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Last updated: Wed, Oct 04, 2017

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Act and scene list

Characters in the Play
Entire Play The events in King John take place in the thirteenth century, well before Shakespeare’s other English history plays. After the death of John’s brother, Richard I, John rules England.John’s young nephew, Arthur, has a claim to the throne and is supported by the French. At first, a proposed marriage between the French crown prince and John’s niece, Blanche, calms Anglo-French tensions. Then the pope, in a dispute over recognizing an archbishop, excommunicates John and backs Arthur’s claim.After war erupts, John captures Arthur and orders his death. Arthur’s guardian, Hubert, prepares to burn out Arthur’s eyes, but then spares him. Arthur dies leaping from the prison wall. Arthur’s mother Constance grieves inconsolably.Meanwhile, French forces reach England. John submits to the pope to gain his aid. Rebellious English nobles join the French, but return to John when they learn the French prince plans to kill them. English forces under the bastard son of Richard I expel the French, but a monk poisons King John, whose son becomes Henry III.
Act 1, scene 1 John, King of England, is told by a messenger from the King of France that the territories held by John should belong instead to John’s nephew Arthur. When John refuses to be swayed by this message, he is threatened with war; John counters with a warning that he will attack France first. John then judges a quarrel between Robert and Philip Faulconbridge that concludes with Philip’s decision to acknowledge the dead King Richard I as his natural father. Philip is knighted as Sir Richard Plantagenet and prepares to go with King John and the English army to France; Sir Richard’s mother, Lady Faulconbridge, confesses to him that Richard I was indeed his father.
Act 2, scene 1 King Philip of France and the Duke of Austria, on behalf of Arthur, begin to lay siege to the city of Angiers, property of the English monarch. John and his army arrive. Each king demands that the citizens of Angiers allow the “King of England” to enter, but the citizens ask for proof as to which (John or Arthur) is the true king. When the kings decide to join forces to destroy the city, the citizens propose that the kings instead become allies through a marriage of the French Dauphin Louis to John’s niece Blanche. To further this proposed alliance, John gives up five Continental provinces and makes Arthur Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond, while Philip abandons Arthur’s cause.
Act 3, scene 1 The league between John and Philip is attacked first by Constance, who accuses Philip of treacherously betraying Arthur’s cause, and then by Pandulph, legate from Pope Innocent. Pandulph excommunicates John when John refuses to obey the Pope; Pandulph then threatens Philip with excommunication if he does not turn against John. When Philip obeys Pandulph, John prepares for war.
Act 3, scene 2 The Bastard, having killed the Duke of Austria, reports that he has rescued Queen Eleanor. Arthur, captured by John, is turned over to Hubert’s care.
Act 3, scene 3 John prepares to leave for England with his forces. He tells Hubert that Arthur must die. Hubert promises to kill Arthur.
Act 3, scene 4 John’s victories and his capture of Arthur lead the French to despair and Constance to wild grief. Pandulph, predicting Arthur’s death and the hatred of John that will inevitably ensue, encourages the Dauphin to invade England and claim the throne as Blanche’s husband.
Act 4, scene 1 Hubert prepares to put out Arthur’s eyes with hot irons. Arthur begs him to show mercy. Hubert plans to tell John that Arthur is dead.
Act 4, scene 2 The nobles express their disapproval of John’s second coronation and urge that he set Arthur free. When Hubert brings word that Arthur is dead, the nobles turn against John and go in search of Arthur’s body. A messenger tells John that the French, under the Dauphin, have landed in England and that Eleanor and Constance have both died. After sending the Bastard to try to bring the nobles back, John attacks Hubert for having killed Arthur. When Hubert discloses that Arthur is unharmed, John sends the happy news to the nobles.
Act 4, scene 3 Arthur dies as he attempts to leap from the prison wall. The Bastard reaches the nobles, on their way to meet with the Dauphin, just as they discover Arthur’s body and vow revenge for his death. When Hubert enters, they turn on him as a murderer. The Bastard takes Hubert’s part, and the nobles proceed to their meeting with the Dauphin. Hubert convinces the Bastard of his own innocence, and the Bastard, predicting disaster, returns to King John.
Act 5, scene 1 King John submits his royal power to the Pope in exchange for Pandulph’s intercession against the French forces. The Bastard reports the successes of the French army, the death of Arthur, and the revolt of the nobles, and urges John to fight the French rather than seek peace through Pandulph. King John gives the Bastard the authority to deal with the French as he chooses.
Act 5, scene 2 The rebellious English nobles swear to support the Dauphin in his attack on England. Pandulph tells the Dauphin to take his army back to France, since John has submitted to the Pope, but the Dauphin refuses. The Bastard is pleased that the Dauphin wants war, and announces that John is close by with his army.
Act 5, scene 3 King John, sick with a fever, is instructed by the Bastard to leave the battle. John receives the good news that French supply ships have sunk. He goes to take refuge in an abbey.
Act 5, scene 4 While the English army continues to fight successfully under the Bastard, the rebel English nobles learn from the wounded French Count Melun that the Dauphin plans to murder them if the French are victorious. The rebels decide to return to John.
Act 5, scene 5 The Dauphin rejoices that his forces have almost defeated the English. He then learns that Count Melun has died, that the English rebels have gone back to King John, and that his supply ships have sunk.
Act 5, scene 6 Hubert brings news to the Bastard that King John has been poisoned by a monk, and that, at the urging of his son Prince Henry, King John has pardoned the rebellious nobles. The Bastard, half of whose army has drowned, hastens to the dying king.
Act 5, scene 7 As King John lies dying, surrounded by his newly loyal nobles and his son, Prince Henry, the Bastard brings him news of French victories and English losses. The Bastard then learns that Pandulph has brought an offer of peace from the Dauphin. After John dies, the Bastard and the nobles offer their allegiance to Prince Henry, soon to be crowned King Henry III.

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Act 1, scene 1

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