When Does "Richard II" (1595) Take Place?
"The Life and Death of King Richard the Second" (often released simply as "Richard II") is a historical fiction stageplay written by William Shakespeare that released as early as December 9th, 1595 (according to most scholars). So when is "Richard II" set?
It takes place in the years:
We know this because act one scene one depicts an audience with the real-world English King Richard II (1367-1400) in which a decision must be made in a dispute between the real-world Duke Henry Bolingbroke (later English King Henry IV) and the real-world Duke Thomas de Mowbray. This event really happened sometime in January of 1398 AD. A trial-by-combat is decreed to solve it.
1398 AD - 1400 AD
We know this because act one scene one depicts an audience with the real-world English King Richard II (1367-1400) in which a decision must be made in a dispute between the real-world Duke Henry Bolingbroke (later English King Henry IV) and the real-world Duke Thomas de Mowbray. This event really happened sometime in January of 1398 AD. A trial-by-combat is decreed to solve it.
The characters reconvene for this contest in act one scene three and this occurred in the real world on September 16th, 1398 AD. So we've reached September of 1398 AD.
In act two scene one, the real-world Duke John of Gaunt dies. This happened in the real world on February 3rd, 1399 AD. So the audience has been brought to February of 1399 AD.
Finally, at the end of the show in act five scene six, the real-world English King Henry IV (previously Duke Bolingbroke) (1367-1413) speaks about defeating the rebellion historians now call the Epiphany Rising, which occurred roughly from January 4th, 1400 AD to January 16th, 1400 AD. So it ends in January of 1400 AD.
It is the chronological first play in the Henriad universe (one of Shakespeare's only two series) and can be read at its timeline point.
It was adapted to film in 1954, for television in 1960 in two parts as "The Hollow Crown" and "The Deposing of a King", in 1960 for Australian television as "The Life and Death of King Richard II", as an audio-drama in 1961, to television again in 1978, to television yet again in 1997, and, finally, to film again in 2001.
