AUDIOBOOK

Richard II

William ShakespeareSeries: Wars of the Roses (Shakespeare)
4.6
(41)
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Duration
2h 52m
Year
2005
Language
English
Publisher
Blackstone Publishing

About

Shakespeare's finest verse play is also his first portrait of the psychology of power.

The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard's right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he meets his death heroically. Meanwhile Bolingbroke's seizure of the crown has caused resentment among the nobles of England.

Rupert Graves is Richard II, and Julian Glover is Bolingbroke. John Wood plays John of Gaunt.

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Reviews

"Cambridge University Press has provided a very great service to the scholarly community with its series The Early Quartos…This text is a valuable contribution to the study of this play and of the history of Shakespare's texts in general."
Shakespeare Bulletin
"Listeners will easily lose themselves in the rhythm of the erudite language and period-sounding music, written especially for this production…A gift to all for the ages."
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Extended Details

    Artists

    William Shakespeareauthor
    Various Readersreader

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