Shakespeare's Richard II (1978 TV) Act 1, scene 1 (part 1)

[ponyfaces]

see bolingbroke in polanski's very excellent macbeth

[rickcoram1]

What's not to like? BBC Derek Jacobi.

Shakespeare. Enough said, I reckon.

[JudgeJulieLit]

Derek Jacobi was a great Richard 2, perhaps the best ever. As a great performance, rivals his BBC emperor Claudius. Like Richard Burton, he has one of the great theatrical melodic echoing recitative voices. His acting expressive, broad yet subtle.

[JudgeJulieLit]

@ozwunder Tudor propaganda? far from it. When a subset of Shakespeare's Lord Chamberlain's Men injudiciously staged this during the 1590s historic Earl of Essex rebellion and were arrested, Queen Elizabeth 1 said, "Know ye not, I am Richard the Second?" Although granted, her Boleyn ancestor was Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk.

[InfinityxShark]

Richard II is rocking the Turtleneck and Chain in this one.

[Punkrockaddicted]

1:06 when richard the second says 'time-honour'd lancaster, he sounds like john cleese.

[JudgeJulieLit]

@Punkrockaddicted Not a conscious emulation. But Derek Jacobi and John Cleese (and Anthony Quayle, this tetralogy's Falstaff) are of the orotundly melodic school and emote wonderfully R O U N D LY. Interestingly, Jacobi in contrast to John Gielgud (here, fascinatingly his John of Gaunt) who had long before emoted Richard 2 with an icy flatness that indicated emotional shallowness, bored disaffectation with yet glib canny satire of his two cousin throne-rivals, recent connivers v. his majesty.

[annenna]

Bolingbroke's voice is sexy.

[Nelsonhojax15]

poor Richard, everyone makes him out to be a gay dim witted fop, actually he was a kind and intelligent man. He enjoyed art and literature and beauty. He bathed often, ate with forks and knives, and was a peaceful soul. Unfortunetly he was more of a Renaissance man then a medieval king. He lived in brutal time and fell to the brutal Henry Bolingbroke, a gross and diseased man (he had a skin disease) whose only saving grace was that he was the father of Henry V.

[ozwunder69]

@Nelsonhojax15 absolute rubbish read Iaa Mortimers book instead of yorkist and tudor propaganda

[Nelsonhojax15]

@ozwunder69 Richard II isn't a part of Yorkist OR Tudor propaganda, learn yo history son!

[anna00024]

@Nelsonhojax15 we panget ka nga eh sobra

[Nelsonhojax15]

@anna00024 I'm sorry...I don't speak monkey..

[JudgeJulieLit]

@Nelsonhojax15 Henry Bolingbroke was gross and diseased? Then Jon FInch is too handsome to play him ... but too great an actor not to. But his paternity of Henry V was a "saving grace"? The historic jingoist invader Henry V savagely slaughtered masses of Frenchmen, his not too distant cousins ... chip off the old block(s).

[Nelsonhojax15]

@JudgeJulieLit And the French slaughted Englishmen when Joan of Arc came to power, its all a matter of historical preference and I like Henry V both as a leader and a King.

[medievalgirl002]

@Nelsonhojax15 That is very true, but is also happened both before and after Joan of Arc.

[medievalgirl002]

"Henry V savagely slaughtered masses of Frenchmen" This would be iin the war that was waged to regain his righful ancetral possessions in France of Normandy and Gascony, which had been ceased and conquered by the King of France, during which war in own Brother, and many of hte Englush nobles, somw of whom Henry was realted to were killed by the French, alongside thousands of English soldiers. People in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.

[spacekait]

Does anyone else think Bolingbroke is handsome?

[insoniamj]

@spacekait of course he is and also very sexy!

[darkhyena]

Any student who wants to understand how the War of the Roses began should watch this

[elfhermie]

This is one of the best Shakespeare productions out there! Jacobi is so foppish and foolish at the beginning and transforms into tragic perfection by the play's end. It's great to see his character's progression as the story unfolds before our eyes. Oh, and those who like Jon Finch's Bolingbrook in this (he's also in Henry IV parts 1 & 2), you've got to catch him in Hitchcock's FRENZY. He's superb in that as well; one of Hitch's overlooked best!

[TheHachmom]

This was the production that taught me to love shakespeare

[acerb45666555]

sondano knows not what he says! i suppose he thinks Beavis and Butthead is art. Blecch! 3rd rate, low grade American juvenile nonsense!

[acerb45666555]

3:12.....who is that actor? hes very good and his voice is perfect !

[Aannan]

The actor at 3:12 is Jon Finch.

[JoanOkoye]

its Jon Finch, and yes his voice IS perfect, if you want to see more I suggest you watch Roman Polanski's Macbeth where if its possible... his voice is even MORE perfect

[sondano]

I try to like Shakespeare. But it's so primitive so sick so contrived I just can't. Thank God I don't live in his age though

[noirgris0]

good god jacobi,what are you wearing?

[OverridetheMovie]

these guys are great of course but a little flat in my opinion...calling someone a traitor is pretty heavy accusation

[TrishfromOhio]

I watched every one of these BBC productions while taking the Shakepeare courses in college and this is one of the best ones.

[pipmypap999]

In this scene, Bolingbroke begins a wilful movement towards the throne. Richard asks if he comes b/c of ancient malice and gaunt is sure to say he believes it is due to a danger to richard. the characters know that richard ordered mowbray to kill gloucester and to 'prove' mowbray guilty, makes it easier for others to invetigate and perhaps prove richards involvement. richard does not allow this; he banishes both. note that mowbray is banished for life: richard wants to get rid of him

[ThingsWeSaidToday]

sorry, meant Derek Jacobi...

[ThingsWeSaidToday]

does anyone else think Richard Jacobi plays Richard II... slightly camp?

[tetrabiblos]

Richard II IS slightly camp!

[darkhyena]

I think back in the 70s, it was more of a big deal.

[jasper3211]

Many historians now believe Richard was gay which makes his relationshipship with Isabel dubious

[paperbullet1945]

But not so much in the play, though. Richard the man and Richard the character are different.

[TheHachmom]

Regardless of Richards sexuality, he was deeply devoted to his first wife, Anne of Bohemia..when she died of the plague he was devestated. He was endlessly pressured by his court to remarry esp as he had no son to succeed so he married Isabel...which angered people for several reasons.. it made peace with france at a time when many wanted a profitable war....and she was only 9 years old at the time meaning there would be no heir for some time.shakespeare accellerates her age for dramatic purpose

[saleh426]

hey thanks

[RazzleMcDazzler]

Is all of this film uploaded? I cant seem to find it all!

[orchote]

the king was a serious flame in this one.

[mfolleyr20]

LMAO!!!!!!!!! still very nicely done in my opinion

[penguinsloveDW]

Wow, Derek Jacobi is so young!

[penguinsloveDW]

Looking back on this comment 3 months later, I realize how dumb it is. Of course he's young, this was 1978, he had to have been young at some point in time.

[southfieldmo]

Mowbray resembles Will Ferrell...sorta :)

[strangebrooch]

Wow, he really does!

Aumerle in the same production looks rather like Kevin Smith, as well. It's like he's the Silent Bob of medieval England.

Which is not altogether inappropriate to the character.

[m2mfan4eva]

wers act 1, scene 2 and over?

[magicalmermaid]

This is much better than reading the book ^_^;;

Thanks for uploading!(It made my english project MUCH easier x3)

[womblt]

thank you for posting this!!