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Richard II (play)
Contributed by: Bennett
  • 1. In what year was 'The Life and Death of King Richard the Second' first recorded to be performed?
A) 1611
B) 1623
C) 1601
D) 1595
  • 2. Which two noblemen were involved in a dispute that King Richard II was asked to arbitrate?
A) John of Gaunt and Thomas Mowbray
B) Thomas Mowbray and Henry Bolingbroke
C) Bushy and Bagot
D) Henry Bolingbroke and the Duke of York
  • 3. What was King Richard II's initial sentence for both Mowbray and Bolingbroke before he changed it?
A) Trial by battle
B) Imprisonment
C) Execution
D) Exile from England
  • 4. How long was Henry Bolingbroke originally sentenced to be banished for before Richard II reduced it?
A) Ten years
B) Fifteen years
C) Six years
D) Life
  • 5. Who dies after an impassioned invective against King Richard II from his sick-bed?
A) Thomas Mowbray
B) Henry Bolingbroke
C) John of Gaunt
D) The Duke of Gloucester
  • 6. What action does King Richard II take against John of Gaunt's estate after his death?
A) Distributes it among the nobility
B) Donates it to charity
C) Returns it to Bolingbroke
D) Seizes all his land and money
  • 7. Which character orchestrates an uprising against King Henry IV?
A) Bagot
B) Henry Bolingbroke
C) Bushy
D) The Duke of Aumerle
  • 8. How does King Henry IV respond to the murder of Richard II in his cell?
A) Promotes him
B) Forgives him
C) Dismisses Sir Piers Exton from his court
D) Executes him immediately
  • 9. What is the first work in the Henriad tetralogy?
A) Richard II
B) Henry V
C) Henry IV, Part 1
D) Henry VI, Part 1
  • 10. What classification does the First Folio give to 'The Life and Death of Richard the Second'?
A) Comedy
B) Romance
C) Tragedy
D) English history play
  • 11. What political theme is central in Richard II, as noted by critic John R. Elliott Jr.?
A) The rise of Bolingbroke to the throne and conflict over kingship
B) The role of the nobility
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) Bolingbroke
B) The Duke of York
C) Richard II
D) John of Gaunt
  • 13. What does Richard II believe about his kingly role, leading to his failure?
A) He is chosen and guided by God with absolute authority
B) He must always act in the best interest of his subjects
C) He should share power with the nobility
D) His power is derived from military strength
  • 14. What unusual feature does Richard II have compared to other Shakespearean history plays?
A) It lacks any political themes
B) It is written entirely in verse
C) It has no soliloquies
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 Glorious Revolution
C) The Gunpowder Plot
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 importance of royal lineage
D) The distinction between a king's mortal body and his spiritual, political role
  • 17. What does Bolingbroke's rise to power signify according to critic Irving Ribner?
A) The start of a new era influenced by Machiavellian philosophy
B) A rejection of legal principles
C) A return to traditional monarchy
D) An end to political turmoil
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