Herbert Beerbohm Tree as King John

King John

William Shakespearec. 1596
ShakespeareGruelingHistory PlayEnglishShort · 83 pages
Influence14th pct
Popularity23rd pct
Where it ranks
#151of 194Overall#26of 38Shakespeare

Read this if you…

  • want an underrated Shakespeare history
  • like the quote "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to add a color to the rainbow"

Skip this if you…

  • aren't willing to go slow, read notes, look up analyses of famous passages (only way to "get" shakespeare)
  • foolishly think shakespeare is overrated
  • haven't already read his higher ranked histories

Why It Matters

An early history play about a weak king stuck between powerful factions, a story of England tearing itself apart through ambition, incompetence, and betrayal. It's better political drama than most critics give it credit for, with a clear-eyed sense of how power vacuums turn into chaos. It laid the groundwork for the great history plays that came after.

The Groblé Take

Way better than expected, awesome language as always. To gild gold, to paint the lily, to add a color to the rainbow is an all time verse. All the scheming and changing allegiances and the church demanding allegiance and acting as a meta state was interesting

Gallery

Depicted in Art

Hubert clutches his head in anguish over the order to blind young Arthur, who clings to him pleading; attendants stand by with a hot iron.

James Northcote, 1790

Lady Constance stands alone in mourning dress, her face turned upward in grief over her son Arthur's fate.

John William Wright, 1849

Black-and-white line illustration of a scene from the play, rendered for a Polish edition of Shakespeare's collected works.

Henry Courtney Selous, 1895

Young Arthur greets the Archduke of Austria, depicted as a knight in lionskin over armor, with attendant women and horses in a formal courtly setting.

William Hamilton, 1791

Actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree in full royal costume as King John, scowling beneath the crown.

Charles A. Buchel, 1900

Editions

Recommended Editions

#1Top Pick

Folger Shakespeare Library

2000

Folger's the readable one. Text on one page, notes on the facing page, written in plain English instead of textbook-speak. Catches every word and reference you'd otherwise Google, without breaking the scene to do it.

Buy on Bookshop
#2

SparkNotes (No Fear Shakespeare)

2003

#3

Arden Shakespeare

2018

Buy

Please support us by purchasing through these links, at no extra cost to you!

Deep Dive

What It's About

Spoiler warning

This summary gives away plot details.

Notable Quotes

“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.”

— Salisbury, Act IV, Scene 2

“This England never did, nor never shall, / Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror.”

— The Bastard

More by William Shakespeare