Shakespeare Table Read: Richard II

As Richard’s inept rule chips away at the divine right he claims to possess, Shakespeare’s Richard II raises questions that still cut deep: When is it justified to remove an unjust ruler? Does a self exist apart from the roles we’re given? One of the most influential literary critics of the modern era, Harold Bloom, described the character of Richard as a “bad king but an interesting metaphysical poet.” Join fellow readers for lively discussion and in-class reading of this strange, luminous tragedy that invites us to consider questions of power, identity, and selfhood.

Required Reading: Required Text: Richard II: Folger Shakespeare Library edition