ABSTRACT
The best-kept critical secret of King Richard II is that there are jokes in it, or at least moments when the audience is not discouraged from laughing. One may read widely in the commentaries without encountering this truth. In the theatre, King Richard II is well known to pose problems of laughter-control, and this is reflected in some distinguished commentary. He concludes that Zitner has the right sense of paradox here: the Aumerle scenes spoil the play, yet they enrich it. Sir John Gielgud confesses himself unsure as to whether the Aumerle scenes should be retained or omitted Wells is writing a propos of John Barton's RSC production of 1973, and tells that the 'gage' scene was re-written, so as to come over with no hint of comedy. Zitner has the right sense of paradox here: the Aumerle scenes spoil the play, yet they enrich it. But evidently, paradox is not enough as a justification for these scenes.
