King John is a historical play by William Shakespeare, written in the mid-1590s and published in the First Folio in 1623. The play explores the tumultuous reign of King John of England (1199–1216), focusing on his conflicts with France and the legitimacy of his rule, particularly regarding his nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany. Themes of power, loyalty, and identity are woven throughout the narrative, which includes the subplot of the Bastard Faulconbridge as he navigates his own claims to nobility amidst the political intrigue.
