Monologue

King John Monologue

From King John by William Shakespeare

male · defiant · 1:03 min

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Sirrah, your brother is legitimate; Your father’s wife did after wedlock bear him, And if she did play false, the fault was hers; Which fault lies on the hazards of all husbands That marry wives. Tell me, how if my brother, Who, as you say, took pains to get this son, Had of your father claim’d this son for his? In sooth, good friend, your father might have kept This calf, bred from his cow, from all the world; In sooth, he might; then, if he were my brother’s, My brother might not claim him; nor your father, Being none of his, refuse him. This concludes; My mother’s son did get your father’s heir; Your father’s heir must have your father’s land.

About this piece

King John confronts the legitimacy of his brother's claim to inheritance, asserting his own position while navigating complex family dynamics and issues of legitimacy.

40s · determination · family · identity · power · betrayal

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