SceneFiend library
Richard II
By William Shakespeare - Stage play
Roles
- John of Gaunt
- Henry Bolingbroke
About this piece
Bolingbroke laments about his exile to his father John of Gaunt
Summary
The play is about the fall from power and death of Richard II and the rise of the first king of the house of Lancaster, Henry Bolingbroke, who will become Henry IV. In the first scene we find Richard II acting as a judge for a dispute between Henry Bolingbroke, the king's cousin and son of John of Gaunt, and Thomas Mowbray, the Duke of Norfolk. Henry Bolingbroke accuses Thomas Mowbray of being a traitor and conspiring against the king. Eventually they decide to fight in a duel. At first the king accepts but then decides to banish them from England, Mowbray forever and Bolingbroke for six years. This scene comes at the end of the third scene of ACT I. Richard has just banished Bolingbroke for six years and Bolingbroke laments about this decision to his father John of Gaunt. His father advices him not to worry about it and tries to comfort him.
Use cases
Library metadata only. SceneFiend never includes script text here - pick up the published version to rehearse.
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