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King John of England holds his crown against the claim of his young nephew Arthur, who is backed by the King of France. Into the court strides Philip the…
King John of England holds his crown against the claim of his young nephew Arthur, who is backed by the King of France. Into the court strides Philip the Bastard, the illegitimate son of Richard the Lionheart, a witty, outspoken soldier who becomes the play's commentator on 'commodity', the self-interest that drives kings. John orders his servant Hubert to blind and kill Arthur, and the boy's fate turns the nobles against their king.
Context and significance
Written in the mid-1590s, it is one of Shakespeare's least performed histories, but the Bastard is one of his liveliest characters, and Constance, Arthur's grieving mother, has some of his most powerful laments. King John was first printed in the First Folio of 1623, the source of this text. Compare Richard II.
About the author
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), born in Stratford-upon-Avon, actor, playwright and shareholder of a London company, wrote about thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets.