The Life and Death of King John by William Shakespeare

Author:William Shakespeare
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Drama, Shakespeare, Literary Criticism, European, English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1998-07-15T05:19:45+00:00

245 I am dubbed, I have it on my shoulder: The Bastard recalls the ceremony of knighting which we witnessed at 161–2, and simultaneously makes fun of the fashionable expression I have it, meaning ‘I have been mortally wounded’.

248 Legitimation, name, and all is gone: The Bastard makes clear his far-reaching decision at 138–47 and 151–4. An actor might well suggest his realization of this at the words all is gone.

250 Some proper man: The Bastard’s apparent ignorance of his father after all that has gone before permits his mother’s unequivocal statement at 253.

proper: Handsome, well-made.

252 As faithfully as I deny the devil: Echoing the service of baptism, and the catechism: ‘renounce the devil and all his works’.

253 King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father: The simplicity and directness of this are important. The Bastard’s physical appearance and Queen Eleanor’s intuition are now confirmed by Lady Faulconbridge’s direct statement.

256–7 Heaven lay not … the issue of my dear offence: F prints these lines as: Heauen lay not my transgression to my charge, | That art the issue of my deere offence … Most editors emend, either to ‘… to thy charge | That art …’ or to ‘… to my charge! | Thou art …’. The former introduces an element of affection otherwise absent from Lady Faulconbridge’s lines. The second emendation is preferable, though Lady Faulconbridge’s wish (256) that she should not be accused of a sin that she admits is somewhat obscure; this must mean ‘may heaven not bring this sin forward against me when I come to eternal judgement’, the charge having already been confessed on earth as a transgression.

257 dear offence: (1) Transgression which (because of the stain on her honour, or on her soul) has cost me dear or (2) transgression which has been deeply felt – and also, perhaps, of which the memory is still precious (because of the feeling she had for King Richard).

258 past my defence: Past my ability to say no (with a sexual quibble on ‘offence’/‘defence’).

259 by this light: A frequent, mild oath.

261 Some sins do bear their privilege on earth: Some sins are privileged with immunity from earthly punishment. The slightly dubious theology of this (it is heavenly, not earthly, retribution that Lady Faulconbridge was worried about at 256) is less important than the Bastard’s amusing anxiety to provide his mother with every excuse for having given him the father he wants.

262 Your fault was not your folly: Though you did commit a fault it was far from foolish (to accept the love of King Richard).

263–7 Needs must you lay your heart … his princely heart from Richard’s hand: You had no choice but to give your heart to King Richard, offering a subject’s obedience to a monarch’s inalienable demand for love, just as the fearless lion was powerless to protect its heart from the rage and strength of Richard’s hand.

264 Subjected tribute: The phrase puns on the fact that Lady Faulconbridge is politically King Richard’s ‘subject’, and on the

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