As with his other history plays, Shakespeare assumes a relatively elevated and formal style in Richard II. The historical events depicted in the play had grave consequences for British history, setting the stage for the bloody War of the Roses in the following century, an event that Shakespeare covers in later history plays. These events, then, required a certain sense of gravity from Shakespeare, and he maintains this formal style throughout the play with little interruption. The occasionally crass humor that defines many of Shakespeare’s other plays, for example, is mostly absent in Richard II.
The play’s dialogue is largely written in blank verse, or unrhymed iambic pentameter. This verse form is well suited to Shakespeare's historical plays, as it creates a sense of gravitas and formality that befits the weighty subject matter. Indeed, Shakespeare presents few instances of private or casual speech in this play. Instead, characters use an elevated style that suits the play’s refined and courtly settings. One of the most famous passages in the play, John of Gaunt’s “sceptered isle” speech, demonstrates this elevated style. Describing England, he says:
This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea
This speech, with its emphatic repetition and layered metaphors, has been crafted with a self-conscious sense of rhetorical flair. These are no impromptu or “off the cuff” remarks; when characters speak in Richard II, they do so with a keen awareness that their words will be recorded for posterity. This formal style, full of classical allusions and dense metaphors, creates a sense of grandeur and majesty that befits the characters' positions of power.
