The Shakespeare Plays / King John
King John
The worst king; so why, Shakespeare?
King John is one of Shakespeare’s most obscure, uneven, and least produced plays. Only an Oxfordian perspective can fully account for Shakespeare’s odd selection in depicting a cheesy scoundrel of a monarch (and would-be child murderer) whose claim to the throne is suspect and who is excommunicated by an agent of the Pope.
- Why does Shakespeare just this once dip back so far in history to depict such a lousy king?
- Why does Shakespeare invent and depict the Bastard as the most compelling character?
- What does the Bastard mean when he rails against “Commodity”?
- Why does Shakespeare ignore the most significant historical event of John’s reign: the signing of the Magna Carta?
![King John](https://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/wp-content/uploads/King-John-sq.png)
Professor Michael Delahoyde walks us through The Life and Death of King John, act by act!
Video replay coming soon!
Themes
The main themes of King John include
- Legitimacy
- Inheritance
- Amoral Politics
- Patriotism
- Loyalty
Plot Summary
King John by William Shakespeare centers on the early 13th-century reign of King John of England, whose claim to the throne is threatened by international support of his nephew Arthur, who has a stronger claim. Onto the scene comes an illegitimate son of John’s eldest brother, Richard Lionheart, subsequently called the Bastard, who rails against the political maneuverings and the rampant selling-out he witnesses. Family and military tensions lead to a cheesy alliance between England and France, but the interference of papal legate Pandulph with his excommunication of John leads to war between them.
Amidst the battles, John captures Arthur. John’s mother, Queen Eleanor, and Arthur’s mother, Constance, add to the tension with their own ambitions and griefs. John orders Arthur’s death, but Arthur dies, instead, trying to escape.
The English nobles, suspecting foul play in Arthur’s death, turn against John. As internal and external conflicts escalate, John is poisoned by a monk. Before dying, John names his son, Prince Henry, as his successor. Inspired by the Bastard’s patriotic rhetoric, the nobles, realizing the greater threat of the French, rally around the new king, hoping for a more stable future.
Overall, King John questions the meaning of “legitimacy” by portraying the difference between insecure kingship and actual nobility of character.
Sources
The Life and Death of King John can be dated between 1587, when the second edition of Holinshed was published, and 1623, when it appeared in the First Folio.
What works inspired the author of King John?
- Anonymous, Troublesome Raigne of King John. (some argue this is an early draft by Shakespeare)
- Holinshed’s Chronicles
Act by Act Analysis and more evidence for Oxford's authorship
Michael Delahoyde, King John, Overview and Act by Act.
Visit the website of Professor Michael Delahoyde, host of our series, for an act by act analysis and full treatment of Oxfordian themes in the play.
Learn more!
Ren Draya, “Shakespeare’s King John: a story of rightful identity and eyes to see.” Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter 35.1 (Spring 1999): 01, 13-15.
Kevin Gilvary. “The Life and Death of King John“: Dating Shakespeare’s Plays. Tunbridge Wells, UK: Parapress, 2010. 199-209.
Jacob Hughes, “Comparative Caricatures in King John and Troublesome Raigne.” Brief Chronicles V (Summer 2014): 101-112.
Michael Hyde, “Rereading Shakespeare’s King John and The Troublesome Reign.” Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter: Vol. 56/1 (Winter 2020), 10-15.
Ramon Jiménez, “The Troublesome Raigne of John, King of England: Shakespeare’s First Version of King John.” The Oxfordian: Vol. 12: 021-055 (2010).
BOOK
William Farina, De Vere as Shakespeare: An Oxfordian Reading of the Canon. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006. 44-48.
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