King John story
The Life and Death of King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatises the reign of John, King of England (ruled 1199–1216), son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and father of Henry III of England. It is believed to have been written in the mid-1590s but was not published until it appeared in the First Folio in 1623.
11 total · 1 choice · 1 major · 9 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| war of succession | choice | the war happened because France supported Arthur's claim to the throne that John possessed |
| war | major | The story concerned armed conflict between King John of England and Dauphin Louis of France regarding who was to rule England and regions of France |
| choosing between conflicting loyalties | minor | Blanch lamented that she didn't know which side to go with: husband, uncle, father, or grandam |
| duty vs. compassion | minor | Hubert wrangled with his conscience over blinding prince Arthur |
| mother and son | minor | Eleanor and John; Lady Faulconbridge and Bastard |
| murder | minor | King John uttered remorse about ordering the murder of Prince Arthur whom the king thought had been killed. |
| pride | minor | Bastard spoke with excessive pride after his elevation |
| remorse | minor | King John felt remorse for having had Arthur murdered and was relieved to find out his orders had, in fact, been disobeyed |
| suicide | minor | Prince Arthur killed himself |
| the need to know one's roots | minor | Bastard beseeched his mother to reveal who his father was |