Richard II

Compare and contrast Richard and Bolingbroke as kings. In what ways are they different or similar? How does each man understand the nature and requirements of kingship?

Is Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard entirely unfavorable or does the playwright give him some redeeming features? To what extent, if any, can Richard be seen as a tragic figure, given that the full title of the play is The Tragedy of King Richard the Second?

Examine the idea of loyalty within the play. How do different characters conceive of loyalty and betrayal? How do their conceptions of loyalty influence their actions in the power struggle between Richard and Bolingbroke?

Analyze the role legitimacy, inheritance, and succession have in the text. How do these elements influence the characters and the plot?

Consider the characterization of John of Gaunt in the play. How is he depicted? How is he similar or different to the Duke of York? What is his role and his wider significance in the text?

Discuss the role of women in the play. How do they relate to the men with whom they interact? What is their significance in the text?

Many of the characters debate the nature of power and what it means to be a just or unjust ruler. How does Richard II explore these debates? What does the play suggest about effective or ineffective kingship?

Analyze the use of natural imagery in the text: flowers, seasons, natural phenomena. What are the forms this imagery takes? How is it used to illustrate mood, characterization, and/or the play’s key themes and ideas?