Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MESSENGER

in King John — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayKing John
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1591
Decade1620s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Meſ.
Words211
Characters1120
Typicality0.27 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.15
BritDrama no.1043
ClusterCluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

From France to England, never such a pour For any foreign preparation, Was levied in the body of a land. The Copy of your speed is learned by them: For when you should be told they do prepare, The tidings comes, that they are all arrived. My Liege, her ear Is stopped with dust: the first of April died Your noble mother; and as I hear, my Lord, The Lady Constance in a frenzy died Three days before: but this from Rumours tongue I idly herd: if true, or false I know not. Under the Dolphin. With all my heart, my Liege. My Lord: your valiant kinsman Falconbridge, Desires your Majesty to leave the field, And send him word by me, which way you go. Be of good comfort: for the great supply, That was expected by the Dolphin here, Are wracked three nights ago on Goodwin sands. This news was brought to Richard but even now, The French fight coldly, and retire themselves. Where is my Prince, the Dolphin? The Count Meloone is slain: The English Lords By his persuasion, are again fallen off, And your supply, which you have wished so long, Are cast away, and sunk on Goodwin sands. Who ever spoke it, it is true my Lord.

Plot summary

Plot — King John
The Plantagenets have a dynastic dispute: J@lih is de facto King of England, but Alptiillir, the young son of his dead elder brother, has a better claim in primogeniture; France takes Arthur’s side. John is asked to adjudicate in another case of . disputed inheritance: Robert Falé@nbridge claims that his elder brother BHiliip is a bastard, begotten in his father’s absence by the dead King Richard. John rules for Philip’s legitimacy irrespective of parentage, since he was conceived in wedlock; but Philip decides to be a king’s son rather than a knight’s heir, cedes his brother the family lands, and joins John’s court. John meets the Kinglofibrance outside the town of Angers, which claims loyalty to the English crown but is holding out against both claimants until the issue is decided. England and France decide to defer their differences until they have subjugated Angers, but the citizens save themselves by suggesting an Anglo- French marriage between DOUISNEHEMDapHin and John’s niece BI@HEHE; France expediently transfers its support from Arthur to John. After the wedding, the papal legate Pandulph excommunicates John for his interference in ecclesiastical affairs, and declares his assassination legitimate. The French revert to support for Arthur, leaving Blanche with a conflict of interests. Arthur is captured in battle and taken back to England ===== PAGE 337 ===== 1596 in MWbert’s custody; John instructs Hubert to arrange the boy’s death. Anticipating this outcome, Pandulph .encourages Louis to prepare a claim to the English throne through his new wife’s right of succession. Hubert makes arrangements to blind Arthur, but cannot bring himself to go through with it. John’s lords demand Arthur’s release, but Hubert untruthfully reports that he is dead as ordered. The lords infer John’s responsibility and plan rebellion. Setbacks build up: John’s mother, left behind to govern his French possessions, dies, and the Dauphin lands his invasion force in England. Faced with internal rebellion and an external threat, John tries to disclaim responsibility for Arthur’s murder, only to be.told by Hubert that the boy is alive after all. But not for long: Arthur falls to his death while trying to escape from prison, and the rebel lords find the body and accept the Dauphin’s overtures. John submits to papal authority, fulfilling a prophecy that he would lose his crown. Pandulph tries to intervene with the Dauphin, only to find that he has started something he cannot…