The cast of Richard II
The people who make Richard II move — what they want, who they love, who they hate, and how each one fits the story. Tap any name to read more.
King Richard II
Tragic protagonist; a divinely anointed king who loses his throne and discovers selfhood through poetry and suffering · approximately 26
Henry Bolingbroke
Usurper and pragmatist who seizes the throne through political skill rather than divine right · Young man, in his prime
Duke of York
Conflicted mediator between the old order and the new; a man torn between loyalty to the king and the law · Elderly
Duke of Aumerle
Richard's young supporter; later implicated in treason against Henry IV · Young
The Lord Northumberland
Political opportunist and architect of Richard's fall · Middle-aged
Duchess of York
Loyal matriarch pleading for mercy; voice of maternal love against rigid duty · elderly
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
Dying patriarch and voice of England's ancient glory · Elderly, near death
Queen Isabel
Richard's devoted wife; witness to his fall and symbol of helpless love in a world of political power
Bushy
Richard's flatterer and courtier; one of the king's inner circle who profits from his favor
Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk
Accused traitor; a knight bound by medieval honor
Henry Percy
Young nobleman and loyal supporter of Bolingbroke; son of Northumberland · Young
Lord Marshal
Officer of the court who presides over the trial by combat
Lord Ross
Nobleman and conspirator; one of three lords who witness Richard's misrule and defect to Bolingbroke
Green
Richard's flatterer and courtier; herald of bad news
Lord Willoughby
Loyal English nobleman and Bolingbroke supporter
Servant
Messenger and attendant; brings news of the Duchess's death to the Duke of York
Bagot
Courtier and flatterer; minor conspirator in Richard's downfall
Bishop of Carlisle
Ecclesiastical conscience and prophet; Richard's loyal defender
Lady
Attendant to the Queen; voice of gentle concern
Lord Fitzwater
Accuser and loyal supporter of Bolingbroke
Sir Pierce of Exton
The king's instrument of murder; a man who mistakes royal frustration for command
Sir Stephen Scroop
Royal messenger and herald; bearer of devastating news to the king
The Gardener
A humble keeper of order who mirrors the kingdom's disorder through his garden
Hear every line of Richard II, narrated.
