King John Reading Questions (Norton)

English 304: Shakespeare: Major Plays (Prof. Boyer)

Reading Questions for King John
Keyed to The Norton Shakespeare

The best beginning procedure is always to familiarize yourself with the cast of characters and then to read the play (or at least an act or a scene) all the way through so that you know what's happening. The notes can help if you're stuck, but try to get the big picture of a scene before getting bogged down in details. Read through, then go back and clear up details. Then you're ready to think about the questions.
Background
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5
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BACKGROUND
When the last of William the Conqueror's sons, Henry I, died in 1135, his only legitimate child was his daughter Matilda, first the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor and then of Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou in northern France. There was strong opposition to rule by a woman (it did not happen again for 400 years, until Mary Tudor came to the throne in 1553), so the throne was taken over by Stephen of Blois, the son of Henry I's sister. A period of unrest followed, until as he was dying Stephen agreed that his heir would be Matilda's son Henry, who ruled as Henry II from 1154 to 1189. England was only part of his large realm, extended by his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine (who brought most of southwest France to his realms). They had four sons: Henry and Geoffrey, both of whom died before their father, then Richard and John. Eleanor and the sons often fought against Henry, who had her imprisoned from 1174-1189. Richard succeeded Henry as Richard I. He was almost never in England and led a Crusade, but his exploits earned him the name Richard Lionheart (Coeur-de-lion). He died in battle in 1199, leaving no heir. His younger brother Geoffrey had died in 1186, leaving John as the only surviving son of Henry II. But Geoffrey had married Constance of Brittany, and they had a son Arthur, who was 12 in 1199. Queen Eleanor, now nearly 80, sided with John. Philip Augustus, King of France, and many of the barons in central France sided with Arthur.

For a fuller description of John's reign, see Peter Saccio's Shakespeare's English Kings: History, Chronicle, and Drama (Oxford University Press, 1977). Anthony Harvey's 1968 film The Lion in Winter is a modern rendition of a supposed meeting between Henry II, Eleanor (temporarily released from imprisonment), and their three living sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. It stars Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor (Best Actress Oscar 1968), Peter O'Toole as Henry, Anthony Hopkins as Richard, John Castle as Geoffrey, Nigel Terry as John, and Timothy Dalton as King Philip of France.
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ACT 1

1.1

1.

What is the nature of the argument between England and France at the beginning of the play? How does John answer the French challenge? How does his mother undercut his position? Be sure you know who Arthur and Constance are. (See the Background section at the beginning of these questions.)

2.

What is the nature of the argument between the two Falconbridge brothers? Why does Philip the Bastard claim his father's lands? Why does his brother claim the lands? How is the argument resolved by John and his mother? What happens to Philip? What sort of person does he seem to be?

3.

How does the Bastard respond to this change of fortunes in his soliloquy (1.1.182-216)? What is the tone of the soliloquy?

4.

What does the Bastard learn from his mother when she arrives? How does she respond to his new situation?

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ACT 2

2.1

1.

Act 2 shows the seige of Angers (Angiers), John's capital in France, on the Loire. Why has the Duke of Austria joined the battle, and why might he expect not to be welcomed as warmly as he is? What is he wearing? (See 2.1.135-146 and the notes.) How does King Philip respond to the news that John and his army will soon arrive?

2.

What glaring warfare-related anachronism appears in the first hundred lines of the scene?

3.

What claims do Arthur and John have to the throne of English, and who supports each side? What are the roles of Constance and Eleanor in this argument?

4.

How does the town, represented by the Citizen, respond to the demands that the town let the King of England enter? Is this what the two opposing groups expected?

5.

What is the outcome of the battle to determine who the rightful King of England is? How are the two statements in 2.1.300-324 undercut by the Citizen's response? Has anything changed?

6.

What is the Bastard's plan for ending the stalemate? What is the Citizen's plan? Which plan do the two kings accept? Does it work to get the city gates opened? How will it affect Arthur and Constance?

7.

Read the Bastard's closing soliloquy carefully (2.1.562-599). What is his reaction to what has happened? Is the idea of "commodity" an appropriate one here? What does it tell us about the world of the play? What does it tell us about the world of politics? (Surely there can't be any modern politicians like this!) What does the speech tell us about the Bastard? How do the Bastard's soliloquies place him in relation to the play's action and in relation to the audience? Is Constance going to respond in the same way?

2.2

1.

How does Constance respond to the news that Blanche and the Dauphin are to be married?

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ACT 3

3.1

1.

How does Constance respond when the others arrive on stage?

2.

How does the arrival of Cardinal Pandolf change the direction of the play? What is his message to John and Philip? How does John respond (in 3.1.73-97)? This is 16th-Century Protestant language, not language the historical John would have used.

3.

What does Constance's speech about law (3.1.111-116) add to the play's political concerns? How does this discussion relate to things that have been discussed earlier in the play?

4.

What sorts of arguments does Pandolf use to get King Philip to turn against John? How successful are they? What is the nature of the power that lies behind his arguments?

5.

What problems does this situation cause for Blanche? How does she state them? Which side has the stronger claim on her? Whom does she leave with?

3.2

1.

What has happened to Austria? To Arthur? To Eleanor?

3.3

1.

How good an uncle will John be to Arthur? What has Hubert agreed to do? Where are they going? Where is Eleanor going?

3.4

1.

How does Constance respond to the loss of Arthur? Look carefully at what she says (in 3.2.21-105). Consider how effectively (or not) Shakespeare creates a distraught woman and mother. Is this a believable portrait? Is Constance mad? (You might want to consider this scene in comparison with Ophelia's madness, written perhaps 5 years later.)

2.

What is the effect of having Pandolf's cold reasoning follow the lament of Constance? What does Pandolf convince the Dauphin of? What will the Dauphin do? Does he expect to become King of England?

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ACT 4

4.1

1.

What does Hubert plan to do to Arthur? How does he plan to use the executioners?

2.

What actually happens? How effective are Arthur's pleadings? What danger is Hubert in?

3.

Consider the effect of this emotional scene, and it's role in the play. What is the effect of having Pandolf's cold reasoning in 3.4 sandwiched between the emotional scenes involving Constance and then Arthur?

4.2

1.

Why has John had himself crowned a second time? (The play doesn't really say, so this is speculation.) How do the nobles respond to the second coronation? What do they want John to do?

2.

What does John learn from Hubert? What is being said, and what is not being said, in 4.2.85-88? What will the nobles do now?

3.

What news does the messenger bring? What does the Bastard report, and who is Peter of Pomfret?

4.

What is the mood of the populace? Be sure to note the wonderful details in 4.2.194-203.

5.

When John and Hubert are alone, how does John respond to the news of Arthur's death? Whom does he blame? How does John respond to Jubert's news that Arthur is alive? What is the effect (for the play and for Hubert's character) of having this news delayed until the end of the scene? What does this scene and earlier scenes of surprising reversals do for any sense of a world governed by cause and effect? What sort of world appears in this play?

4.3

1.

What actually happens to Arthur? Does anybody know this? What do the nobles assume has happened?

2.

What is Hubert's response when he sees the dead Arthur? How do the nobles treat him? What is the Bastard's response when he learns of Arthur's death?

3.

What will the nobles do next?

4.

Does the Bastard believe that Hubert did not kill Arthur?

5.

How does the Bastard respond, in what is almost a soliloquy (4.3.141-160)?

6.

What has happened by this point to any sense of cause-and-effect logic in history?

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ACT 5

5.1

1.

What has John done in his meeting with Pandolf? (In a play filled with fictional additions to history, this incident is factual.) What has John gotten in return for his submission to the Church? How does his action relate to Peter of Pomfret's prophecy? Is this the way we expected the prophecy to work itself out?

2.

What is happening in the country, according to the Bastard? What is the Bastard's advice for John?

5.2

1.

What have the nobles and the Dauphin agreed to at the beginning of the scene? How happy is Salisbury with the situation?

2.

What is the Dauphin's response to Pandolf's message that John has reconciled and so the French should return home? How difficult does winning England seem to him (based on 5.2.93-108)? See note 6 on p. 1071 for the extent of the card game metaphor in this passage.

3.

What is John's position, as presented by the Bastard? (Note the wonderful details in 5.2.137-145.)

4.

What is likely to happen next?

5.3

1.

How is the battle going? How is John doing? What happened to the French supplies? Where is John going?

5.4

1.

What do the English nobles fighting for the French learn from Count Melun? What will they do? (We haven't heard the word "commodity" for a while, but we see the same idea here, of course, especially in line10. And note the wonderful image in lines 51-57.)

5.5

1.

What does the Dauphin learn and how does he respond? What does he expect to happen the next day? Does it look good for the French?

5.6

1.

What has happened to John? (And why then did we need the fever in 5.3?) Who is with the returned nobles? And what has happened to hapf of the Bastard's "power" (i.e., men and equipment)? Does it look good for John and his followers?

5.7

1.

How well does John die? Note the image in lines 32-34.

2.

What has Pandolf brought? What are the French doing?

3.

What is the tone of the final speech in the play? Is this a strongly positive view of England's power? Look at the sentence structure for a sense of the message.

4.

What does the future look like? Is this a glorious ending? How is it appropriate for the tone of the play as a whole? Does it match the play's version of politics and "commodity"? Is there any element left by the end of the passion and pity aroused by Constance and Arthur? Is it fair to say that by the end of the play passions have been deadened?

top

1.1
1.	What is the nature of the argument between England and France at the beginning of the play? How does John answer the French challenge? How does his mother undercut his position? Be sure you know who Arthur and Constance are. (See the Background section at the beginning of these questions.)
2.	What is the nature of the argument between the two Falconbridge brothers? Why does Philip the Bastard claim his father's lands? Why does his brother claim the lands? How is the argument resolved by John and his mother? What happens to Philip? What sort of person does he seem to be?
3.	How does the Bastard respond to this change of fortunes in his soliloquy (1.1.182-216)? What is the tone of the soliloquy?
4.	What does the Bastard learn from his mother when she arrives? How does she respond to his new situation?

2.1
1.	Act 2 shows the seige of Angers (Angiers), John's capital in France, on the Loire. Why has the Duke of Austria joined the battle, and why might he expect not to be welcomed as warmly as he is? What is he wearing? (See 2.1.135-146 and the notes.) How does King Philip respond to the news that John and his army will soon arrive?
2.	What glaring warfare-related anachronism appears in the first hundred lines of the scene?
3.	What claims do Arthur and John have to the throne of English, and who supports each side? What are the roles of Constance and Eleanor in this argument?
4.	How does the town, represented by the Citizen, respond to the demands that the town let the King of England enter? Is this what the two opposing groups expected?
5.	What is the outcome of the battle to determine who the rightful King of England is? How are the two statements in 2.1.300-324 undercut by the Citizen's response? Has anything changed?
6.	What is the Bastard's plan for ending the stalemate? What is the Citizen's plan? Which plan do the two kings accept? Does it work to get the city gates opened? How will it affect Arthur and Constance?
7.	Read the Bastard's closing soliloquy carefully (2.1.562-599). What is his reaction to what has happened? Is the idea of "commodity" an appropriate one here? What does it tell us about the world of the play? What does it tell us about the world of politics? (Surely there can't be any modern politicians like this!) What does the speech tell us about the Bastard? How do the Bastard's soliloquies place him in relation to the play's action and in relation to the audience? Is Constance going to respond in the same way?

2.2
1.	How does Constance respond to the news that Blanche and the Dauphin are to be married?

3.1
1.	How does Constance respond when the others arrive on stage?
2.	How does the arrival of Cardinal Pandolf change the direction of the play? What is his message to John and Philip? How does John respond (in 3.1.73-97)? This is 16th-Century Protestant language, not language the historical John would have used.
3.	What does Constance's speech about law (3.1.111-116) add to the play's political concerns? How does this discussion relate to things that have been discussed earlier in the play?
4.	What sorts of arguments does Pandolf use to get King Philip to turn against John? How successful are they? What is the nature of the power that lies behind his arguments?
5.	What problems does this situation cause for Blanche? How does she state them? Which side has the stronger claim on her? Whom does she leave with?

3.2
1.	What has happened to Austria? To Arthur? To Eleanor?

3.3
1.	How good an uncle will John be to Arthur? What has Hubert agreed to do? Where are they going? Where is Eleanor going?

3.4
1.	How does Constance respond to the loss of Arthur? Look carefully at what she says (in 3.2.21-105). Consider how effectively (or not) Shakespeare creates a distraught woman and mother. Is this a believable portrait? Is Constance mad? (You might want to consider this scene in comparison with Ophelia's madness, written perhaps 5 years later.)
2.	What is the effect of having Pandolf's cold reasoning follow the lament of Constance? What does Pandolf convince the Dauphin of? What will the Dauphin do? Does he expect to become King of England?

4.1
1.	What does Hubert plan to do to Arthur? How does he plan to use the executioners?
2.	What actually happens? How effective are Arthur's pleadings? What danger is Hubert in?
3.	Consider the effect of this emotional scene, and it's role in the play. What is the effect of having Pandolf's cold reasoning in 3.4 sandwiched between the emotional scenes involving Constance and then Arthur?

4.2
1.	Why has John had himself crowned a second time? (The play doesn't really say, so this is speculation.) How do the nobles respond to the second coronation? What do they want John to do?
2.	What does John learn from Hubert? What is being said, and what is not being said, in 4.2.85-88? What will the nobles do now?
3.	What news does the messenger bring? What does the Bastard report, and who is Peter of Pomfret?
4.	What is the mood of the populace? Be sure to note the wonderful details in 4.2.194-203.
5.	When John and Hubert are alone, how does John respond to the news of Arthur's death? Whom does he blame? How does John respond to Jubert's news that Arthur is alive? What is the effect (for the play and for Hubert's character) of having this news delayed until the end of the scene? What does this scene and earlier scenes of surprising reversals do for any sense of a world governed by cause and effect? What sort of world appears in this play?

4.3
1.	What actually happens to Arthur? Does anybody know this? What do the nobles assume has happened?
2.	What is Hubert's response when he sees the dead Arthur? How do the nobles treat him? What is the Bastard's response when he learns of Arthur's death?
3.	What will the nobles do next?
4.	Does the Bastard believe that Hubert did not kill Arthur?
5.	How does the Bastard respond, in what is almost a soliloquy (4.3.141-160)?
6.	What has happened by this point to any sense of cause-and-effect logic in history?

5.1
1.	What has John done in his meeting with Pandolf? (In a play filled with fictional additions to history, this incident is factual.) What has John gotten in return for his submission to the Church? How does his action relate to Peter of Pomfret's prophecy? Is this the way we expected the prophecy to work itself out?
2.	What is happening in the country, according to the Bastard? What is the Bastard's advice for John?

5.2
1.	What have the nobles and the Dauphin agreed to at the beginning of the scene? How happy is Salisbury with the situation?
2.	What is the Dauphin's response to Pandolf's message that John has reconciled and so the French should return home? How difficult does winning England seem to him (based on 5.2.93-108)? See note 6 on p. 1071 for the extent of the card game metaphor in this passage.
3.	What is John's position, as presented by the Bastard? (Note the wonderful details in 5.2.137-145.)
4.	What is likely to happen next?

5.3
1.	How is the battle going? How is John doing? What happened to the French supplies? Where is John going?

5.4
1.	What do the English nobles fighting for the French learn from Count Melun? What will they do? (We haven't heard the word "commodity" for a while, but we see the same idea here, of course, especially in line10. And note the wonderful image in lines 51-57.)

5.5
1.	What does the Dauphin learn and how does he respond? What does he expect to happen the next day? Does it look good for the French?

5.6
1.	What has happened to John? (And why then did we need the fever in 5.3?) Who is with the returned nobles? And what has happened to hapf of the Bastard's "power" (i.e., men and equipment)? Does it look good for John and his followers?

5.7
1.	How well does John die? Note the image in lines 32-34.
2.	What has Pandolf brought? What are the French doing?
3.	What is the tone of the final speech in the play? Is this a strongly positive view of England's power? Look at the sentence structure for a sense of the message.
4.	What does the future look like? Is this a glorious ending? How is it appropriate for the tone of the play as a whole? Does it match the play's version of politics and "commodity"? Is there any element left by the end of the passion and pity aroused by Constance and Arthur? Is it fair to say that by the end of the play passions have been deadened?