King John

Joseph Candido is Professor of English at the University of Arkansas, USA. He has published extensively on Shakespeare and Renaissance drama, particularly the Elizabethan and Jacobean history play. He is the editor of King John in the series Shakespeare: The Critical Tradition, and is editor of The Text, the Play, and the Globe: Essays on Literary Influence in Shakespeare’s World and His Work in Honor of Charles R. Forker (2016).

An impressive work of scholarship in its breadth and detail, making valuable material accessible to the critic and historian.

• General Editor's PrefacePrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. Commentary on King John, 17902. Response to Malone, 17923. Response to Malone, 17934. On the date of King John, 17995. Character and Characterization, 18086. Personality and Politics, 18157. Shakespeare's art of characterization, 18178. History and Character, 18179. Prefatory remarks on King John, 181910. The Troublesome Raigne and King John, 182411. Introduction to King John, 182612. Prefatory remarks on King John, 182613. Sarah Siddons as Constance, 182714. The character of Constance, 183215. Sarah Siddons on Constance, 183416. General remarks on King John, 183817. King John and history, 183818. The Pictorial Edition of King John, 183819. The female roles in King John, 184320. Editorial corrections in King John, 184521. 'History', church and state in King John, 184622. Critical remarks on King John, 184723. Critical notes on King John, 185124. History, art and character in King John, 185225. Introduction to King John, 185226. History and character, 185527. King John and nationalism, 185628. The madness of Constance, 185929. Background and critical notes to King John, 185930. Characterization, craft, and the philosophy of war, 186331. Politics, ethics and character, 186332. The politics of national interest, 186533. The transcendent sorrow of Constance, 186834. National interest and personal loyalty, 187135. King John and contemporary politics, 187436. The baseness of John, 187537. Shakespeare's art of characterization, 1875-638. Constance and the nature of woman, 187639. King John, Richard III, and character, 187740. The theme of nationality, 187741. King John and Roman Catholicism, 187742. Literary and historical background to King John, 187843. Shakespeare's adaptation of The Troublesome Raigne, 187844. High praise for King John, 187945. On Pandulph and history, 188746. On commodity, 188747. A balanced assessment of King John, 188848. On Constance and Arthur, 188949. Kingship, personality, and the human condition, 188950. The artistic excellence of King John, 189051. The Troublesome Raigne and King John, 189252. On Constance, Elinor and Blanch, 189453. Historical character and dramatic character, 189454. The oddities of King John, 189455. On the principal characters, 189656. Shakespeare's uneven artistry, 189857. Shakespeare's Roman Catholicism, 189958. Shakespeare's maturing artistry, 189959. King John as a transitional play, 190060. Weaknesses and strengths of King John, 190061. The character of John, 190162. Shakespeare and Davenport, 190263. The pendulum of history in King John, 190364. The formlessness of King John, 190665. Shakespeare's dramatic development, 190766. On the religion of Shakespeare, 190767. Introduction to King John, 190768. King John and Richard II, 190769. The belittling of John, 191070. Constance and Shakespeare's shrewish wife, 191171. On treachery and 'Englishness', 191172. On John, Faulconbidge, and Constance, 191373. Shakespeare's use of The Troublesome Raigne, 191374. The artistic flaws of King John, 191375. On the Bastard, John and the play, 1919NotesA Select BibliographyIndex