Richard II

By William Shakespeare, William Griggs, William Aldis Wright, et al.

Book Overview

The ill-fated reign of King Richard II and his eventual overthrow take center stage in one of Shakespeare's greatest history plays.

This title in the Signet Classics Shakespeare series includes:

- An overview of William Shakespeare's life, world, and theater
- A special introduction to the play by the editor, Kenneth Muir
- A note on the source from which Shakespeare derived Richard II--a generous selection of Raphael Holinshed's The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland
- Dramatic criticism from Walter Pater, Richard D. Altick, Derek Traversi, and others
- A stage and screen history of notable actors, directors, and productions of Richard II
- Text, notes, and commentaries printed in the clearest, most readable format
- Recommended readings

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451527194
• ISBN13: 9780451527196
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

KING RICHARD II ARDEN SHAKESPEARE

THIS EDITION IS BEAUTIFULLY ORGANIZED... THE FOOTNOTES ARE THOROUGH AND ENGAGING... THE CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY ARE FULLY EXPLAINED... THIS WAS FOR ME A BEAUTIFUL PATHWAY TO A FABULOUS PLAY

Good for a reading group

I ordered a number of copies of this book -- the New Folger Library edition of Richard II -- for use by members of a Shakespeare reaeding group in Tbilisi, Georgia (that's the country, not the state), most of whose members are not native speakers of English. For this purpose the Foger edition, with notes on the page facing each page of text, was very useful -- more useful, I think, than the Arden edition, whose critical apparatus is very copious but often gets in the way. And in a few cases I found the Folger's notes more accurate and informative. Harry Berger's concluding essay, however, is not so good. It argues a thesis that I find somewhat implausible and one-sided in its reading of the play, so especially for the new student it is not very useful. But coming at the end of the text it is easy to ignore.

Penguin audiotape is excellent

The Penguin production of Richard II is full length and well done. The other version(s) are abridged and not so good. I find it increases understanding and satisfaction of Shakespeare to listen to the tapes while reading.

Well balanced tale

Yes, Mr or Ms Reader, this is a hidden gem of Shakespeare's. Perhaps it is a bit too weighed down with history to ever attract Mr Di Caprio, but the story is intriguing and one's opinion of Richard changes scene by scene. Wonderful wordplay and nobility in abundance make this one to turn too immediately should you wish to delve beyond the traditional canon of the Bard's works.