STUDY GUIDE

for

SHAKESPEARE’S

RICHARD II

PART THE FIRSTPART THE FIRST

EDWARD III

EDWARD IIIwas

KING of ENGLANDfrom

1327 to 1377

HE HAD SEVEN SONS

THE“SEVEN SONS”

ARE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT

THE PLAY. . .

THE“SEVEN SONS”

ARE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT

THE PLAY. . .

. . . YET ONLY FOUR ARE MENTIONED BY NAME. . . . . . YET ONLY FOUR ARE

MENTIONED BY NAME. . .

. . . AND ONLY TWO APPEAR IN THE PLAY.

THE FOUR SONS OF EDWARD III

MENTIONED IN THE PLAY ARE:

1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES 1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES • “THE BLACK PRINCE”• THE FATHER OF RICHARD II

2. JOHN OF GAUNT 2. JOHN OF GAUNT • THE DUKE OF LANCASTER• THE FATHER OF HENRY BOLINGBROKE

3. THOMAS3. THOMAS• DUKE OF GLOUCESTER• MURDERED BY MOWBRAY FOR RICHARD II

4. EDMUND• DUKE OF YORK• THE FATHER OF AUMERLE

1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES 1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES • “THE BLACK PRINCE”• THE FATHER OF RICHARD II

2. JOHN OF GAUNT 2. JOHN OF GAUNT • THE DUKE OF LANCASTER• THE FATHER OF HENRY BOLINGBROKE

3. THOMAS3. THOMAS• DUKE OF GLOUCESTER• MURDERED BY MOWBRAY FOR RICHARD II

4. EDMUND• DUKE OF YORK• THE FATHER OF AUMERLE

PART THE SECONDPART THE SECOND

NAMES & TITLESNAMES & TITLES

MANY OF SHAKESPEARE’S CHARACTERS HAVE MORE

THAN ONE NAME.

THIS IS TRUE OF EDWARD III’s

SONS

FIRST, THEY ARE

KNOWN BY THEIR BIRTHPLACE . . .

HENCE,GHENT IS THE BIRTHPLACE

OF JOHN OF GAUNT. . .

. . . AND HIS SON HENRY WAS BORN AT

CASTLE BOLINGBROKE.

SECONDLY, SHAKESPEARE’S CHARACTERS

ARE KNOWN BY THEIR TITLES & LANDHOLDINGS

. . . SO JOHN OF GAUNT,THE DUKE OF LANCASTER,

IS CALLED“LORD LANCASTER”

OR SIMPLY“LANCASTER”

. . AND HENRY BOLINGBROKE,

THE EARL OF DERBY,

THE DUKE OF HEREFORD

& HEIR TO

THE DUKE OF LANCASTER

IS KNOWN AS

“DERBY,” “HEREFORD” OR “LANCASTER.”

. . AND HENRY BOLINGBROKE,

THE EARL OF DERBY,

THE DUKE OF HEREFORD

& HEIR TO

THE DUKE OF LANCASTER

IS KNOWN AS

“DERBY,” “HEREFORD” OR “LANCASTER.”

PART THE THIRDPART THE THIRD

GENEALOGY

THE FOLLOWING GENEALOGY

INCLUDES ONLY THOSEMEMBERS OF THE

ROYAL FAMILY WHO ARE MENTIONED OR

APPEAR IN SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II

EDWARD IIIKING of ENGLAND

1327 - 1377

EDWARD “THE BLACK

PRINCEDied 1376(1st Son)

RICHARD IIKING of

ENGLAND1377 - 1399

ISABELLEQUEEN of ENGLAND

JOHN of GAUNTDUKE of

LANCASTERDied 1399(4th Son)

HENRY BOLINGBROKEEARL of DERBY

DUKE of HEREFORDDUKE of

LANCASTER&

KING of ENGLAND1399 - 1413

EDMUND DUKE of YORK

Died 1402(5th Son)

ISABELDUCHESS of YORK

EDWARD EARL of RUTLANDDUKE of AUMERLE

NO CHILDREN

NO CHILDREN

DUCHESS of

GLOUCESTER

THOMASDUKE OF

GLOUCESTERDied 1397(7th Son)

FINISFINIS