Name: Richard II
ISBN: 9781454928058

SparkNotes

Richard II

Mary Horton

There are some things I've come to expect in every Shakespeare play:

1) Everyone is excessively dramatic over everything
2) If there's a king, he's probably going to die
3) Usurping the throne never ends well
4) People are straight up #savage 

Richard II was no exception to this. 

It's not one of his more popular plays, but I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. Namely because Richard's dramatic speeches and overwhelming narcissism are iconically entertaining. 

Random things to love about this play:
- I mean, there's the classic "we're gonna overthrow the government" plot so that's always a good time
- Richard's level of indecision about giving up the throne rivals that of Hamlet. Just indecisive bros being bros.
- John Gaunt really went off on Richard about how bad of a king he was. The tea was hot, my friends. (And well-deserved because, yes, Richard is kind of the Worst™)
- Bolingbroke is a solid individual . . . at least, in this installment. 
- Richard's fake friends are named Bushy and Bagot and let's just say, that should have been your first warning, my dude.
- Richard and his buddies are lowkey just waiting for Gaunt to die so they can take his money. It's awful but also kind of hilarious.
- Dramatic soliloquies! We love to see it!!!
- This line: "You may my glories and my state depose,
But not my griefs; still am I king of those" is a whole mood

Overall, a solid historically-inaccurate history play! Now onto the madness that is Henry IV.

4 stars

Richard II

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