King Richard II

by William Shakespeare

"King Richard II" by William Shakespeare is a history play written in 1595. It dramatizes the final two years of Richard II's reign, as conspiring noblemen orchestrate his downfall. When the king banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and seizes his inheritance, he sets in motion his own destruction. Bolingbroke returns with an army to reclaim his lands, but soon his ambitions reach higher—toward the crown itself. The play explores the tragic collapse of a monarch through his own flawed decisions and the ruthless machinations of those who surround him.