Introduction to the play
Like most of Shakespeare’s history plays, King John presents a struggle for the English crown. The struggle this time, however, is strikingly cold-blooded and brutal.
John, the younger brother of the late Richard I, is the king, and a savage one. His opponent is a boy, his nephew Arthur, supported by the King of France and the Duke of Austria. After Arthur falls into John’s hands, John plots to torture him. Arthur’s capture gives Louis, the Dauphin of France, the opportunity to lay claim to John’s crown. John’s nobles support Louis, but he schemes to betray them.
The play finds its hero in another figure: the Bastard, Sir Richard Plantagenet, an illegitimate son of Richard I. Although he has an appetite for war, he also has a strong conscience and speaks with trenchant irony.
The Folger Shakespeare
Our bestselling editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
Grief fills the room up of my absent child
—Constance
Act 3, scene 4, line 95
To gild refinèd gold, to paint the lily
—Salisbury
Act 4, scene 2, line 11
King John in our collection
A selection of Folger collection items related to King John. Find more in our digital image collection
Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
King John
Learn more about the play, its language, and its history from the experts behind our edition.
About Shakespeare’s King John
An introduction to the plot, themes, and characters in the play
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and wordplay
An Introduction to This Text
A description of the publishing history of the play and our editors’ approach to this edition
Textual Notes
A record of the variants in the early printings of this text
A Modern Perspective
An essay by Deborah T. Curren-Aquino
Further Reading
Suggestions from our experts on where to learn more
Shakespeare and his world
Learn more about Shakespeare, his theater, and his plays from the experts behind our editions.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
Shakespeare’s Theater
An essay about what theaters were like during Shakespeare’s career
The Publication of Shakespeare’s Plays
An essay about how Shakespeare’s plays were published
Related blog posts and podcasts
Was it the first Shakespeare film? The silent King John
With Herbert Beerbohm Tree as the king, the four-minute silent movie “King John” (1899) is often called “the first Shakespeare film,” as Michael Anderegg explains. Watch the surviving one-minute fragment and learn more about its theatrical star.
Setting the Stage for 'King John'
From the battlefield to the throne room, scenic designer Andrew Cohen offers a glimpse into the inspirations behind the set for Folger Theatre’s King John.
Three Ways to Get Closer to the Drama
Today we look at a few ways audiences can get closer to the action and brush up their Shakespeare before (and during) a performance.
Teaching King John
Use the Folger Method to teach any of Shakespeare’s works. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
Early printed texts
King John was printed for the first time in the 1623 First Folio and that text serves as the source for all modern editions of the play, including the Folger edition.
The copy of the Second Folio (1632) digitized here was once owned by a Jesuit College in Spain and a censor blotted out some lines in the beginning of the third act.
