The Complete Historical Plays of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare
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William Shakespeare
The Complete Historical Plays of William Shakespeare
King John, The Tragedy Of King Richard The Second, King Henry IV, King Henry V, King Henry VI…
Published by
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- Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting -
2017 OK Publishing
ISBN 978-80-272-3693-0
Table of Contents
KING JOHN
THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND
KING HENRY IV, THE FIRST PART
KING HENRY IV, SECOND PART
KING HENRY V
KING HENRY VI, FIRST PART
KING HENRY THE SIXTH, SECOND PART
KING HENRY THE SIXTH, THIRD PART
THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD III
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 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.