- King Johan
"King Johan" was a
sixteenth century English play. Written by aCarmelite monk namedJohn Bale , it is considered a possible influence onWilliam Shakespeare 's later work "King John ".The play was written by Bale sometime in the 1550s. Considered a piece of
Protestant propaganda , the play told the story ofJohn of England , who reigned during thethirteenth century in England. The King, who is opposed to the CatholicPope , is shown to be against a number of Catholic villains, but is eventually assassinated bySedition andDissimulation before being defended byVerity ."King Johan" debuted in the royal court of
Henry VIII of England , and was unlikely to have been performed beyond the 1560s. The play itself was likely about sixteenth century England, as the play acted as an affirmation of John of England's rule, a reign that was often compared toElizabeth I of England 's.The play was also groundbreaking as it was the first English language play to cast a historical English monarch as a character of
virtue .References
* Mark Anderson: "
"Shakespeare" by Another Name ".Gotham Books , 2006.
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