Richard II by William Shakespeare

Shakespeares Richard II dramatizes the fall of an arrogant, divinely-appointed king and the rise of the pragmatic Henry Bolingbroke.

Richard IIs mismanagement and seizure of noble lands provoke rebellion.

Bolingbroke returns from exile, rallying support to reclaim his inheritance, which escalates into a power struggle.

Richards reliance on divine right crumbles against political reality.

Deposed and imprisoned, he delivers poignant soliloquies on identity and loss before being murdered by supporters of the new regime.

The play examines the transition from medieval sacred monarchy to Machiavellian politics, questioning the legitimacy of power and the human cost of usurpation.