The Complete King John: An Annotated Edition of the Shakespeare Play

© 2016 Donald Richardson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/16/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0807-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0808-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0806-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016907635

Print information available on the last page.

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Contents

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

Works Cited

Other Books by Donald J. Richardson

Dust in the Wind, 2001

Rails to Light, 2005

Song of Fools, 2006

Words of Truth, 2007

The Meditation of My Heart, 2008

The Days of Darkness, 2009

The Dying of the Light, 2010

Between the Darkness and the Light, 2011

The Days of Thy Youth, 2012

Those Who Sit in Darkness¸ 2013

Just a Song at Twilight, 2014

Covered with Darkness, 2015

Behold the Sun, 2016

The Complete Hamlet, 2012

The Complete Macbeth, 2013

The Complete Romeo and Juliet, 2013

The Complete King Lear, 2013

The Complete Julius Caesar, 2013

The Complete Merchant of Venice, 2013

The Complete Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2013

The Complete Much Ado About Nothing, 2013

The Complete Twelfth Night, 2014

The Complete Taming of the Shrew, 2014

The Complete Tempest, 2014

The Complete Othello, 2014

The Complete Henry IV, Part One, 2014

The Complete Antony and Cleopatra, 2014

The Complete Comedy of Errors, 2014

The Complete Henry IV, Part Two, 2014

The Complete Henry V, 2014

The Tragedy of Richard the Third, 2015

The Complete Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2015

The Complete Richard the Second, 2015

The Complete Coriolanus, 2015

The Complete As You Like It, 2015

The Complete All’s Well That Ends Well, 2015

The Complete Love’s Labors Lost, 2015

The Complete Measure for Measure, 2015

The CompleteWinter’s Tale, 2015

The CompleteHenry VIII, 2016

The Complete Troilus and Cressida, 2016

ABOUT THE BOOK

King John is quite problematic. As the ending is not a satisfying resolution, the audience is left without a sense of completion. It appears everything is left up in the air, unlike the satisfying endings of Lear, Macbeth, or even Hamlet in all of which it is clear that the world will go on despite the tragic events which transpired before. The ending rushes not to closure, as some have suggested, but to another threshold, thus reinforcing the play’s overall fluid, mutable temper (Curren-Aquino, 266).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donald J. Richardson is still trying to teach English Composition at Phoenix College.

ACT I

SCENE I. KING JOHN’S palace.

Enter KING JOHN, QUEEN ELINOR, PEMBROKE, ESSEX, SALISBURY, and others, with CHATILLON

KING JOHN

1 Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us?

What … us: what does the King of France want with us (Bevington, unpaginated); France: King of France (Riverside, 809)

CHATILLON

2 Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France

3 In my behavior to the majesty,

In my behavior: in my words and deeds, i.e. through me (Riverside, 809)

4 The borrow’d majesty, of England here.

Borrow’d: stolen, i.e. spurious (Riverside, 809)

QUEEN ELINOR

5 A strange beginning: borrow’d majesty!

KING JOHN

6 Silence, good mother; hear the embassy.

Embassy: message brought by an ambassador (Mowat, 6)

CHATILLON

7 Philip of France, in right and true behalf

Philip … sovereign: Just before the death of King Richard I, says Holinshed (Bullough, IV, 25), he had ‘assigned the crowne of England, and all other his lands and dominions’ to his youngest brother John, who was duly crowned in May 1199. On the other hand John’s nephew Arthur, posthumous son of Geoffrey of Brittany, inherited from his father the duchies of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, and was recognized as their liege and sovereign lord.’ There is no evidence for Philip II’s bellicose assertion of Arthur’s claim to England as Shakespeare represents it here. 809)

8 Of thy deceased brother Geffrey’s son,

9 Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim

Plantagenet: family name of members of the royal family (Riverside, 809); "Plantagenet was Geoffrey of Anjou’s nickname, alluding to his wearing a sprig of broom (Latin: planta genista) in his cap." (Mowat, 6)

10 To this fair island and the territories,

Territories: lands under the dominion of a ruler (Mowat, 6)

11 To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine,

Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine: regions on the Continent (now part of France) under John’s dominion (Mowat, 8)

12 Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

Sword: "sword of state, a symbol of authority" (Mowat, 8)

13 Which sways usurpingly these several titles,

Sways usurpingly: i.e., rules in the hand of a usurper; several: individual, separate (Mowat, 8); titles: possessions (Riverside, 809)

14 And put these same into young Arthur’s hand,

Young Arthur’s hand: Depicted in this play as a gentle child of eight or so, Arthur was sixteen when he was murdered, probably at John’s instigation, in 1203. Holinshed (Bullough, IV, 26) calls him ‘but a babe to speake of.’ (Riverside, 809)

15 Thy nephew and right royal sovereign.

Right: (1) very; (2) true, legitimate (Mowat, 8)

KING JOHN

16 What follows if we disallow of this?

Disallow of: reject (Mowat, 8)

CHATILLON

17 The proud control of fierce and bloody war,

Proud: mighty, forceful; control: domination, command (Mowat, 8); compulsion (Riverside, 809)

18 To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

KING JOHN

19 Here have we war for war and blood for blood,

Blood for blood: "Proverbial: ‘Blood will have blood.’" (Mowat, 8)

20 Controlment for controlment: so answer France.

Controlment: compulsion (Matchett, 26)

CHATILLON

21 Then take my king’s defiance from my mouth,

22 The farthest limit of my embassy.

Farthest limit of: most extreme measure permitted by (Matchett, 26); my embassy: my power as ambassador; the message I bring you (Mowat, 8)

KING JOHN

23 Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace:

24 Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France;

As lightning: "Proverbial: ‘as swift as lightning.’" (Mowat, 8)

25 For ere thou canst report I will be there,

Report: "(1) repeat your message; (2) resound (like thunder or like cannon [line 26])" (Mowat, 8)

26 The thunder of my cannon shall be heard:

Cannon: An anachronism; gunpowder was not used in western Europe until the fourteenth century. (Riverside, 809)

27 So hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath

Be thou the trumpet of: i.e., proclaim (Mowat, 8)

28 And sullen presage of your own decay.

Sullen presage: dismal portent; decay: destruction (Riverside, 810)

29 An honorable conduct let him have:

Conduct: escort (to guarantee him the privilege of safe-conduct (Mowat, 8)

30 Pembroke, look to ’t. Farewell, Chatillon.

Exeunt CHATILLON and PEMBROKE

QUEEN ELINOR

31 What now, my son! have I not ever said

32 How that ambitious Constance would not cease

How that: "i.e., that" (Mowat, 8); Constance: the Duchess of Brittany (Asimov, 213)

33 Till she had kindled France and all the world,

France: "(1) the king of France; (2) the country of France" (Mowat, 8)

34 Upon the right and party of her son?

Upon: in support of (Riverside, 810); party: side, interest (Mowat, 8)

35 This might have been prevented and made whole

Prevented: anticipated; made whole: headed, repaired (Mowat, 8)

36 With very easy arguments of love,

Arguments of love: friendly negotiation (Riverside, 810)

37 Which now the manage of two kingdoms must

Manage: i.e., management, conduct (Originally, the term referred to the training and managing of horses.) (Mowat, 10)

38 With fearful bloody issue arbitrate.

Issue: consequence (Riverside, 810)

KING JOHN

39 Our strong possession and our right for us.

QUEEN ELINOR

40 Your strong possession much more than your right,

41 Or else it must go wrong with you and me:

42 So much my conscience whispers in your ear,

43 Which none but heaven and you and I shall hear.

Enter a Sheriff

ESSEX

44 My liege, here is the strangest controversy

Liege: sovereign (Riverside, 810)

45 Come from country to be judged by you,

46 That e’er I heard: shall I produce the men?

KING JOHN

47 Let them approach.

48 Our abbeys and our priories shall pay

49 This expedition’s charge.

Expedition’s charge: (1) sudden expense (2) speedy attack (Matchett, 27)

Enter ROBERT and the BASTARD

50 What men are you?

What men: who (of what name) (Matchett, 27)

BASTARD

51 Your faithful subject I, a gentleman

52 Born in Northamptonshire and eldest son,

53 As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge,

54 A soldier, by the honor-giving hand

55 Of Cordelion knighted in the field.

Cordelion: (Lionhearted), i.e. Richard I, who reputedly earned the sobriquet when, pitted against a lion by his captor Leopold, Archduke of Austria, he thrust his hand into the creature’s mouth and tore out its heart. (Riverside, 810); another nickname for him … was ‘Richard Yea-and Nay’ (Asimov, 215)

KING JOHN

56 What art thou?

What: i.e., who (Mowat, 10)

ROBERT

57 The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge.

KING JOHN

58 Is that the elder, and art thou the heir?

59 You came not of one mother then, it seems.

You came … mother: Since the law of primogeniture makes the eldest legitimate son the legal heir, King John assumes that Philip’s mother was not Faulconbridge’s wife. (Mowat, 10)

BASTARD

Bastard: Philip the Bastard is the hero of this play, if there is one. (Asimov, 216)

60 Most certain of one mother, mighty king;

Certain: i.e., certainly (Mowat, 10)

61 That is well known; and, as I think, one father:

62 But for the certain knowledge of that truth

63 I put you o’er to heaven and to my mother:

Put you o’er: refer you (Riverside, 810)

64 Of that I doubt, as all men’s children may.

Of that … may: Proverbial: ‘It is a wise child that knows his own father.’ (Mowat, 10)

QUEEN ELINOR

65 Out on thee, rude man! thou dost shame

Out on thee: "an thy mother

‘interjection of reproach" (Mowat, 10); rude: coarse (Riverside, 810)

66 And wound her honor with this diffidence.

Diffidence: mistrust (Riverside, 810)

BASTARD

67 I, madam? no, I have no reason for it;

68 That is my brother’s plea and none of mine;

69 The which if he can prove, a’ pops me out

A’: he (Riverside, 810)

70 At least from fair five hundred pound a year:

Fair: fully (Mowat, 12)

71 Heaven guard my mother’s honor and my land!

KING JOHN

72 A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born,

73 Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?

BASTARD

74 I know not why, except to get the land.

75 But once he slander’d me with bastardy:

Once: in short (Riverside, 810)

76 But whe’er I be as true begot or no,

Whe’er: whether (Mowat, 12); true: legitimately (Riverside, 810)

77 That still I lay upon my mother’s head,

Lay … head: leave it to my mother to say (Riverside, 810)

78 But that I am as well begot, my liege—

79 Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!—

Fair fall: may good befall (Riverside, 810); for me: "i.e., to generate me" (Mowat, 12); the bones: i.e., the man, now dead (Bevington)

80 Compare our faces and be judge yourself.

81 If old sir Robert did beget us both

82 And were our father and this son like him,

This son like him: "i.e., if this son (i.e., Robert Faulconbridge the younger) looks like his father, old Sir Robert" (Mowat, 12)

83 O old sir Robert, father, on my knee

84 I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee!

KING JOHN

85 Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here!

Madcap: marked by capriciousness, recklessness, or foolishness (Merriam-Webster)

QUEEN ELINOR

86 He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion’s face;

Trick: trace; the word is a heraldic term for a tracing or copy (Daurio, 3)

87 The accent of his tongue affecteth him.

Affecteth: resembles (Riverside, 810)

88 Do you not read some tokens of my son

89 In the large composition of this man?

Large: general (Riverside, 810); composition: physique, physical constitution (Mowat, 12)

KING JOHN

90 Mine eye hath well examined his parts

91 And finds them perfect