King John tells the story of John's struggle to retain the crown in the face of alternative claims to the throne from France and is one of the earlier history plays. This book offers students a comprehensive introduction exploring the play's...
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King John tells the story of John's struggle to retain the crown in the face of alternative claims to the throne from France and is one of the earlier history plays. This book offers students a comprehensive introduction exploring the play's relationship to its source and to later plays in the history cycle, as well as giving a full account of its critical and performance history, including key productions in 2015 which marked the anniversary of Magna Carta Date -- Politics : international and national -- Reformation and the papal deposing power -- Conscience and commodity -- Legitimacy and legitimation -- Oath-taking and vow-breaking -- Disenchantment -- History plays and historiography -- Rhetorical patterns -- Afterlives -- Textual note -- King John -- Appendix: casting chart