When corrupt, despotic King Richard II ventures off to wage war, the banished Bolingbroke invades to reclaim his stolen inheritance. Embraced by an angry populace and co-opted by self-righteous, greedy nobles, he takes the throne and sets the stage for 32 years of civil war. The first chapter of Shakespeare’s four-part “game of thrones” examines issues critical to contemporary politics, from the embrace of autocracy, the power of wealth, and whether a nation divided can stand.