Richard II is Shakespeare’s story of the nature of authority. Set in the 14th Century, Richard’s weakness as a ruler leads to civil unrest in England. The play examines the questions, “What do we do when we have bad people ruling over us?” as well as “How is God’s authority expressed on earth?” With beautiful poetry and non-stop action, Shakespeare paints the portrait of a sensitive and tormented man who struggles to live up to his vocation.
