Richard II

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When this work received its first revival in 1599, the heirless Queen Elizabeth I faced a rebellion led by the Earl of Essex. Elizabeth famously quipped, "I am Richard II, know ye not that?" For theatre-goers today, Shakespeare's lyrical recounting of the fate of this king, who ruled fourteenth-century England, may resonate for reasons far different from Queen Elizabeth's: Richard's approval ratings have plummeted; he leads an unpopular foreign war that is impoverishing the nation; and his cronies are helping themselves to the tax coffers.