Richard II by William Shakespeare . Richard II is one of Shakespeare's finest works: lucid, eloquent, and boldly structured. It can be seen as a tragedy, or a historical play, or a political drama, or as one part of a vast dramatic cycle which helped to generate England's national identity. Today, to some of us, Richard II may appear conservative; but, in Shakespeare's day, it could appear subversive: 'I am Richard II', declared an indignant Queen Elizabeth. Numerous recent revivals in the theatre and on screen have demonstrated the enduring power and poignancy of this drama of the downfall of an egoistic but pitiable monarch.

Also known as Thomas of Woodstock, this unique edition is the only one based on a computerized analysis of the anonymous, hand-written MS in the British Library. Designed for actors and directors, but including scholarly notes and a comparative review of the MS's 13 earlier editions, the meticulously edited text concludes with a 'conjectural emendation' in the Elizabethan manner winding up the story. Is it by Shakespeare? This long-forgotten masterpiece completes the 'Hollow Crown' cycle filling in the narrative between Edward III and Shakespeare's Richard II, which begins immediately after its dramatic depiction of King Richard's first deposition and restoration in December, 1387.

The classic tragedy about the downfall of King Richard II is presented with critical commentary and historical background