Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Literary Criticism English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

The Oxford Shakespeare

Richard II

by (author) William Shakespeare

edited by Anthony B. Dawson & Paul Yachnin

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2011
Category
English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780198186427
    Publish Date
    Oct 2011
    List Price
    $190.00

Add it to your shelf

Where to buy it

Description

Written in 1595, Richard II occupies a significant place in the Shakespeare canon. It marks the transition from the earlier history plays dominated by civil war and stark power to a more nuanced representation of the political conflicts of England's past where character and politics are inextricably intertwined. Deftly combining history with tragedy, its tale of bad government and usurpation had great political immediacy for its first audiences in late Elizabethan England and continues to resonate today.

This scholarly but student-friendly edition features a freshly edited version of the text based on the early quartos and first Folio of 1623. The thorough set of textual notes and full commentary are designed to aid the modern reader to better understand and appreciate the language, the characters, and the dramatic action. The introduction places the play squarely in its own time, describing its topical significance and its political perspectives, and showing how carefully Shakespeare positioned his play within an ongoing political conversation. Together with this historical perspective, the introduction focuses as well on the play's richly poetic language and its great success over the centuries as a play for the stage.

About the authors

Contributor Notes

Anthony Dawson is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Paul Yachnin is Tomlinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies and Chair of English at McGill University.

Other titles by

King Lear - Ed. Best & Joubin

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Michael R. Best & Alexa Alice Joubin

The Tempest

A Broadview Internet Shakespeare Edition

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Paul Yachnin & J.F. Bernard

Othello

A Broadview Internet Shakespeare Edition

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Jessica Slights

The Merchant of Venice

A Broadview Anthology of British Literature Edition

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Julie Sutherland
general editor Joseph Black, Leonard Conolly, Kate Flint, Isobel Grundy, Don LePan, Roy Liuzza, Jerome J. McGann, Anne Lake Prescott, Barry V. Qualls & Claire Waters

Henry V

A Broadview Internet Shakespeare Edition

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by James D. Mardock

Romeo and Juliet

by (author) William Shakespeare & Sky Gilbert
edited by Daniel Fischlin
introduction by Jill Levenson

The Tempest

by (author) William Shakespeare & Daniel David Moses
edited by Daniel Fischlin

Richard II

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Anthony B. Dawson & Paul Yachnin

Twelfth Night

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by David Swain
series edited by Joseph Black, Leonard Conolly, Kate Flint, Isobel Grundy, Don LePan, Roy Liuzza, Jerome J. McGann, Anne Lake Prescott, Barry V. Qualls & Claire Waters

King Lear

by (author) William Shakespeare
edited by Craig Walker
general editor Joseph Black, Leonard Conolly, Kate Flint, Isobel Grundy, Don LePan, Roy Liuzza, Jerome J. McGann, Anne Lake Prescott, Barry V. Qualls & Claire Waters

Other titles by

Other titles by