Bolton, W. F. “Ricardian Law Reports and Richard II.” Shakespeare Studies 20 (1988): 53-65.

Contends that many allusions in Richard II can be best understood through an examination of law books contemporary with the play's production.

Brownlow, F. W. “The Tragedy of Richard II.” In Two Shakespearean Sequences: Henry VI to Richard III and Pericles to Timon of Athens, pp. 95-111. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1977.

Analyzes the ceremonial style and main themes of the play. Also discusses Shakespeare's representation of history and states that the playwright's distortion of historical fact, particularly in the portrayal of Woodstock and Gaunt, makes the play unhistorical.

Coyle, Martin, ed. “Recent Criticism.” In William Shakespeare: Richard II, pp. 151-77. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.

Presents excerpts from four essays which examine history (Graham Holderness); power (Christopher Pye); language and politics (Catherine Belsey); and gender (Jean E. Howard and Phyllis Rackin) in Richard II.

Cubeta, Paul M., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Richard II. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1971, 121 p.

Collection of critical essays offering various overviews of the play; investigations into the political and historical issues related to the play; and examinations of the play's language, imagery, and characterization.

Healey, Margaret. Richard II. Plymouth, U. K.: Northcote House, 1998.

Book-length study of the play's exploration of the interrelations between politics, history, language, morality, and power.

Moseley, C. W. R. D. “Passing Brave to be a King: Richard II.” In Shakespeare's History Plays: Richard II to Henry V, pp. 112-28. London: Penguin Books, 1988.

Analyzes Richard's character and the tension between the man and his office as king.

Shewring, Margaret. “A Question of Balance: The Problematic Structure of Richard II.” In Shakespeare in Performance: King Richard II, pp. 2-20. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996.

Reviews the potential subversiveness Richard II held for its Elizabethan audiences. Shewring notes that knowledge regarding the medieval notion of the right to rule—knowledge required to properly understand the play—makes Richard II difficult to stage for modern audiences.