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    Richard II
    Richard II
    Richard II
    Ebook144 pages1 hour

    Richard II

    By William Shakespeare

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    About this ebook

    William Shakespeare is widely considered to have been the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist.  More than 400 years after Shakespeare’s death, his plays are still performed more than any other playwright and have been translated into every major language in the world.  This edition of Richard II includes a table of contents.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCharles River Editors
    Release dateMar 22, 2018
    ISBN9781537803364
    Author

    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest dramatist in the English language. Shakespeare is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon.”  

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      Book preview

      Richard II - William Shakespeare

      RICHARD II

      ..................

      William Shakespeare

      KYPROS PRESS

      Thank you for reading. If you enjoy this book, please leave a review or connect with the author.

      All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

      Copyright © 2016 by William Shakespeare

      Interior design by Pronoun

      Distribution by Pronoun

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Richard II

      Characters of the Play

      Scene: England and Wales

      ACT I

      SCENE I. London. KING RICHARD II’s palace.

      SCENE II. The DUKE OF LANCASTER’S palace.

      SCENE III. The lists at Coventry.

      SCENE IV. The court.

      ACT II

      SCENE I. Ely House.

      SCENE II. The palace.

      SCENE III. Wilds in Gloucestershire.

      SCENE IV. A camp in Wales.

      ACT III

      SCENE I. Bristol. Before the castle.

      SCENE II. The coast of Wales. A castle in view.

      SCENE III. Wales. Before Flint castle.

      SCENE IV. LANGLEY. The DUKE OF YORK’s garden.

      ACT IV

      SCENE I. Westminster Hall.

      ACT V

      SCENE I. London. A street leading to the Tower.

      SCENE II. The DUKE OF YORK’s palace.

      SCENE III. A royal palace.

      SCENE IV. The same.

      SCENE V. Pomfret castle.

      SCENE VI. Windsor castle.

      RICHARD II

      ..................

      CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY

      ..................

      King Richard The Second.

      John Of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster - uncle to the King.

      Edmund Langley, Duke of York - uncle to the King.

      Henry, surnamed Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, son of John of Gaunt, afterwards King Henry IV.

      Duke Of Aumerle, son of the Duke of York.

      Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

      Duke Of Surrey.

      Earl Of Salisbury.

      Earl Berkeley.

      Bushy, Bagot and Green, favourites of King Richard.

      Earl Of Northumberland.

      Henry Percy, surnamed Hotspur, his son.

      Lord Ross.

      Lord Willoughby.

      Lord Fitzwater.

      Bishop Of Carlisle.

      Abbot Of Westminster.

      Lord Marshal.

      Sir Stephen Scroop.

      Sir Pierce Of Exton.

      Captain of a band of Welshmen.

      Two Gardeners

      Queen to King Richard.

      Duchess Of York.

      Duchess Of Gloucester, widow of Thomas of Woodstock.

      Duke of Gloucester.

      Lady attending on the Queen

      Lords, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Keeper, Messenger, Groom, and other Attendants

      SCENE: ENGLAND AND WALES

      ..................

      ACT I

      ..................

      SCENE I. LONDON. KING RICHARD II’S PALACE.

      ..................

      Enter KING RICHARD II, JOHN OF GAUNT, with other Nobles and Attendants

      KING RICHARD II

      Old John of Gaunt, time-honour’d Lancaster,

      Hast thou, according to thy oath and band,

      Brought hither Henry Hereford thy bold son,

      Here to make good the boisterous late appeal,

      Which then our leisure would not let us hear,

      Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?

      JOHN OF GAUNT

      I have, my liege.

      KING RICHARD II

      Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him,

      If he appeal the duke on ancient malice;

      Or worthily, as a good subject should,

      On some known ground of treachery in him?

      JOHN OF GAUNT

      As near as I could sift him on that argument,

      On some apparent danger seen in him

      Aim’d at your highness, no inveterate malice.

      KING RICHARD II

      Then call them to our presence; face to face,

      And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will hear

      The accuser and the accused freely speak:

      High-stomach’d are they both, and full of ire,

      In rage deaf as the sea, hasty as fire.

      Enter HENRY BOLINGBROKE and THOMAS MOWBRAY

      HENRY BOLINGBROKE

      Many years of happy days befal

      My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege!

      THOMAS MOWBRAY

      Each day still better other’s happiness;

      Until the heavens, envying earth’s good hap,

      Add an immortal title to your crown!

      KING RICHARD II

      We thank you both: yet one but flatters us,

      As well appeareth by the cause you come;

      Namely to appeal each other of high treason.

      Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object

      Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?

      HENRY BOLINGBROKE

      First, heaven be the record to my speech!

      In the devotion of a subject’s love,

      Tendering the precious safety of my prince,

      And free from other misbegotten hate,

      Come I appellant to this princely presence.

      Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,

      And mark my greeting well; for what I speak

      My body shall make good upon this earth,

      Or my divine soul answer it in heaven.

      Thou art a traitor and a miscreant,

      Too good to be so and too bad to live,

      Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,

      The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly.

      Once more, the more to aggravate the note,

      With a foul traitor’s name stuff I thy throat;

      And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move,

      What my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove.

      THOMAS MOWBRAY

      Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal:

      ‘Tis not the trial of a woman’s war,

      The bitter clamour of two eager tongues,

      Can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain;

      The blood is hot that must be cool’d for this:

      Yet can I not of such tame patience boast

      As to be hush’d and nought at all to say:

      First, the fair reverence of your highness curbs me

      From giving reins and spurs to my free speech;

      Which else would post until it had return’d

      These terms of treason doubled down his throat.

      Setting aside his high blood’s royalty,

      And let him be no kinsman to my liege,

      I do defy him, and I spit at him;

      Call him a slanderous coward and a villain:

      Which to maintain I would allow him odds,

      And meet him, were I tied to run afoot

      Even to the frozen ridges of the Alps,

      Or any other ground inhabitable,

      Where ever Englishman durst set his foot.

      Mean time let this defend my loyalty,

      By all my hopes, most falsely doth he lie.

      HENRY BOLINGBROKE

      Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage,

      Disclaiming here the kindred of the king,

      And lay aside my high blood’s royalty,

      Which fear, not reverence, makes thee to except.

      If guilty dread have left thee so much strength

      As to take up mine honour’s pawn, then stoop:

      By that and all the rites of knighthood else,

      Will I make good against thee, arm to arm,

      What I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise.

      THOMAS MOWBRAY

      I take it up; and by that sword I swear

      Which gently laid my knighthood on my shoulder,

      I’ll answer thee in any fair degree,

      Or chivalrous design of knightly trial:

      And when I mount, alive may I not light,

      If I be traitor or unjustly fight!

      KING RICHARD II

      What doth our cousin lay to Mowbray’s charge?

      It must be great that can inherit us

      So much as of a thought of ill in him.

      HENRY BOLINGBROKE

      Look, what I speak, my life shall prove it true;

      That Mowbray hath received eight thousand nobles

      In name of lendings for your highness’ soldiers,

      The which he hath detain’d for lewd employments,

      Like a false traitor and injurious villain.

      Besides I say and will in battle prove,

      Or here or elsewhere to the furthest verge

      That ever was survey’d by English eye,

      That all the treasons for these eighteen years

      Complotted and contrived in

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