Original: By heaven, these scroyles of Angiers flout you, kings,
Modern: I swear, these lowly wretches of Angiers are mocking you, kings,

Original: And stand securely on their battlements,
Modern: And they stand safely on top of their walls,

Original: As in a theatre, whence they gape and point
Modern: Like they’re watching a play, staring and pointing

Original: At your industrious scenes and acts of death.
Modern: At your hard-fought battles and acts of killing.

Original: Your royal presences be ruled by me:
Modern: You royal majesties, listen to my advice:

Original: Do like the mutines of Jerusalem,
Modern: Do what the rival factions of Jerusalem did,

Original: Be friends awhile and both conjointly bend
Modern: Become allies for now and both together aim

Original: Your sharpest deeds of malice on this town:
Modern: Your most violent and destructive attacks on this city:

Original: By east and west let France and England mount
Modern: From east and west, let France and England position

Original: Their battering cannon charged to the mouths,
Modern: Their attacking cannons loaded to the brim,

Original: Till their soul-fearing clamours have brawl’d down
Modern: Until their terrifying roars have blasted down

Original: The flinty ribs of this contemptuous city:
Modern: The hard stone walls of this disrespectful city:

Original: I’ld play incessantly upon these jades,
Modern: I would fire continuously upon these worthless people,

Original: Even till unfenced desolation
Modern: Until complete and unprotected destruction

Original: Leave them as naked as the vulgar air.
Modern: Leaves them as exposed as the open air.

Original: That done, dissever your united strengths,
Modern: Once that’s finished, separate your combined forces,

Original: And part your mingled colours once again;
Modern: And divide your joined flags once again;

Original: Turn face to face and bloody point to point;
Modern: Turn to face each other with swords drawn and ready;

Original: Then, in a moment, Fortune shall cull forth
Modern: Then, in an instant, luck will choose

Original: Out of one side her happy minion,
Modern: From one side her favored champion,

Original: To whom in favour she shall give the day,
Modern: To whom she will grant victory in battle,

Original: And kiss him with a glorious victory.
Modern: And reward him with a triumphant win.

Original: How like you this wild counsel, mighty states?
Modern: What do you think of this bold plan, powerful rulers?

Original: Smacks it not something of the policy?
Modern: Doesn’t it seem like clever strategy?

King John opens with King Philip of France supporting Arthur, the young son of John’s deceased brother Geoffrey, as the rightful heir to the English throne. John’s mother, Queen Eleanor, and the French court engage in heated disputes over legitimacy. Meanwhile, the Bastard (Philip Faulconbridge), illegitimate son of Richard the Lionheart, joins John’s cause after being legitimized. War breaks out between England and France, with the strategic town of Angiers caught between the two armies.

The conflict temporarily resolves when John’s niece Blanche marries the French Dauphin Lewis, uniting the two kingdoms. However, Cardinal Pandulph arrives from Rome and excommunicates John for refusing to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Cardinal persuades France to break the peace and resume war against the excommunicated English king. In the ensuing battle, Arthur is captured by John’s forces.

John orders Hubert to kill the young Arthur, but Hubert cannot bring himself to murder the child and instead hides him. When Arthur later dies attempting to escape from his prison tower, the English nobles believe John has murdered him and defect to join the invading French forces led by the Dauphin. As John faces rebellion from within and invasion from without, he submits to the Pope’s authority to regain legitimacy. However, he falls ill and is poisoned by a monk at Swinstead Abbey.

The Bastard rallies the remaining English forces and discovers that the French nobles plan to kill their English allies after victory. This intelligence helps reconcile the English lords to their king. John dies, and his young son Henry is crowned King Henry III. The Dauphin withdraws his forces, and Cardinal Pandulph negotiates peace. The play concludes with the Bastard delivering a patriotic speech about England’s strength when united against foreign threats.