King John | Page 3

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KING JOHN
by William Shakespeare

PERSONS REPRESENTED
KING JOHN. PRINCE HENRY, his son; afterwards KING HENRY III.
ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, son to GEFFREY, late Duke of Bretagne,
the elder brother to King John. WILLIAM MARSHALL, Earl of
Pembroke. GEOFFREY FITZ-PETER, Earl of Essex, Chief Justiciary
of England. WILLIAM LONGSWORD, Earl of Salisbury. ROBERT
BIGOT, Earl of Norfolk. HUBERT DE BURGH, Chamberlain to the
King. ROBERT FALCONBRIDGE, son to Sir Robert Falconbridge.
PHILIP FALCONBRIDGE, his half-brother, bastard son to King
Richard I. JAMES GURNEY, servant to Lady Falconbridge. PETER
OF POMFRET, a prophet
PHILIP, King of France. LOUIS, the Dauphin. ARCHDUKE OF
AUSTRIA. CARDINAL PANDULPH, the Pope's legate. MELUN, a
French lord. CHATILLON, Ambassador from France to King John.
ELINOR, Widow of King Henry II and Mother to King John.
CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur. BLANCH OF SPAIN, Daughter to
Alphonso, King of Castile, and Niece to King John. LADY
FALCONBRIDGE, Mother to the Bastard and Robert Falconbridge.
Lords, Citizens of Angiers, Sheriff, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers,
Messengers, Attendants and other Attendants.
SCENE: Sometimes in England, and sometimes in France.

ACT I.
SCENE 1. Northampton. A Room of State in the 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 borrow'd majesty of England here.
ELINOR. A strange beginning:--borrow'd 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