King John was not a good man

History, Shakespeare and even Walt Disney's animators agree: the reign of King John (1199 — 1216), the younger brother of the wildly popular Richard the Lionhearted was a dismal time. He may have been a decent administrator — reviews are mixed — but was also known for his bad temper, irrational rages cruelty and many losses including all of Englands French lands and much of the power of the English monarchy. In June, 1215, John was forced to sign the historic Magna Carta or Great Charter which curtailed royal power in matters of taxation, justice, religion and foreign policy.
Thenews was not lost on cartoonists more than 700 years later. The 1978 Walt Disney movie, Robin Hood portrayed John as a weak snivelling imposter king imposing punitive taxes on his subjects which his brother, the rightful king was off on Crusdades (all true) 


(King John and Sir Hiss, Walt Disney Corp. 1978)

The Life and Death of King John (1590? — 1594) as Shakespeare's play is formally known ir rarely staged these days but contains one of the most vivid characters in all of Shakespeare, Falconbridge, the Bastard, the natural though illegitimate son of Richard the Lionhearted whom John has betrayed. The Bastard earns the begrudging respect of all the characters in the play with his loyalty and courage and serves his unworthy uncle to the end.
King John ends with one of the great Shakespearian rallying cries, spoken not by the miserable dying king but by his fictional nephew, Falconbridge,
          O, let us pay the time but needful woe,
          Since it hath been beforehand with our griefs.
          This England never did, nor never shall
          Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror,
          But when it did first wound itself.
          Now, these her princes are come home again
          Come the three corners of the world in arms
          And we shall shock them! Nought shall makes us rue
          If England to itself be true!
                                        [V vii. 110 — 18]