Richard II and the Disenchantment Of Kingship

In Richard II, Shakespeare tests the limits of the ancient doctrine of the divine right of kings, as King Richard violates the very time-honored rights that made him King in the first place. When God does not in fact send “angels to fight” for the “deputy elected by the Lord,” King Richard himself “undecks the pompous body of a king,” and in some of the most gorgeous poetry in all of Shakespeare, explores what it means to be a “king” by beginning to realize, and express feelingly, what it means to be a man. Guided by Richard McCoy (Distinguished Professor of English, Queens College, CUNY, and author of Alterations of State: Sacred Kingship in the English Reformation), the evening will explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of English kings and the shifting bases of their authority. The evening will also feature readings from Richard II by a cast led by The Knick‘s Andre Holland, including Byron Jennings (Obie & Drama Desk Awardee for Stuff Happens), Mark Nelson (Picasso at the Lapin AgileA Few Good Men, and Amadeus) and Jacob Fishel (King LearTitus Andronicus and The Common Pursuit).











When: Mon., Nov. 16, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Where: Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
695 Park Ave.
212-772-4448
Price: $35
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In Richard II, Shakespeare tests the limits of the ancient doctrine of the divine right of kings, as King Richard violates the very time-honored rights that made him King in the first place. When God does not in fact send “angels to fight” for the “deputy elected by the Lord,” King Richard himself “undecks the pompous body of a king,” and in some of the most gorgeous poetry in all of Shakespeare, explores what it means to be a “king” by beginning to realize, and express feelingly, what it means to be a man. Guided by Richard McCoy (Distinguished Professor of English, Queens College, CUNY, and author of Alterations of State: Sacred Kingship in the English Reformation), the evening will explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of English kings and the shifting bases of their authority. The evening will also feature readings from Richard II by a cast led by The Knick‘s Andre Holland, including Byron Jennings (Obie & Drama Desk Awardee for Stuff Happens), Mark Nelson (Picasso at the Lapin AgileA Few Good Men, and Amadeus) and Jacob Fishel (King LearTitus Andronicus and The Common Pursuit).

Buy tickets/get more info now