Reading the play, Richard II by William Shakespeare, I couldn’t help, but feel that this was lacking in quality compared to other famous Shakespearean plays like Romeo and Juliet, Othello, or Hamlet. The story of the tyrannical King Richard II and his acquisition and leadership of the throne is not as engaging as some of Shakespeare’s other well known works.

I find that, given the material of the play and the royal history of the text, Shakespeare was doing the best he could with the subject matter. Let’s face it, not many people could make a story like Richard II engaging, but Shakespeare still manages to build tension with such scenes as when the two combatants challenge each other to a duel. Also, sudden events like when Richard II calls off the duel leave readers wondering about his motives and what he’s thinking in his leadership. This questioning of authority allows the readers of the play to make their own opinion about Richard II’s leadership and if he is deserving of the title.

All in all, I feel Richard II is an excellent read, but I find it lacks the certain Shakespearean quality that other plays capture. I feel that the subject matter of the play is its most lacking point and that the text is not as engaging as some of Shakespeare’s other works.