King John (13th c.)
King John has always had a mixed reputation as confirmed by his contemporary nickname: John Lackland - from his recurrent losses of territories in France. Moderns know of him because he was forcd to sign the Magna Carta, traditionally seen as an important step towards civic liberty, though largely directed to aristocratic concerns. His obtuse relations with his celebrated brother King Richard I (or Richard the Lionheart) partly resulted from the latter's absence on a crusade, but have been popularized by the legends of Robin Hood, seen as Richard's supporter versus the Sheriff of Nottingham, as John's ally.
No trace of any of these modern interests can be found in Shakespeare's play, which has two polarized interests: John's supposedly patriotic challenge to Papal authority, seen favorably, and his mishandling of diplomatic affairs in general. Ironically, the most serious charge against him in the play: the murder of Prince Arthur is presented as a misinterpreted accident. As in Henry VI, Shakespeare seems concerned to address the threat to England of weak leadership, leading to lost international status and civil war. He creates an artificial balance against John's limitations by building up a fictional character: Philip Faulconbridge, the illegitimate son of King Richard I, later knighted as Sir Richard Plantagenet (see Galleries 2.2.19 & 3.2.6). This wry character comments chorus-like on the other characters' misconduct, while increasingly epitomizing neglected English values. His witty humor and personal charm are redeeming qualities in a rather plodding play, sustained in performance history mostly by spectacular stagings of medieval culture (see Phelp's production, Gallery 3, page 2, image 5)
Portrait of King John of England (John Lackland) from Historia Anglorum 1250-59; British Library Royal MS 14 C.VII, f.9. Picture and data courtesy of the Yorck Project, under Creative Commons Attribution-Share- Alike License (Wikipedia).
