Richard II

by William Shakespeare

Richard II: Style 1 key example

New! Understand every line of Richard II.
Read our modern English translation.
Act 2, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis:

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.