Richard II Lesson Plan

What final change does Richard undergo in this final act? Does his shift away from flowery language and toward a more violent disposition help him at all, or is it too little too late?

In this final act, Richard abandons language for the first time. Throughout the play, he has not fought with anyone, preferring instead to defend himself with language. However, in Scene Five, he becomes the aggressor, succeeding in killing two men before being killed himself.

This change in Richard, from using language and ceremony to adopting war and violence, comes too late for him. Had he chosen to fight earlier in the play, history might have been different.

How will the death...