STUDY GUIDE for SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II
PART THE FIRST EDWARD III
was KING of ENGLAND from 1327 to 1377 HE HAD SEVEN SONS
THE “SEVEN SONS” ARE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT THE PLAY... THE “SEVEN SONS” ARE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT THE PLAY...
... YET ONLY FOUR ARE MENTIONED BY NAME AND ONLY TWO APPEAR IN THE PLAY.
THE FOUR SONS OF EDWARD III MENTIONED IN THE PLAY ARE:
1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES “THE BLACK PRINCE” THE FATHER OF RICHARD II 2. JOHN OF GAUNT THE DUKE OF LANCASTER THE FATHER OF HENRY BOLINGBROKE 3. THOMAS DUKE OF GLOUCESTER MURDERED BY MOWBRAY FOR RICHARD II 4. EDMUND DUKE OF YORK THE FATHER OF AUMERLE 1. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES “THE BLACK PRINCE” THE FATHER OF RICHARD II 2. JOHN OF GAUNT THE DUKE OF LANCASTER THE FATHER OF HENRY BOLINGBROKE 3. THOMAS DUKE OF GLOUCESTER MURDERED BY MOWBRAY FOR RICHARD II 4. EDMUND DUKE OF YORK THE FATHER OF AUMERLE
PART THE SECOND NAMES & TITLES
MANY OF SHAKESPEARE’S CHARACTERS HAVE MORE THAN ONE NAME. THIS IS TRUE OF EDWARD III’s SONS
FIRST, THEY ARE KNOWN BY THEIR BIRTHPLACE...
HENCE, GHENT IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND HIS SON HENRY WAS BORN AT CASTLE BOLINGBROKE.
SECONDLY, SHAKESPEARE’S CHARACTERS ARE KNOWN BY THEIR TITLES & LANDHOLDINGS
... SO JOHN OF GAUNT, THE DUKE OF LANCASTER, IS CALLED “LORD LANCASTER” OR SIMPLY “LANCASTER”
.. AND HENRY BOLINGBROKE, THE EARL OF DERBY, THE DUKE OF HEREFORD & HEIR TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER IS KNOWN AS “DERBY,” “HEREFORD” OR “LANCASTER.”.. AND HENRY BOLINGBROKE, THE EARL OF DERBY, THE DUKE OF HEREFORD & HEIR TO THE DUKE OF LANCASTER IS KNOWN AS “DERBY,” “HEREFORD” OR “LANCASTER.”
PART THE THIRD GENEALOGY
THE FOLLOWING GENEALOGY INCLUDES ONLY THOSE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY WHO ARE MENTIONED OR APPEAR IN SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II
EDWARD III KING of ENGLAND EDWARD “THE BLACK PRINCE Died 1376 (1st Son) RICHARD II KING of ENGLAND ISABELLE QUEEN of ENGLAND JOHN of GAUNT DUKE of LANCASTER Died 1399 (4th Son) HENRY BOLINGBROKE EARL of DERBY DUKE of HEREFORD DUKE of LANCASTER & KING of ENGLAND EDMUND DUKE of YORK Died 1402 (5th Son) ISABEL DUCHESS of YORK EDWARD EARL of RUTLAND DUKE of AUMERLE NO CHILDREN NO CHILDREN DUCHESS of GLOUCESTER THOMAS DUKE OF GLOUCESTER Died 1397 (7th Son)
FINIS