The king was defeated, deposed by Parliament, and confined to Pontefract Castle, where he died on February 14,1400, probably of starvation. Extravagant, violent and revengeful, yet weak, a patron of literature and a lover of fine buildings, as king, Richard never succeeded in winning the affection of his subjects.
Richard II (c.1595), a play by Shakespeare. It is in many respects the most original of Shakespeare's early chronicle plays. Here he emrges from the influence of Christofer Marlowe. In spite od the resemblance of the theme, the tragic fall of a weak king, to that of Marlowe's Edward II, Shakespeare's play differs from his predecessor's in structure, characterization, and diction.
The action covers a shorter space of time and it's more compact; the lyric flow of the dialogue contrasts strongly with the declamation an occasional direct dramatic expression of Marlowe. Most important of all, Shakespeare's characterization of his hero is a far more subtle study than Marlowe's portrayal of his vacillating monarch.
