John, King of England, his mother Queen Eleanor, and their courtiers greet the French ambassador who comes to claim the English throne on behalf of John’s nephew, Prince Arthur. The embassy is rejected and war threatens as Robert and Philip Faulconbridge come to the King seeking arbitration in their family inheritance dispute. When Philip proves to be a bastard son of John’s late brother, Richard ’Coeur-de-Lion’ he decides to forgo his Faulconbridge inheritance and follow Queen Eleanor’s army to France. As Philip, created Sir Richard, exalts in his new-found fortune his mother, Lady Faulconbridge, arrives to defend her honour, but she privately admits that ‘Coeur-de-Lion’ was his father.

In France, near Angiers, King Philip, his son Lewis the Dauphin, Constance, sister-in-law to King John, and the Archduke of Austria resolve to fight for Constance’s son Arthur’s claim to the English throne. King John arrives to state his right to the French throne and King Philip responds by supporting Arthur as rightful heir to England. Eleanor and Constance argue the claims of their respective sons as the nobles try to keep the peace between them. Hubert, spokesman for the town of Angiers, is asked to arbitrate and states that Angiers is English whoever is King of England. Battle ensues but both armies claim victory and Angiers maintains its stance. 

Hubert proposes a peace marriage of John’s niece Blanche to the Dauphin and John supports the match by promising five English provinces of France as dowry. Lewis and Blanche agree as John, to pacify Constance, makes Arthur Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond. The Bastard, Philip sees John’s capitulation as an unwelcome compromise and resolves to pursue riches for himself.

Constance bewails the new Anglo-French alliance and her son’s lost inheritance although Arthur himself wishes for peace. On the Dauphin’s wedding day Constance continues to argue while the Prince of Austria sues for peace and is challenged by the Bastard. They are interrupted by Cardinal Pandulph on an embassy from the Pope who questions John’s refusal to acknowledge the new Archbishop of Canterbury. John defies the Pope’s power and is excommunicated. Constance appeals to the Cardinal for support, Philip sides with the Cardinal and Rome and consequently the peace so recently confirmed is broken. 

In the ensuing battle King John captures Prince Arthur and takes him to England in Hubert’s care, leaving Eleanor and the Bastard to continue the French wars. John persuades Hubert that Arthur must die as he presents too much of a threat to John’s throne. King Philip and the Dauphin mourn the loss of Angiers and of Prince Arthur. Constance distraught at her son’s loss, blames the Cardinal, and commits herself wholly to grief.

The Cardinal persuades the Dauphin that John is the real loser of the day, knowing he cannot rest while Arthur lives, and he sends Lewis to attack England while the country is in turmoil. Hubert threatens first to blind Prince Arthur, then to take his life, but relents when the boy pleads for mercy.
King John, having invested in a second coronation consults with his courtiers and Pembroke asks for Arthur’s freedom, knowing that Hubert was to be a murderer. A messenger brings news from France of Eleanor’s death soon after Constance had died of madness, and of the Dauphin’s threats to invade England. The Bastard arrives to tell of his success in raising support, bringing Peter of Pomfret, a monk and seer whom John immediately imprisons in Hubert’s care. John blames Hubert for the public disturbance at news of Arthur’s death but Hubert denies he has carried out the murder. Meanwhile Arthur has killed himself by jumping from the castle walls. The nobles who find his body blame Hubert and, with difficulty, he avoids their revenge. 

As the Dauphin’s forces move towards London, strengthened by the lords Salisbury, Bigot and Pembroke, John has yielded to the Cardinal and the Pope’s supremacy. The Bastard sues for peace on John’s behalf but the Dauphin forces a battle. The Bastard leads the King’s forces as John, struck with illness goes for refuge at Swinstead Abbey. Salisbury, Bigot and Pembroke are persuaded by the dying French Lord Melun that they have joined the wrong side and return to the English armies, despite the Dauphin’s wish to continue fighting. Hubert seeks out the Bastard with news that King John has been poisoned and the nobles bring John’s son and heir Henry to Swinstead arriving in time to witness John’s death. The Bastard has lost much of his army as the tide came up across the Wash, but the Dauphin sues for peace, and withdraws accepting the Cardinal’s advice as Prince Henry, now King, orders the burial of his father at Worcester and the Bastard proclaims peace throughout England.

©Marian J. Pringle
Special Collections Librarian,
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust