All Formats & Editions

Edited by the eminent A.R. Braunmuller, this thorough edition of King John--the first scholarly edition in almost fifteen years--makes a significant contribution to the study of Shakespeare's works. Braunmuller offers a wide-ranging critical introduction, which focuses on the... Read Full Overview

The authoritative edition of King John from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.

King John is a study of a king and his political misfortunes. It is also an examination of a fascinating era-the early thirteenth century, a period of profound social and political change and unprecedented insecurity. W.L. Warren paints a picture of the king not only by assessing... Read Full Overview

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. The new Arden Third Series edition offers students a comprehensive introduction exploring the play's relationship... Read Full Overview

The acclaimed Pelican Shakespeare series edited by A. R. Braunmuller and Stephen Orgel The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical... Read Full Overview

King John is a study not only of a king and his political misfortunes, but also of a period-a period of profound changes in society at large, and hence one of unprecedented stressed. John's personality, so distorted by chronicles such as Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris, is... Read Full Overview

Like most of Shakespeare's history plays, King John presents a struggle for the English crown. The struggle this time, however, is strikingly cold-blooded and brutal. John, the younger brother of the late Richard I, is the king, and a savage one. His opponent is a boy, his nephew... Read Full Overview

The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden guides you a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays.This edition of King John provides, a clear and... Read Full Overview

Read & Co. Classics presents this new beautiful edition of William Shakespeare's history play, "King John". This edition features a specially commissioned new biography of William Shakespeare. Supported by France, a claim to be the rightful heir to throne arises from Arthur,... Read Full Overview

War and Betrayal-- France threatens war with England unless King John renounces his claim to the throne in favor of his nephew Arthur. John refuses and war ensues. John is excommunicated by the Pope, and his nephew Arthur dies under mysterious circumstances. Well, whiles I am... Read Full Overview

France threatens war with England unless King John renounces his claim to the throne in favor of his nephew Arthur. John refuses and war ensues. John is excommunicated by the Pope, and his nephew Arthur dies under mysterious circumstances.

A rousing contemporary translation of Shakespeare's classic exploration of early English monarchy.

King John had a distinguished life on the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century stage, and this edition presents the fullest account of its stage history. The play's political importance, its rich and varied language, and its skillful design suggest that King John deserves a high... Read Full Overview