Richard II (play)

1. In what year was 'The Life and Death of King Richard the Second' first recorded to be performed?

A) 1601
B) 1611
C) 1595
D) 1623

2. Which two noblemen were involved in a dispute that King Richard II was asked to arbitrate?

A) Thomas Mowbray and Henry Bolingbroke
B) Bushy and Bagot
C) Henry Bolingbroke and the Duke of York
D) John of Gaunt and Thomas Mowbray

3. What was King Richard II's initial sentence for both Mowbray and Bolingbroke before he changed it?

A) Trial by battle
B) Exile from England
C) Imprisonment
D) Execution

4. How long was Henry Bolingbroke originally sentenced to be banished for before Richard II reduced it?

A) Ten years
B) Life
C) Fifteen years
D) Six years

5. Who dies after an impassioned invective against King Richard II from his sick-bed?

A) Henry Bolingbroke
B) The Duke of Gloucester
C) Thomas Mowbray
D) John of Gaunt

6. What action does King Richard II take against John of Gaunt's estate after his death?

A) Donates it to charity
B) Returns it to Bolingbroke
C) Distributes it among the nobility
D) Seizes all his land and money

7. Which character orchestrates an uprising against King Henry IV?

A) Henry Bolingbroke
B) Bushy
C) The Duke of Aumerle
D) Bagot

8. How does King Henry IV respond to the murder of Richard II in his cell?

A) Promotes him
B) Forgives him
C) Executes him immediately
D) Dismisses Sir Piers Exton from his court

9. What is the first work in the Henriad tetralogy?

A) Henry IV, Part 1
B) Richard II
C) Henry VI, Part 1
D) Henry V

10. What classification does the First Folio give to 'The Life and Death of Richard the Second'?

A) Tragedy
B) Romance
C) English history play
D) Comedy

11. What political theme is central in Richard II, as noted by critic John R. Elliott Jr.?

A) The role of the nobility
B) The rise of Bolingbroke to the throne and conflict over kingship
C) The power of the monarchy
D) The divine right of kings

12. Which character represents a more modern view of statecraft, according to critic Hugh M. Richmond?

A) Richard II
B) Bolingbroke
C) John of Gaunt
D) The Duke of York

13. What does Richard II believe about his kingly role, leading to his failure?

A) He should share power with the nobility
B) He must always act in the best interest of his subjects
C) He is chosen and guided by God with absolute authority
D) His power is derived from military strength

14. What unusual feature does Richard II have compared to other Shakespearean history plays?

A) It has no soliloquies
B) It is written entirely in verse
C) It lacks any political themes
D) It includes prose dialogue

15. What historical event was Richard II performed at, on the eve of an armed rebellion?

A) The English Civil War
B) The Gunpowder Plot
C) The Glorious Revolution
D) Essex's uprising in 1601

16. What is the theme of 'The King's Two Bodies' as it relates to Richard II?

A) The physical strength required for kingship
B) The need for divine intervention in politics
C) The distinction between a king's mortal body and his spiritual, political role
D) The importance of royal lineage

17. What does Bolingbroke's rise to power signify according to critic Irving Ribner?

A) A return to traditional monarchy
B) An end to political turmoil
C) A rejection of legal principles
D) The start of a new era influenced by Machiavellian philosophy

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