is today considered one of Shakespeare’s most important history plays and one with many unique qualities. In writing

in 1595, Shakespeare was returning to the subject of English history which had led to four plays a few years earlier in his career--

and

(the so-called first historical tetralogy), probably written and performed between 1591 and 1593.

in turn was the first of four additional connected history plays (the “second tetralogy”) depicting events in the era preceding the earlier ones. The first tetralogy had depicted the bloody Wars of the Roses, an aristocratic civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster for control of the English throne. The second tetralogy is set in the generation…

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Citation: Grady, Hugh. "Richard II". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 September 2004; last revised 21 November 2019. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2372, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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