King John: Shakespeare: The Critical Tradition

General Editor's Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Commentary on King John, 1790

2. Response to Malone, 1792

3. Response to Malone, 1793

4. On the date of King John, 1799

5. Character and Characterization, 1808

6. Personality and Politics, 1815

7. Shakespeare's art of characterization, 1817

8. History and Character, 1817

9. Prefatory remarks on King John, 1819

10. The Troublesome Raigne and King John, 1824

11. Introduction to King John, 1826

12. Prefatory remarks on King John, 1826

13. Sarah Siddons as Constance, 1827

14. The character of Constance, 1832

15. Sarah Siddons on Constance, 1834

16. General remarks on King John, 1838

17. King John and history, 1838

18. The Pictorial Edition of King John, 1838

19. The female roles in King John, 1843

20. Editorial corrections in King John, 1845

21. 'History', church and state in King John, 1846

22. Critical remarks on King John, 1847

23. Critical notes on King John, 1851

24. History, art and character in King John, 1852

25. Introduction to King John, 1852

26. History and character, 1855

27. King John and nationalism, 1856

28. The madness of Constance, 1859

29. Background and critical notes to King John, 1859

30. Characterization, craft, and the philosophy of war, 1863

31. Politics, ethics and character, 1863

32. The politics of national interest, 1865

33. The transcendent sorrow of Constance, 1868

34. National interest and personal loyalty, 1871

35. King John and contemporary politics, 1874

36. The baseness of John, 1875

37. Shakespeare's art of characterization, 1875-6

38. Constance and the nature of woman, 1876

39. King John, Richard III, and character, 1877

40. The theme of nationality, 1877

41. King John and Roman Catholicism, 1877

42. Literary and historical background to King John, 1878

43. Shakespeare's adaptation of The Troublesome Raigne, 1878

44. High praise for King John, 1879

45. On Pandulph and history, 1887

46. On commodity, 1887

47. A balanced assessment of King John, 1888

48. On Constance and Arthur, 1889

49. Kingship, personality, and the human condition, 1889

50. The artistic excellence of King John, 1890

51. The Troublesome Raigne and King John, 1892

52. On Constance, Elinor and Blanch, 1894

53. Historical character and dramatic character, 1894

54. The oddities of King John, 1894

55. On the principal characters, 1896

56. Shakespeare's uneven artistry, 1898

57. Shakespeare's Roman Catholicism, 1899

58. Shakespeare's maturing artistry, 1899

59. King John as a transitional play, 1900

60. Weaknesses and strengths of King John, 1900

61. The character of John, 1901

62. Shakespeare and Davenport, 1902

63. The pendulum of history in King John, 1903

64. The formlessness of King John, 1906

65. Shakespeare's dramatic development, 1907

66. On the religion of Shakespeare, 1907

67. Introduction to King John, 1907

68. King John and Richard II, 1907

69. The belittling of John, 1910

70. Constance and Shakespeare's shrewish wife, 1911

71. On treachery and 'Englishness', 1911

72. On John, Faulconbidge, and Constance, 1913

73. Shakespeare's use of The Troublesome Raigne, 1913

74. The artistic flaws of King John, 1913

75. On the Bastard, John and the play, 1919

Notes

A Select Bibliography

Index

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