Richard II Student Book (Year 11 Advanced: Critical Study)

Step into the charged world of Shakespeare's Richard II, a play where poetry, politics, and prophecy collide. Designed to guide students toward a thoughtful and personal engagement with one of Shakespeare's most lyrical history plays, this student book explores Richard's downfall, deposition and the troubling question Shakespeare leaves us with: which is worse — a king too poetic to rule, or a ruler too pragmatic to dream?

Throughout this study, students engage in a variety of activities that invite them to respond critically and creatively to Shakespeare's text. These activities encompass imaginative, persuasive, reflective, and discursive writing, enabling students to explore the play's layered treatment of kingship, power, identity, and legitimacy.

By working through the different activities in this student book, students will deepen their understanding of the play's distinctive use of blank verse, its symbolic and prophetic imagery and symbolism, and its enduring questions about authority, succession, and human frailty. In doing so, they will develop the skills and insights needed to form their own interpretation of Richard II, and to appreciate why it remains such a vital and haunting work in Shakespeare's canon.