Richard II is at once a masterwork of poetry and a bloody account of political plotting. In the 1590s, Shakespeare wrote a series of eight plays based on English chronicle history. Richard II is the first play chronologically in that series, telling the story of a king whose fall helped set in motion the political contentions and civil wars for decades to come. In 1399, Richard II was deposed by his cousin Bolingbroke, who became King Henry IV. But in Shakespeare’s play, what Richard loses in political power, he gains in dramatic power. In this course, you’ll learn the story and historical context behind Richard II, explore the complex political dimensions depicted in this transition of power, and see how Shakespeare develops this unusual protagonist who wants to be a tragic character. 
In Part 1, you’ll be guided through a detailed account of the story with commentary by Michael Dobson, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll learn the historical background behind the play and start to explore the play’s central ambiguities concerning Richard’s political moves and Richard’s own character. This summary is told using the language of the play itself, placing key quotations in context to help you understand where these lines come from and what they mean.