What’s it about? Disagreements over who is the rightful heir to the throne cause some awkward family moments (to put it mildly) and squabbling (to put it even more mildly).
What is it really about? Well…let’s just say it’s about Prince King John, the Phony King of England.
No, really. What’s it ACTUALLY about? Identity. Also learning to accept that even the best writers don’t always get everything right.
My thoughts:
I’ll be honest. I’m pretty conflicted when it comes to this play. Of all of the Bard’s work that I have read, this one has some of the most disappointing writing. You know how I wrote a while back that I was sure there would be at least one moment this year where I was really disappointed with one of the plays? Yeah, that was this one.
The majority of the characters in King John stilted or one-dimensional. Arthur, the young prince who is John’s main rival for the throne, is a particularly terrible character with really cringe-worthy lines. I would say there’s a reason that Shakespeare did not often write about children. There are some truly terrible lines in what should be one of the most heart-felt moments in the play and it is hard to think it is possible that any actor–let alone a child–could perform them successfully.
Perhaps I am being a little too harsh in my judgment of this play, but there are things that I liked it about it.
To me, the play centers not on King John or his rival Arthur–and not even on the two powerful women in the play: Constance (who is nearly as awful as Arthur) and Queen Eleanor (who I actually quite enjoyed). The way I read the play, it all centers on a character who is simply referred to as “the Bastard” most of the time. He is Richard Lionheart’s illegitimate son, we learn at the very beginning of the play. The action of the play does not revolve around him, but I kept being drawn towards him and I feel quite convinced that Shakespeare would not be surprised that I see King John very much as the story of Philip the Bastard.
I have written before about identity, but this is an issue that is absolutely central to King John. On the surface, the plot is about who of the two major possibilities is actually the rightful king. This is mirrored in Philip the Bastard’s more personal story of discovering who he is. He learns at the very beginning of the play that is Richard Lionheart’s son, but I think we really see him struggle throughout the story to figure out what exactly that means, and what his place really is within society and within the royal family. This is what interests me in King John. I think it is no coincidence that the Bastard is one of the first characters we are introduced to, and that he gets the closing lines. I believe he is the only character in the play to talk directly to the audience. (I can’t remember for sure, but if not, he is the main character to do so.) This seems to exaggerate the sense that he does not fit in with anyone else that we are seeing on the stage. From my own point of view, he is also the only character that actually feels full and real.
In general, the Histories are actually my favorite of Shakespeare’s work. I am more than willing to admit that maybe I just completely missed the point and do not understand what makes it great. But even as much as I struggled with this play, it still raises fascinating questions. How do you understand your own identity when a main piece of it is taken away? How does virtue relate to power? Is it even possible to possess both virtue and power at the same time?
Despite all its problems, there is something powerful about Philip the Bastard’s journey. And, when I look at most of Shakespeare’s other plays, it seems a little too fussy to complain that this one was somewhat disappointing.
Favorite moment: Philip the Bastard talking with his mother about who his father was. There is also something supremely dignified and powerful about Constance’s refusal to answer the summons she had received, saying that, “Here I sorrows sit; here is my throne; bid kings come bow to it.” That is the only moment I like her, but it’s a great one.
If you are a fan of King John, I would love to hear why I’m wrong about this play! Come talk to me on Twitter or reblog with your comments here on Tumblr.
