- In full:
- The Life and Death of King John
King John
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Who was William Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, often called England's national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time.
King John is a chronicle play by Shakespeare, likely written in 1594–96 and published in the First Folio of 1623. The play's source was The Troublesome Raigne of John King of England, based on Raphael Holinshed's and Edward Hall's chronicles. Shakespeare made few plot changes, but the dialogue and character insights are his own.
The play focuses on King John, surrounded by contrasting characters who influence him and bring individual problems into focus. These include John’s mother, Queen Eleanor, and Philip the Bastard, who supports the king while mocking political and moral pretensions. Shakespeare's history plays, including King John (1594–96), explore similar questions through material drawn from Foxe’s Actes and Monuments.
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What is the play 'King John' about?
Shakespeare's King John is a chronicle play that revolves around King John's reign, highlighting his struggles with political rivals and moral dilemmas. The play begins with John facing threats from France to relinquish the throne to his nephew Arthur. Amidst the war, Philip the Bastard, son of Richard Coeur-de-lion, becomes a key figure, supporting John while mocking political pretensions.
As the conflict progresses, a marriage alliance fails, leading to further battles and Arthur's capture. John's decision to order Arthur's murder backfires when Arthur dies during an escape attempt. Despite efforts to reconcile with the papacy, French invasion ensues, and John's health declines. The play concludes with John's death by poisoning and the Bastard's acceptance of Prince Henry as the new king. King John explores themes of power, legitimacy, and the consequences of political actions.
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Which historical king is the main character in 'King John'?
The main character in William Shakespeare's play King John is indeed King John. The play revolves around King John's reign, his struggles with the throne, and the various political and moral challenges he faces.
King John's character is central to the play, and he is influenced by a number of contrasting characters, including his mother Queen Eleanor and Philip the Bastard. The play begins with John's usurpation of the throne from his nephew Arthur, leading to conflict with France and internal political struggles.
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What are some major themes in 'King John'?
King John explores themes of legitimacy, political expediency, and the role of morality in governance. The play revolves around King John's usurpation of the throne from his nephew Arthur, highlighting the instability and conflict arising from illegitimate rule. Characters like Philip the Bastard embody political pragmatism, challenging moral pretensions and demonstrating the cynical manipulation within politics. The struggle for power and the consequences of prioritizing political gain over ethical considerations are central to the narrative, especially as King John's actions lead to war and internal strife.
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How does Shakespeare's 'King John' differ from real historical events?
Shakespeare's King John is a chronicle play based on English history, but it diverges from actual events. The play is sourced from The Troublesome Raigne of John King of England, which itself draws from Raphael Holinshed and Edward Hall's chronicles.
While Shakespeare maintains the plot, he develops the characters and dialogue. King John examines themes of political legitimacy, national identity, and the consequences of a ruler's actions. The play portrays King John as a weak and uncertain figure, influenced by those around him, including his mother, Queen Eleanor, and Philip the Bastard. Historically, King John's reign was marked by conflict with the papacy and internal rebellion, leading to the Magna Carta. Shakespeare uses historical material but adjusts it to explore complex political and moral questions.
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Why do scholars study 'King John' even though it is less popular than other Shakespeare plays?
Despite being less popular, scholars study Shakespeare's King John for its historical insights and complex characters. The play explores themes of political legitimacy, morality, and the consequences of actions, providing a lens into the Elizabethan era's concerns.
King John presents a critical view of power and national identity, aligning with the Renaissance's values through its blend of comedy, tragedy, and historical events. The character of Philip the Bastard offers commentary on political and moral claims, enriching the play's thematic complexity. Studying King John helps to understand Shakespeare’s development of history plays and his exploration of English identity.
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King John, chronicle play in five acts by William Shakespeare, written perhaps in 1594–96 and published in the First Folio of 1623 from an authorial manuscript that may have been copied and supplied with some theatrical touches. The source of the play was a two-part drama generally known as The Troublesome Raigne of John King of England. This earlier play, first printed in 1591, was based on the chronicles of Raphael Holinshed and Edward Hall; Shakespeare also consulted some chronicle materials, as well as John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments (1563), known as The Book of Martyrs. Shakespeare made few changes to the plot in his version, but the dialogue and insights about the characters are all his own.
The title figure provides the central focus of the play and is surrounded by many contrasting characters—each able to influence him, each bringing irresolvable and individual problems into dramatic focus. Chief among these characters are John’s domineering mother, Queen Eleanor (formerly Eleanor of Aquitaine), and Philip the Bastard, who supports the king and yet mocks all political and moral pretensions.
As the play begins, King John, with the aid of his mother, has usurped the royal title of his nephew Arthur; the king of France, on threat of war, has demanded that Arthur be placed on the throne. Two brothers, Philip and Robert Faulconbridge, enter arguing over their inheritance. Eleanor recognizes the resemblance between Philip and her late son King Richard Coeur-de-lion. After Philip agrees to drop all claim to the Faulconbridge lands, his mother admits that he is indeed Richard’s son. Thereafter, the Bastard, newly knighted as Sir Richard Plantagenet, becomes John’s staunchest military commander in the war against France.
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As the fighting rages on, a compromise is arranged in which Lewis, the dauphin, heir to the French throne, marries John’s niece Blanche. This expediency fails to end the war, however, with armies led by Eleanor and Arthur’s combatant mother, Constance, at the forefront. An English victory delivers young Arthur into the hands of King John. This success soon turns against John, however, when he finds that Arthur is too dangerous a presence because he has become a rallying point for John’s political enemies. John orders Hubert de Burgh to kill the captive Arthur. After Hubert finds that he cannot carry out such an inhumane command and allows the child to survive, Arthur dies in a tragic fall while trying to escape. Cardinal Pandulph, having urged the French to support the papacy against the rebellious John, does succeed in encouraging a French invasion of England only to discover, when John has reluctantly submitted to the papacy, that the French dauphin will not agree to call off his invading forces. The war thus becomes an exercise in futility on all sides. John, increasingly weak and uncertain, grows ill. Only the Bastard fights on until news comes that John has been poisoned by a traitorous monk. After Prince Henry arrives to care for his dying father and accept his imminent accession to the throne, the Bastard at last accepts that peace is at hand and pledges fealty to the new king.
For a discussion of this play within the context of Shakespeare’s entire corpus, see William Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s plays and poems.