Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: The life and deat h of King Richard the second he composition of the play Richard II in (5.v.111–2). While Q1’s author was anonymous, its Quarto form can be assigned anywhere Q2 attributed the play to Shakespeare. between 1587 (the second edition of Q3 appeared in the same year but without the THolinshed) and 1597, the publication of the first frontispiece: quarto. [Q3 1598] The Tragedie of King Richard the second. As it hath beene publikely acted by the Publication Date Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. By William Shake-speare. London The Tragedy of Richard II was first published in Printed by Valentine Simmes, for Andrew quarto in 1597 and seems to have sold very well. It Wise, and are to be solde at his shop in Paules appeared twice in 1598, with two further quartos churchyard, at the signe of the Angel. 1598. before the First Folio. In 1603, the play was tranferred to Matthew Law: [SR 1597] 29° Augusti. Andrew Wise. Entred for his Copie by appoyntment from master [SR 1603] 25 Junij. Mathew Lawe. Entred Warden Man, The Tragedye of Richard the for his copies in full courte Holden this Second vjd. Day. These ffyve copies folowinge . viz [Q1 1597] The Tragedie of King Richard the iij enterludes or playes . The second of second. As it hath beene publikely acted by the Richard the 2. ... all kinges ... all whiche by right Honourable the Lorde Chamberlaine consent of the Company are sett over to him his Seruants. London Printed by Valentine from Andrew Wyse. Simmes for Andrew Wise, and are to be sold [Q4 1608] The Tragedie of King Richard at his shop in Paules church yard at the signe the second. As it hath been publikely of the Angel. 1597. acted by the Right Honourable the Lord [Q2 1598] The Tragedie of King Richard the Chamberlaine his seruantes. By William second. As it hath beene publikely acted by Shake-speare. London, Printed by W[illiam] the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine W[hite] for Matthew Law, and are to be his seruants. By William Shake-speare. London sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, at Printed by Valentine Simmes for Andrew the signe of the Foxe. 1608. Wise, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules [in some copies.] The Tragedie of King Richard churchyard at the signe of the Angel. 1598. the Second: With new additions of the Parliament Sceane, and the deposing of King Both Q1 and Q2 have a frontispiece depicting a Richard, As it hath been lately acted by the man with one arm weighed down and his right Kinges Majesties seruantes, at the Globe. By arm (with wings) reaching towards heaven, with William Shake-speare. At London, Printed God in the background beckoning. This would by W. W. for Mathew Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard, at appear to anticipate Richard’s final words: the signe of the Foxe. 1608. ‘Mount, mount, my soul! Thy seat is up on high / Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward here to die.’ © De Vere Society 1 Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: Title page to the anonymous first and second quartos of Richard II, 1597 and 1598. By permission of Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, shelfmark Arch. G d.45 (4) title page. Q4 contains the first printed example of [Q5 1615] The Tragedie of King Richard the the deposition scene (as “lately acted”, but how Second: With new additions of the Parliament lately is not known). Mention is made only in Sceane, and the deposing of King Richard. some title pages of Q4. It is thought that this As it hath been lately acted by the Kinges Maiesties seruants, at the Globe. By William scene was composed at the same time as the rest 1 Shake-speare At London, Printed for Mathew of the play, but censored. The Q1 text moves Law, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules from Northumberland’s order that the Abbot Church-yard, at the signe of the Foxe. 1615 of Westminster guard the Bishop of Carlisle to [F1 1623] The Life & death of Richard the the abbot’s comment “A woeful pageant have second. [Histories, 23–45, sign.b6–d5. we here beheld.” This makes little sense unless the deposition scene intervenes. Similarly, Chambers says that Q1 is a good text, possibly Bolingbroke’s command “Convey him to the showing the author’s supervision. Later quartos Tower” at the end of the cut portion neatly were thought to have been set successively from anticipates Richard’s next appearance en route each other. The Folio is thought to have been set (5.1.7). It has been accepted that the Deposition from Q5. The play was published anonymously Scene was too politically sensitive for publication in the first quarto and then attributed to William in 1598–1603, as the suggestion of abdication Shake-speare in 1598 in Q2, and in later quartos. might have been treasonably applied to Elizabeth. Tillyard argued that Shakespeare wrote an earlier version of Richard II and that the extant © De Vere Society 2 Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: version is a revision.2 J. Dover Wilson expanded it was Shakespeare’s play which was performed this idea of revision, noting various inconsistencies, on 7 February, 1601, the night before the Essex e.g. Bagot leaves for Ireland (2.3.140), then is rebellion. Against this majority view, Peter Ure executed at Bristol (3.2.122) but is still alive to argued that the work presented at the Globe was be tried at 4.1; Bolingbroke refers obliquely to his Hayward’s prose account The Life and Reigne of marriage without further reference (2.1.168–9); Henry IIII, which had been registered in 1599 and Bolingroke’s suggestion that Bushy and Green published in 1600. Ure’s arguments were expanded had had homosexual relations with Richard by Jon L. Manning and Leeds Barroll, who noted (3.1.11–15). Egan examines the allusive treatment that Hayward’s account of the deposition was to Gloucester’s suspicious death, an event which much more detailed than Shakespeare’s, making precedes the events in the play. explicit links between Essex and Bolingbroke.3 The play was very popular, as Queen Elizabeth Performance Dates herself knew when she remarked shortly after the Essex Rebellion to the Keeper of the Tower of While there are as a number of references to play London: “I am Richard. Know ye not that? . performances in the late Elizabethan period, there this tragedy was played 40tie times in open streets are only two possible references to Richard II in and houses.” (Chambers, WS, I, 354) performance before the First Folio was published A performance in a more exotic location is in 1623. The earliest possible reference is in a letter mentioned by a Captain Keeling in his Journal dated 7 December 1595 in which Sir Edward (30 September 1607), that while off Sierra Leone Hoby invited Sir Robert Cecil to his house in “Captain Hawkins dined with me, wher my Canon Row, Westminster, for what may have companions acted Kinge Richard the Second.” been a performance of Richard II: Simon Forman describes a performance of “Richard the 2 At the Glob” on 30 April Sir, findinge that you wer not convenientlie 1611 but the play does not seem to have been to be at London to morrow night I am bold Shakespeare’s since it involves characters handled to send to knowe whether Teusdaie [9 Dec] very differently, including a treacherous John of may be anie more in your grace to visit poore Gaunt who actively plotted his son’s accession Channon rowe where as late as it shal please you a gate for your supper shal be open: & K (Chambers, WS, I, 354–6). Richard present him selfe to your vewe. Did Shakespeare write a Richard II It is not certain whether the sentence ‘K Richard Part 1 now lost? present him selfe to your vewe’ refers to a performance of a play, or even if this play was Because our version of Richard II starts in medias Shakespeare’s Richard II. Although Hoby sent his res, there have been various commentators who letter two years before the publication of Richard have suggested that Shakespeare had written the II and Richard III, it is thought unlikely that extant play as Part 2 and that Part 1 was either lost Hoby would greet an important guest with a or could be identified in the anonymous Thomas performance of a cruel tyrant such as Richard III. of Woodstock. The characters in Richard II assume If a play was intended, it might have been Thomas considerable knowledge of preceding events of Woodstock or another play dealing with similar involving King Richard, his uncle (Thomas of events. It has also been suggested that Hoby might Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester), Mowbray and have had a portrait of Richard II to show off. Bolingbroke. Gloucester had died mysteriously The play is mentioned by Meres in 1598. At while in custody in Calais, with Mowbray Essex’s trial on 5 June 1600 for his mishandling implicated as the King’s agent, denounced by of events in Ireland, concern was expressed Bolingbroke. These events are not explained in at “he Erle himself being so often present at Richard II, but are covered in Thomas of Woodstock. the playing thereof, and with great applause, In Richard II, Mowbray and Bolingbroke only giving countenance and lyking to the same”.