Richard II

Shakespeare's *Richard II* plunges us into the tumultuous final years of a king who, though divinely appointed, proves utterly unsuited to rule. Richard, a monarch more concerned with courtly fashion and personal gain than the welfare of his kingdom, alienates his nobles and subjects alike through reckless spending, unjust taxation, and the confiscation of inherited lands. When he exiles his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and seizes the dying John of Gaunt's estates, he ignites a rebellion that will strip him of his crown, his liberty, and ultimately, his life. It's a gripping descent from absolute power to abject vulnerability, exploring the very nature of kingship when the man beneath the crown is found wanting.