Richard

Critical assessments of King Richard II vary widely, ranging from condemnation of Richard for betraying his royal office to sympathy for a weak but rightful ruler. Some critics have commented that while Richard views himself in a sentimental manner, it would be wrong for the audience to do so as well. They maintain that although Bolingbroke's rebellion is illegal, kingship is both sacred as well as a heavy burden that one must earn the right to endure. Richard's character is unsympathetically reviewed by commentators for transgressions both large and small. The king is thought by many characters to have ordered the death of Gloucester. Additionally, Richard orders both Mowbray and Bolingbroke to be banished, and then proceeds to confiscate the estate of Bolingbroke's father Gaunt after Gaunt's death. Legally, the estate and title belong to Bolingbroke. Also noted is Richard's rather sarcastic, flippant treatment of Bolingbroke and...