Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

King John holds the throne of England illegitimately, having stolen it from the rightful heir, his nephew Arthur. Supported by his powerful mother, Queen Elinor, John decides to go to war with France. Arthur's mother, Constance, has convinced Lewis, the Dauphin of France, to back Arthur. The armies meet outside Angiers, and, for a long time, whether negotiating or fighting, there is no clear victor. Finally, England wins the day, and Arthur is captured. He is taken back to England, where King John orders him murdered, but Arthur's executioner can't kill the boy. Instead, Arthur, in an attempt to escape, falls to his death. King John is crushed; he had changed his mind about killing the young duke, and the boy's death takes a lot out of him. The Church, then, excommunicates King John, who is told that he must submit to Rome or lose his crown. The Pope orders the armies to stand down after King John pledges his allegiance to Rome, but neither the French nor the English go home. They fight, and England wins a glorious victory. King John enjoys brief good favor, but soon after, he is poisoned to death.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
5
First Produced
1596
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Medieval England and France
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Large Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Child, Early Teen, Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Philip the Bastard (Sir Richard Plantagenet)

Lead

Male

Non-singer

King John

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Queen Elinor

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

King Philip of France

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Louis, the Dauphin

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Cardinal Pandolph

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Lymoges, Duke of Austria

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Earl of Pembroke

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Salisbury

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Constance

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Arthur, Duke of Bretagne

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Hubert de Burgh

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Robert Faulconbridge

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Lady Faulconbridge

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Blanch

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Prince Henry

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Lord Bigot

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Melun

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Peter of Pomfret

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Chatillon

Featured

Male

Non-singer

First Citizen

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Earl of Essex

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Ensemble

Ensemble

Male

Spoken

Songs

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Cindi Calhoun

Cindi Calhoun

Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress