Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

EXTON

in Richard the Second — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayRichard the Second
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1597
First performance1595
Decade1590s
GenreTragedy; History
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Exton | Exton.
Words181
Characters896
Typicality0.16 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11994
BritDrama no.1002
ClusterCluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Didst thou not ma ke the K what words he spoke? Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear? Was it not so? Have I no friend quoth he he spoke it twice. And vrgde it twice together, did he not? And speaking it, he wishtly looked on me, As who should say, I would thou Wertenberg the man, That would divorce this terror from my heart, Meaning the king at Pomfret. Come lets go, I am the kings friend, and will rid his foe. As full of valour as of royal blood: Both have I spiled, O would the deed were good For now the devil that told me I did well, Says that this deed is chroni led in hell: This dead king to the living king I'll bear. Take hence the rest, and give them burial . Great King, within this coffin I pr sent Thy buried fear: herein all breathless lies The mightiest of thy greacest enemies, Richard of Bordeaux, by me hither brought. From your own mouth my Lo. did I this deed.

Plot summary

Plot — Richard the Second
HennyiBolingbroke and THOMasIMGWbiay accuse one another of treason. Bolingbroke claims that Mowbray has misappropriated money intended to pay the army, and is responsible for the murder of the Duke of Gleweester. Mowbray insists that the money he kept was in reimbursement of legitimate expenses, but has no very clear rebuttal to the murder charge. They challenge one another to fight, and KimglRi@hard is unable to persuade them out of it. On the appointed day, however, he intervenes to halt the trial by combat and banishes them both, Bolingbroke for a term of years and Mowbray forever; Bolingbroke’s sentence is ===== PAGE 288 ===== cut from ten years to six to please his father, JOHMIS Gaunt Richard is using unorthodox means to raise revenue, including leases and forced loans. He goes to visit Gaunt, who is mortally ill, hoping to find him dead so that he can seize the estate to pay for his Irish wars; but he arrives too soon and has to listen to some dying words of wisdom. He then sequesters Gaunt’s property, despite fRelDUKeIOMork's protest at the dispossession of the rightful heir, Bolingbroke. He goes to Ireland, leaving York to rule England in his absence. NOrhUmbeHand and other nobles, discontented with Richard’s fiscal practices, learn that Bolingbroke is returning to England with an army, and join him. York mobilizes troops to defend the kingdom, but Bolingbroke insists that he only comes to claim his inheritance. Richard returns from Ireland, intending to crush the rebellion, only to find that the Welsh troops with whom he was to rendezvous have given up waiting, thinking him dead, and disbanded themselves. He gives in to despair on learning that Bolingbroke has executed his favourites and won York’s support. Bolingbroke demands the repeal of his banishment and restoration of his lands, but Richard is willing even to give up the crown. At a parliament, there are persistent rumours and recriminations about Gloucester’s death, and gages thud to the floor as numerous lords challenge one another to fight. Bolingbroke controls the situation. Richard resigns in his favour, and he becomes King Henry IV; HelBishoplofcarlisle dissents and is arrested. Richard is summoned to make a formal, public surrender of power, but he balks at the demand that he read a list of charges against his regime. His Qh returns to France, and he is imprisoned at Pontefract. WorkSMson, degraded in rank for supporting Richard, joins a conspiracy to assassinate the new King. York…