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*ONLINE* Richard II: A Closer Look

Shakespeare Discussion group

Join us for an immersive online lecture as we unravel the decadent and precarious world of Richard II, one of Shakespeare's most lyrical and politically charged historical plays.

This session moves beyond the pageantry of crowns and courts to explore the play’s poetic meditation on power, identity, and legitimacy. We’ll trace Richard’s transformation from divinely anointed monarch to fallen man, and consider how his downfall reflects the tension between sacred authority and human frailty.

Through close reading, historical context, and critical interpretation, we’ll examine how Richard II captures the shifting foundations of kingship in late medieval England—and how Shakespeare uses language itself as both weapon and mirror. We’ll engage with themes of performance and self-image, rebellion and loyalty, and the haunting question of what remains when the crown is gone.

Whether you’re well-versed in Shakespeare’s histories or encountering Richard II for the first time, this presentation will offer fresh perspectives on one of his most elegant and enigmatic works—a tragedy of words, identity, and the crumbling of divine order.

"For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings." – Act 3, Scene 2

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