King John E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: ShadowPOET
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

King John Summary.  King John goes to war against the French after claims that his nephew should be king instead. John has conflict with the church, orders his nephew's death, and turns the nobles against himself.

Leseprobe

KING JOHN

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Table of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I.

SCENE I

ACT II.

SCENE I

ACT III.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

SCENE II.

SCENE III.

SCENE IV.

SCENE V.

SCENE VI

SCENE VII.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

KING JOHN

PRINCE HENRY, his son

ARTHUR, DUKE OF BRITAINE, son of Geffrey, late Duke ofBritaine, the elder brother of King JohnEARL OF PEMBROKE

EARL OF ESSEX

EARL OF SALISBURY

LORD BIGOT

HUBERT DE BURGH

ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, son to Sir Robert FaulconbridgePHILIP THE BASTARD, his half-brotherJAMES GURNEY, servant to Lady FaulconbridgePETER OF POMFRET, a prophet

KING PHILIP OF FRANCE

LEWIS, the Dauphin

LYMOGES, Duke of Austria

CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's legateMELUN, a French lord

CHATILLON, ambassador from France to King JohnQUEEN ELINOR, widow of King Henry II and mother toKing John

CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur

BLANCH OF SPAIN, daughter to the King of Castileand niece to King John

LADY FAULCONBRIDGE, widow of Sir Robert FaulconbridgeLords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers,Soldiers, Executioners, Messengers, Attendants SCENE: England and France

ACT I.

SCENE I

KING JOHN's palace

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

KING JOHN. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us?

CHATILLON. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of France In my behaviour to the majesty,

The borrowed majesty, of England here.

ELINOR. A strange beginning- 'borrowed majesty'!

KING JOHN. Silence, good mother; hear the embassy.

CHATILLON. Philip of France, in right and true behalf Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's son, Arthur Plantagenet, lays most lawful claim To this fair island and the territories, To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, Desiring thee to lay aside the sword

Which sways usurpingly these several titles, And put the same into young Arthur's hand, Thy nephew and right royal sovereign.

KING JOHN. What follows if we disallow of this?

CHATILLON. The proud control of fierce and bloody war, To enforce these rights so forcibly withheld.

KING JOHN. Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment- so answer France.

CHATILLON. Then take my king's defiance from my mouth-The farthest limit of my embassy.

KING JOHN. Bear mine to him, and so depart in peace; Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France; For ere thou canst report I will be there, The thunder of my cannon shall be heard.

So hence! Be thou the trumpet of our wrath And sullen presage of your own decay.

An honourable conduct let him have-

Pembroke, look to 't. Farewell, Chatillon.

Exeunt CHATILLON and

PEMBROKE

ELINOR. What now, my son! Have I not ever said How that ambitious Constance would not cease Till she had kindled France and all the world Upon the right and party of her son?

This might have been prevented and made whole With very easy arguments of love,

Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate.

KING JOHN. Our strong possession and our right for us!

ELINOR. Your strong possession much more than your right, Or else it must go wrong with you and me; So much my conscience whispers in your ear, Which none but heaven and you and I shall hear.

Enter a SHERIFF

ESSEX. My liege, here is the strangest controversy Come from the country to be judg'd by you That e'er I heard. Shall I produce the men?

KING JOHN. Let them approach.

Exit

SHERIFF

Our abbeys and our priories shall pay This expedition's charge.

Enter ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE and PHILIP, his bastard brother

What men are you?

BASTARD. Your faithful subject I, a gentleman Born in Northamptonshire, and eldest son,

As I suppose, to Robert Faulconbridge-A soldier by the honour-giving hand

Of Coeur-de-lion knighted in the field.

KING JOHN. What art thou?

ROBERT. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge.

KING JOHN. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir?

You came not of one mother then, it seems.

BASTARD. Most certain of one mother, mighty king-That is well known- and, as I think, one father; But for the certain knowledge of that truth I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother.

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

ELINOR. Out on thee, rude man! Thou dost shame thy mother, And wound her honour with this diffidence.

BASTARD. I, madam? No, I have no reason for it-That is my brother's plea, and none of mine; The which if he can prove, 'a pops me out At least from fair five hundred pound a year.

Heaven guard my mother's honour and my land!

KING JOHN. A good blunt fellow. Why, being younger born, Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance?

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

But once he slander'd me with bastardy; But whe'er I be as true begot or no,

That still I lay upon my mother's head; But that I am as well begot, my liege-Fair fall the bones that took the pains for me!-

Compare our faces and be judge yourself.

If old Sir Robert did beget us both

And were our father, and this son like him-O old Sir Robert, father, on my knee

I give heaven thanks I was not like to thee!

KING JOHN. Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here!

ELINOR. He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face; The accent of his tongue affecteth him.

Do you not read some tokens of my son In the large composition of this man?

KING JOHN. Mine eye hath well examined his parts And finds them perfect Richard. Sirrah, speak, What doth move you to claim your brother's land?

BASTARD. Because he hath a half-face, like my father.

With half that face would he have all my land: A half-fac'd groat five hundred pound a year!

ROBERT. My gracious liege, when that my father liv'd, Your brother did employ my father much-BASTARD. Well, sir, by this you cannot get my land: Your tale must be how he employ'd my mother.

ROBERT. And once dispatch'd him in an embassy To Germany, there with the Emperor

To treat of high affairs touching that time.

Th' advantage of his absence took the King, And in the meantime sojourn'd at my father's; Where how he did prevail I shame to speak-But truth is truth: large lengths of seas and shores

Between my father and my mother lay, As I have heard my father speak himself, When this same lusty gentleman was got.

Upon his death-bed he by will bequeath'd His lands to me, and took it on his death That this my mother's son was none of his; And if he were, he came into the world Full fourteen weeks before the course of time.

Then, good my liege, let me have what is mine, My father's land, as was my father's will.

KING JOHN. Sirrah, your brother is legitimate: Your father's wife did after wedlock bear him, And if she did play false, the fault was hers; Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother, Who, as you say, took pains to get this son, Had of your father claim'd this son for his?

In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world; In sooth, he might; then, if he were my brother's, My brother might not claim him; nor your father, Being none of his, refuse him. This concludes: My mother's son did get your father's heir; Your father's heir must have your father's land.

ROBERT. Shall then my father's will be of no force To dispossess that child which is not his?

BASTARD. Of no more force to dispossess me, sir,

Than was his will to get me, as I think.

ELINOR. Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge, And like thy brother, to enjoy thy land, Or the reputed son of Coeur-de-lion,

Lord of thy presence and no land beside?

BASTARD. Madam, an if my brother had my shape And I had his, Sir Robert's his, like him; And if my legs were two such riding-rods, My arms such eel-skins stuff'd, my face so thin That in mine ear I durst not stick a rose Lest men should say 'Look where three-farthings goes!'

And, to his shape, were heir to all this land-Would I might never stir from off this place, I would give it every foot to have this face!

I would not be Sir Nob in any case.

ELINOR. I like thee well. Wilt thou forsake thy fortune, Bequeath thy land to him and follow me?

I am a soldier and now bound to France.

BASTARD. Brother, take you my land, I'll take my chance.

Your face hath got five hundred pound a year, Yet sell your face for fivepence and 'tis dear.

Madam, I'll follow you unto the death.

ELINOR. Nay, I would have you go before me thither.

BASTARD. Our country manners give our betters way.

KING JOHN. What is thy name?

BASTARD. Philip, my liege, so is my name begun: Philip, good old Sir Robert's wife's eldest son.

KING JOHN. From henceforth bear his name whose form thou bearest:

Kneel thou down Philip, but rise more great-Arise Sir Richard and Plantagenet.

BASTARD. Brother by th' mother's side, give me your hand; My father gave me honour, yours gave land.

Now blessed be the hour, by night or day, When I was got, Sir Robert was away!

ELINOR. The very spirit of Plantagenet!

I am thy grandam, Richard: call me so.