122
W
hen King John asserts
that there is “No certain
life achieved by others’
death” (4.2.105), he alludes to his
decision to kill Arthur—the young
rival to his throne. Rather than
confirming John’s authority, the
murder has undermined it, for
England’s nobles will no longer
follow “the foot / That leaves the
print of blood where’er it walks”
(4.3.25–26).Blood follows blood
The doctrine that blood follows
blood, and that murdering other
royal claimants does not secure
one’s grip upon the throne,
resonates throughout Shakespeare’s
English history plays. For example,
in Richard II, the murder of King
Richard continues to generate new
enemies for the usurper Henry IV.
What is unusual about King Johnis the joke that is being played
against the king when he makes
this assertion, for, as the audience
already knows, Arthur isn’t really
dead. The audience is allowed to
think that John has won a lucky
reprieve. But at the very moment
when Hubert is hurrying after the
earls to tell them that Arthur is
not dead, they discover his body
at the foot of the prison walls.
This episode illustrates one of
the distinct features of King John;
why it appears to stand alone
tonally as well as structurally.
The play undermines the
ambitions and actions of the great,
wrong-footing them at every turn.
For example, the motives of the
King of France may be morally
suspect when he makes peace
with England, as the Bastard
points out, but an Anglo-French
marriage at least prevents further
bloodshed. However, Philip’s
vows of allegiance have barely
been made before he is forced by
Cardinal Pandolf to declare war
once again. It seems impossible for
the major characters to maintain aIN CONTEXT
THEMES
Inheritance, identity,
kingship, loyaltySETTING
The English court, Angers
in FranceSOURCES
1587 Holinshed’s Chronicles of
England, Scotland, and Ireland.c.1589 Anonymously authored
play The Troublesome Reign of
King John may have been an
influence on Shakespeare.LEGACY
1737 First known performance
at Theatre Royal, London.1899 King John’s death
scene from Herbert Beerbohm
Tree’s production of King John
represents the first example
of Shakespeare on film.1936 A Hindi film adaptation,
Saed-e-Havas (King John) is
made in India, directed by
Sohrab Modi.1953 At the Old Vic in London,
Richard Burton plays a
swashbuckling Bastard.
1980 The Weimar National
Theatre in Germany stages an
acclaimed production with a
tough, uncompromising image
of warfare.2012 King John is staged
in Armenian in London by
the Gabriel Sundukyan
National Academic Theatre.
The production highlights the
boisterous humor of the play,
portraying King John as a
clown-like figure.THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING JOHN
The play includes John’s disputes with
his nobles, but omits the resolution—
forcing him to sign the Magna Carta in- John died a year later at Newark
Castle, Nottinghamshire, shown here.