How Richard II drew on The Gospels
A documented line of influence: William Shakespeare demonstrably engaged Matthew’s work. The commentary below is Gröblé’s, verbatim from each work’s page.
The source
The Gospels
Matthew · c. 85
BibleThe influenced
Richard II
William Shakespeare · c. 1595
ShakespeareRelevance
7/10
On Richard II’s page
- Richard doesn't just lose his throne — he casts himself as Christ betrayed, calling his enemies "Pilates" who deliver him to his "sour cross"
- The Passion of Matthew 27 supplies the whole register: "So Judas did to Christ," the mockery, the handing-over
- Knowing the Gospel account behind it makes the deposition scene land as deliberate sacrilege, not just self-pity
On The Gospels’s page
- The Passion narrative becomes the script for a king's fall — Shakespeare stages Richard's deposition as a crucifixion
- Richard names his betrayers "Pilates" who deliver him to his "sour cross," and likens his courtiers' false homage to "So Judas did to Christ" (echoing the mockery of Matthew 27)
- Watch how Richard II turns a political surrender into a sacred betrayal — and where it gets the imagery