"King John", a historical play by William Shakespeare, recounts the events of King John's reign of England during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The play opens at the English court of King John. Richard I is killed by a man named Austria. Richard I's widow, Constance, projects that Arthur, Richard I's son should inherit the throne. When the king of France, Phillip becomes involved with appointments to the crown, a tumultuous series of alliances, betrayals, and murders follow.
