Bill Prash

I am entranced by this version of Richard II. While everyone in the cast is first rate, this play stands or falls on the actor playing Richard. Ben Whishaw is simply outstanding. He has an otherworldly presence, an air of elegance and tranquility, secure in his status as the son of the Black Prince and grandson of King Edward III. His tragic blindness to his own faults and follies is clear. His performance is also fey in the sense that one knows immediately he is doomed. And his handling of the script is masterful, especially the scene where he gives up the crown to Henry Bolingbrooke. I marvel at Shakespeare's inventiveness and insight while watching it. Patrick Stewart does an excellent job with the "This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England." I should show that clip to my students to get them to take their time with their lines. Overall, they have taken a less popular Shakespeare play and made it one of my very favorites.