Richard II: Historical Tragedy

Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 151

Richard II of England is a much-maligned figure in history. His reign in history is characterized by both his youth and his tyranny. Over time historians have begun to break down this image of Richard and have recently began to suggest that he may have been a far different person than the figure that appeared in our history. One critical area of study that has been neglected so far is the period of his youth. During the fifteen-minute presentation, I will present the results of a year-long senior project that shows the way in which this period not only influenced his reign, but also had a severe impact on the types of political attacks he received and left him acutely vulnerable to long term historical distortion. The presentation will center around a comparison between Richard and his usurper Henry IV in order to illustrate this point. A comparison between these two should be sufficient to prove the lasting impacts of the period on Richard and his legacy.