King John, 1167-1216

King John is one of Shakespeare's least popular plays--unjustly! The play is almost entirely in grand, stately verse, featuring a political struggle intricate and sometimes difficult to follow, and starring a fairly complex though ill-fated villain, the failed King John of England. This annotated edition is excellent: the notes are usually incisive and the several appendices deal in meticulous depth with the play's textual cruces. The introduction is an involved but worthwhile read, and the editor's writing style, though dense, is not unpleasant to read.

KING JOHN has one of Shakespeare's best death scenes and a character, Faulconbridge the bastard son of Richard the Lion Hearted, who is a first draft for Falstaff -- and better integrated into the play's main action than Falstaff is. It's unique among Shakespeare's works in being about Realpolitik in a genuine historical context -- as if a modern American playwright should write a play about George Washington's political compromises, complete with a presentation of the real historical situations that led up to them. Faulconbridge is there to make cynical comments, and yet remain loyal to King John, who almost, but not quite, becomes a child murderer in the course of the action. Earlier, the complexities of wartime politics are revealed when a town refuses to admit either the King of England or the King of France as its rightful ruler until the two kings have fought out the question first -- whereupon the two kings decide to agree on a truce, just long enough to wipe the town out together, then go back to fighting one another. The play is a wonderful mix of history and ironic commentary, one of two plays of Shakespeare's that is entirely in verse (the other one is RICHARD II, which he wrote just before KING JOHN), and it's tragically poetic and satiric in equal measure. Shakespeare never wrote anything else quite like it. If he wrote better plays, they were also different kinds of plays: this one is unique. The Folger edition has excellent notes for beginning students; the Oxford edition is for more advanced students, and also exceptionally good.

I recently performed in this play. I had the role of Queen Elinor. It was a joy to put on and I totally recommend the unabridged version to anyone! I myself am trying to find an unabridged book version, so let me know if one becomes available.

In high school and later at Yale, I labored through the majority of Shakespeare's work, but it was only later, when I saw my first stage production, that I was able to fully appreciate the words, the feelings, the drama and excitement that my teachers had always assured me was there! Now that is available at the touch of a button. I hope every school in the country gets a complete set!

Had I time enough and words enough, and skill enough, I'd go back in time and give copies of the complete set of Arkangel to every school in the country! How lovely that the current generation can feel the power and the drama and the passion that lies in those dusty pages. Thank you Arkangel for bringing this to life for everyone.