Richard II
Shakespeare wrote a history play that is really a meditation on language, legitimacy, and the performance of kingship.
“For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.”
Why It Matters
Shakespeare wrote a history play that is really a meditation on language, legitimacy, and the performance of kingship. Richard is a poet-king who speaks beautifully but governs terribly, and his deposition scene is one of the most psychologically complex moments in the histories. The play launched the entire second tetralogy and remains one of Shakespeare's most intellectually rich works.
The 
Take
Personal reviewHot take, I think this was better than Richard the 3rd. The language was excellent. King Richard and Henry were both great characters. I’m impressed by this Shakespeare guy
Notable Quotes
“Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm off from an anointed king.”
“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”