King John: The King Who Cannot Decide

John's claim to the throne is contested throughout the play. His nephew Arthur has at least as good a hereditary right. He knows this. His political manoeuvring throughout is the manoeuvring of a man who cannot quite legitimise himself.

He orders Arthur's death in Act 3. He cannot do it himself, so he puts the burden on Hubert. When Hubert appears to have carried it out, John immediately regrets it and blames Hubert for following orders. He is not a monster; he is a weak man who makes monstrous decisions and cannot own them.

His death from poison in Act 5 — administered by a monk — comes after almost everyone has abandoned him. He is one of Shakespeare's most uncomfortable portraits of inadequate kingship.