King John & Henry VIII (21 page)

Lines 1–83:
The French are outside the town of Angiers. King Philip introduces Arthur to the Duke of Austria, who killed his uncle, King Richard, but to make amends has allied himself to the French in support of Arthur’s claim to the English crown against John. Arthur welcomes him and Constance offers “his mother’s thanks, a widow’s thanks” until with his help she is able to offer him a worthy reward. King Philip says they should mount an attack on the town, which refuses to recognize Arthur’s claim. Constance advises waiting until Chatillon returns from England to hear John’s response. Chatillon appears almost immediately and tells them not to concern themselves
with fighting a small town but to expect a greater enemy since John has come with his mother, his niece, bastard nephew and the English army. Philip is surprised but Austria says they must rise to the occasion and prepare to “welcome” them.

Lines 84–150:
The English arrive and John greets the French king, saying they can have peace if Philip recognizes his claim to the English throne. Philip says they can have peace if John acknowledges Arthur’s claim to it. He asks him to look at Arthur’s face, which is like his father Geoffrey’s and, since he was John’s older brother, this means that he, not John, is the rightful king of England. John asks by whose authority he undertakes this and Philip replies, by God’s (the “supernal judge”) who has made him Arthur’s guardian. John responds that he usurps his authority but Philip replies that preventing usurping is a good enough excuse. Elinor demands to know who he is accusing of usurping and Constance replies Elinor’s usurping son, John. Elinor accuses Constance of wanting to make her bastard king so that she can rule. Constance replies that she was never unfaithful to Geoffrey and that her son’s less likely to be a bastard than Elinor’s. The two women continue to insult each other. Austria calls for peace. The Bastard (Richard) demands to know who speaks and threatens to take the lion-skin, which belonged to King Richard Coeur-de-lion, from his back.

Lines 151–205:
Lewis demands that the “women and fools” keep quiet. He claims “England and Ireland, Anjou, Touraine, Maine” for Arthur and asks John to resign his claim and lay down his arms. John refuses but adds that if Arthur yields to him, he’ll give him more than France can win by fighting. Elinor tells Arthur to come to her. Constance mocks her offer saying, in exchange for the kingdom, his “grandam” will give Arthur “a plum, a cherry and a fig.” Arthur tells his mother to be quiet: he wishes he were dead, he’s not worth all this “coil” (fuss). Elinor blames Constance for making Arthur weep and Constance blames Elinor and they resume their slanging match. King John and then King Philip call for peace. Philip suggests that they should ask the men of Angiers which of the two claimants they support—“Whose title they admit, Arthur’s or John’s.” A trumpet is sounded.

Lines 206–306:
A Citizen enters upon the walls and demands to know who has summoned them. The two kings each state their case and demand that the men of Angiers should judge between the rival claimants. John says that the French were about to lay siege to the town to destroy it until the English arrived but are now prepared to talk. Philip advances the legitimacy of Arthur’s claim to the English crown and says that if the men of Angiers will recognize this, they will leave them in peace. The Citizen claims that the people of Angiers are loyal to the English king. They ask him to say who that is but he is unable to. They must decide between themselves who the rightful king is and Angiers will then be loyal to him. The kings decide they’ll have to fight and set their armies in the field. The two armies start fighting.

Lines 307–423:
They cease and the French Herald demands that Angiers open the gates to receive Arthur. On the other side the English Herald claims victory for John. The Citizen claims that they have been watching all this while and judge the armies equally matched, that neither has achieved victory; they are not prepared to recognize either—“We hold our town for neither, yet for both.” The two kings meet, both still determined to fight on. The Bastard is keen to return to battle till one side has vanquished the other. The kings again appeal to the citizens of Angiers to recognize their right and are again refused. The Bastard then suggests that the two armies join together and turn their power against Angiers for defying them both.

Lines 424–544:
The kings agree and are deciding on their positions when the Citizen’s spokesperson suggests they can be reconciled peacefully by the marriage of John’s niece, “the lady Blanche,” and the King of France’s son, “Lewis the dauphin.” The Bastard is disgusted by the Citizen’s long speech in favor of the match. Elinor, however, advises John to accept and to offer a large dowry with Blanche, which will make the French king his ally rather than his enemy. John says that if the dauphin can love Blanche and agree to the match, he will give France all the English lands in France, apart from Angiers, including Anjou, Touraine, Maine and Poitiers. The dauphin looks at Blanche and seeing his own reflection “Drawn in the flattering table of her eye,” declares his love. The Bastard is again
disgusted by the turn of events but Blanche says that she is willing to do as her uncle asks: all she sees of the dauphin is “worthy love” and she can see nothing that would “merit any hate.” The young couple agree to marry and John will give her five provinces plus thirty thousand marks as her dowry.

Lines 545–570:
The French king asks Angiers to open their gates so that they can all enter and Blanche and Lewis can be married. He asks where Constance is, knowing she’ll be angry. Lewis says she is “sad and passionate” in the king’s tent. Philip asks John if there is some way in which she may be compensated. John says he’ll make Arthur Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond and give him Angiers. He hopes that Constance will be at least partially satisfied and stop complaining. All except the Bastard leave to prepare for the wedding.

Lines 571–608:
Alone on stage the Bastard reflects on events: “Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!” In order to stop Arthur’s claim to the English crown, John has willingly parted with a large part of his kingdom while the French king, who claimed to be supporting Arthur’s legitimate right and posed as “God’s own soldier,” has listened to the devil in his ear and withdrawn from “a resolved and honourable war / To a most base and vile-concluded peace.” He blames all this on “That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling commodity” (profit or self-interest) and rails against its influence in a world in which everyone seems to be out for themselves. He goes on ironically to recognize that the reason he can rail against “commodity” is that he hasn’t yet been touched by it personally, being poor he will say there’s “no sin but to be rich” but once he’s rich he will then say that “there is no vice but beggary.” Since kings “break faith” for their own advantage, he will worship “Gain” from now on.

Constance refuses to believe the Earl of Salisbury’s report that Blanche and Lewis are to be married. He assures her that is the case. She’s angry and blames him, recognizing that because of this match France will no longer support Arthur’s claim. Arthur begs her to “be
content” but Constance claims that she might be content if he were ugly or deformed in some way, since then she would not love him, but that he is “fair” and that at his birth “Nature and Fortune joined to make thee great.” She blames the “strumpet [whore] Fortune” and claims that France (i.e. the French king) is a “bawd [prostitute] to Fortune and King John.” She asks Salisbury whether Philip is not “forsworn” (guilty of breaking his oath) and tells him to curse the king or go. He says he cannot go without her to attend the wedding but she refuses and Salisbury departs with Arthur, leaving Constance alone with her grief.

Lines 1–61:
Blanche and Lewis are married and King Philip declares there will be a holiday in France every year to celebrate “this blessèd day.” Constance, however, condemns it as a “wicked day, and not a holy day!” and refusing to be reconciled, calls on the heavens to set “these perjured kings” at odds once more. When Austria calls for peace, Constance immediately retorts, demanding “War, war, no peace!” and declares Austria likewise perjured and, rather than wear a lion’s skin, he should take it off for shame and “hang a calf’s-skin on those recreant limbs.” Austria is furious and says if a man said that to him he’d fight him. The Bastard immediately repeats the words as a challenge and the situation threatens to get out of hand when Cardinal Pandulph, the papal legate, enters.

Lines 62–118:
The Cardinal demands to know from John why he refuses to accept Stephen Langton, chosen by Pope Innocent III, as Archbishop of Canterbury. John responds that “no Italian priest” has authority to tell “a sacred king” what to do and argues that he is “supreme head.” Philip tells him he “blaspheme[s] in this.” John is defiant, arguing that he alone is not led by this “meddling priest,” fearful of the Catholic church’s power of excommunication and wealth obtained by the corrupt practice of selling pardons. The Cardinal announces that in that case John will be cursed and excommunicated and whoever kills him will be canonized and worshipped as a saint. Constance begs for the right to add her curses to Rome’s.
The papal legate argues that he has “law and warrant” for his curse but Constance argues that she does too, “since law itself is perfect wrong.” John has stolen Arthur’s rightful kingdom and “he that holds his kingdom holds the law.”

Lines 119–183:
Pandulph then orders Philip, on peril of being excommunicated himself to make war on John, “that arch-heretic,” unless he “do submit himself to Rome.” Both sides try to sway Philip to support them. Elinor and Constance argue again, as do the Bastard and Austria. Lewis thinks the Pope’s curse is heavier than the loss of England’s friendship, and his father should “forgo the easier.” Blanche suggests that’s the Pope’s curse but Constance tells Lewis he’s being tempted by “the devil.” Philip is “perplexed,” unsure what to do and asks the Cardinal to put himself in his place—his son and Blanche are just married and peace agreed between their two lands, which have previously been at war. He cannot go back on his word and change his mind. He begs Pandulph to find some peaceful solution.

Lines 184–280:
The Cardinal is resolute—Philip cannot remain friends with John. Philip responds that he may let go of John’s hand but not his “faith”—his oath of friendship. Pandulph replies that he would then make “faith an enemy to faith” since his duty is to heaven to whom he swore his first vow. He must make war on John. Austria calls it “flat rebellion” and the Bastard taunts him once more. Lewis calls his father “to arms.” Blanche is shocked that her husband wants to fight on his wedding day against her own family and begs him not to. Constance urges him on to battle, however. Philip is still undecided until the Cardinal again threatens excommunication at which he reluctantly agrees to fight John. Constance is delighted, Elinor furious, and John threatening; only the Bastard is happy. Blanche is distressed, with her loyalties divided. John tells the Bastard to bring up the army: they are at war with France again.

Lines 1–30:
After more fighting, the Bastard enters with Austria’s head. John then enters with Arthur, telling Hubert to look after him.
He fears that Elinor is captured but the Bastard reassures him that he rescued her himself. There is more fighting. John tells Elinor to stay and she’ll be strongly guarded and tells Arthur to cheer up since his grandmother loves him and he’ll love him like a father. Arthur replies that his mother will “die with grief.” John sends the Bastard back to England to extract money from the Church to pay for the wars. Elinor calls Arthur over to her.

Lines 31–92:
John takes Hubert to one side and tells him how grateful he is to him and how much he respects him. Hubert says he is much obliged. John then starts a series of evasive, round about hints to Hubert, who, guessing his purpose, says he’ll do it: Arthur “shall not live.” John is happy. Arthur is to go to England with Hubert while John goes to Calais.

Lines 1–108:
King Philip and Lewis are bemoaning the French defeat while the cardinal attempts to cheer them. Constance enters, blaming Philip and his peace treaty for their defeat. She is distraught, desiring only death: “Death, death, O amiable, lovely death … come to me!” Pandulph tells her that what she speaks is “madness” not “sorrow” but she denies it. Philip asks her to tie up her hair. She begs him to make for England. He again asks her to tie up her hair. She agrees, saying that she untied it in her grief, wishing she could have released Arthur as easily, but she will tie it up again since her son is a bound prisoner. She imagines Arthur pale and ill and says she will not recognize him when they meet again in heaven. The Cardinal is impatient and Philip accuses her of being “as fond of grief as of your child.” Constance, however, replies that “Grief fills the room up of my absent child”: she sees him everywhere. She lets down her hair again since “there is such disorder in my wit” and leaves, still lamenting bitterly. Philip goes after her, fearing she may kill herself.

Lines 109–185:
Lewis expresses his discontent to the Cardinal, who replies that in the long run, this will be to his advantage. Lewis does not understand how this can be the case and the Cardinal explains that while Arthur lives, John can have no peace. He will, therefore,
have him murdered, at which point Lewis may claim the English throne for himself through his wife, Blanche (her mother was John’s older sister, Eleanor). Lewis is unconvinced, believing that he will lose everything, but the Cardinal explains how public opinion will turn against John for Arthur’s death: he will be blamed for everything, including the weather. Lewis suggests that perhaps John will let Arthur live but Pandulph assures him that as soon as he learns of the dauphin’s approach he will have him killed and then his people will be revolted and desire change. Furthermore “the Bastard Falconbridge” is busy “ransacking the Church / Offending charity” so that even a dozen Frenchmen would gather the support of the English; that support would then snowball. He tells Lewis to go with him to Philip and he will urge him on. The dauphin agrees, “If you say ay, the king will not say no.”