Richard II

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 127K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Richard II by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 1, 2000

Editor's review

This edition of Richard II is a key work in Shakespeare's history plays, presenting the change of kingship and human fate in verse, centering on the crisis of Richard II's reign and combining political intrigue with character portrayal. The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain English ebook, freely accessible and searchable, suitable as an introduction or for thematic reading of Shakespeare's histories. The many soliloquies and rhetorical figures help in understanding character psychology and the legitimacy of power, and are also suited to stage-performance study and verse-speaking practice. Readers may combine the late medieval English historical background, focusing on kingship, legitimacy, responsibility, and fate, and noting how the poetic language echoes the dramatic structure. As an electronic text, it is better suited to readers with English reading ability for close reading and comparative reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-speaking readers interested in Shakespeare's history plays
Students who need to study kingship and political legitimacy
Theater enthusiasts who wish to practice reading English lines aloud
Literature course learners with the ability to read English originals

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers who need a Chinese translation or bilingual annotations
Readers completely unfamiliar with English history who are unwilling to check background information
Casual readers who prefer the narrative pace of modern novels

Reading tips

First understand the basic historical succession from Richard II to Henry IV, then enter the play.
Read through in act and scene order, noting changes in the main characters' positions and key soliloquies.
Choose two or three soliloquies for reading practice to feel the rhythm and tone of the verse.
After finishing, compare with Shakespeare's other history plays to compare how the theme of kingship is presented.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this Richard II the original English edition or a Chinese translation?

According to the information, this is a public-domain English ebook released by Project Gutenberg, in English, not a Chinese translation. It is suitable for readers with English reading ability to read the original directly; if annotations or translation are needed, other editions should be used alongside.

Can I understand this play without a background in English history?

You can read it, but some background preparation is needed. The play involves changes of kingship and political conflict; if you first understand the basic historical context of Richard II's reign and pay attention to character relationships, understanding will be much smoother. Readers completely unwilling to check background may find it difficult.

Is this edition suitable for practicing dramatic lines?

Yes. This edition is a public-domain English electronic text, convenient for searching and excerpting lines. Readers can choose soliloquies by main characters for reading aloud, focusing on the rhythm, stress, and tone changes of the verse, which is convenient for line practice or stage-performance study.

Which themes should I focus on while reading?

Focus on the legitimacy and responsibility of kingship, the psychological changes of the ruler, the relationship between fate and character choice, and how the verse serves dramatic conflict. Reading with historical background will make it easier to grasp the interplay of political intrigue and human portrayal in the play.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.