Richard II is one of Shakespeare’s history plays, centering on (more or less) factual historical events from British history. The play depicts the political and social struggles of late 14th century England, including England’s conflicts with neighboring nations such as Ireland and France, and the often bloody power struggles between members of the English aristocracy. Additionally, Richard II explores themes that are common to his other history plays, including the divine right of kings and the responsibilities of rulership.
All of Shakespeare’s history plays concern the life of a medieval king of England, in this case Richard II. In the play, as in history, King Richard II is deposed by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who later becomes King Henry IV. Ultimately, Richard is imprisoned and then assassinated by one of Henry's allies. The play offers a specific interpretation of these pivotal events, focusing on the personalities of the prominent figures whose decisions, strengths, and failures would come to shape British history.
However, Richard II is also generally considered to be a play that straddles two genres: the history play and the tragedy. Like other Shakespearean tragedies, its primary character is propelled to his tragic fate due to some personal flaw. Richard’s unshakeable belief in the rights and privileges he is owed as legitimate monarch is his tragic flaw; he overestimates the security of his position as King, and fails to curb the growing power of his many enemies. King Richard II also shares many traits with Shakespeare’s other grand tragic figures, such as Hamlet, including a tendency towards lengthy and eloquent soliloquies that meditate on the nature of power and the impact of a leader’s decisions on society as a whole.
