piers Exton, Isabella of Valois, Keeper of Pomfret Prison, Groom, Edward, 2nd Duke of York, Duke of Aumerle, 2nd Lady, Walter FitzWalter, 4th (or 5th) Baron FitzWalter, John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley, Lord Marshal, Gardener, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, Sir Edward Bagot, Eleanor de Bohun, Duchess of Gloucester, 2nd Herald, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, Richard II of England, Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, Welsh Captain, William de Colchester, Abbott of Westminster, William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros, Sir Stephen Scroop, Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, 1st Herald, Sir Henry Greene
genres: Historical Fiction, Theatre, Historical, School, Drama, Plays, Poetry, Literature, Classics, Fiction
ratings_count: 24174
series: Wars of the Roses
publisher: The Arden Shakespeare