Against the advice of his counselors, Richard II has been taking money from England’s coffers and spending it on fashion and close friends. In order to continue his wasteful spending, he raises taxes on the commoners and leases portions of English land to wealthy noblemen. He also sees an opportunity to seize more land and money after hearing news of John of Gaunt’s failing health. King Richard arrives at Windsor Castle to settle a dispute between Henry Bolingbroke, the Duke of Hereford and son of John of Gaunt, and Thomas Mowbray, the Duke of Norfolk. Bolingbroke accuses Mowbray of numerous counts of treason: embezzling funds for Richard’s soldiers, conspiring against the king for the past eighteen years, and murdering the Duke of Gloucester. Mowbray denies these charges and claims to have repented for any wrongs he has caused in the past. John of Gaunt tries to convince the two to reconcile, but his attempts fall on deaf ears. Richard determines that a trial by combat will settle the matter. This Standard Ebooks edition is based on William George Clark and William Aldis Wright’s 1887 Victoria edition, which is taken from the Globe edition.

シェイクスピアが描く本作は、権力の頂点から転落する王の孤独を流麗な韻文で捉えた傑作です。王権神授説が冷徹な政治の前に崩れ去る様は、単なる歴史劇を超えた深遠な人間悲劇を体現しています。王としての役割を剥ぎ取られたリチャードが、言葉の力だけで自己を再定義しようとする苦悶は、読む者の魂を激しく揺さぶります。 全編が詩で綴られた本作の魅力は、その圧倒的な音楽性にあります。自らを太陽になぞらえる壮大な修辞と、鏡に映る己の顔に絶望する自我の対比は、テキストでこそ際立つ耽美な世界です。一人の脆い人間に立ち返る瞬間、読者は言葉の真の重みと、王冠という名の虚像に潜む虚無を知ることになるでしょう。