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Why is King John the classic villain?
BBC ^ | March 1, 2011 | Unknown

Posted on 03/01/2011 5:10:48 AM PST by decimon

A new film about King John further underlines history's judgement of the medieval English monarch as a cruel tyrant. But among the dozens of bad kings and despots, why is John always the pantomime villain?

Surrendering lands in France, forced into a humiliating climbdown with the nobility and ex-communicated by the Church. Not to mention being blamed for the murder of his nephew.

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"He was a very considerable failure as a king. He loses a large amount of possessions inherited, in particular lands in France, like Normandy and Anjou. He manages to surrender his realm to the pope and ends up facing a huge baronial rebellion, a civil war and a war with France. In terms of failures, he is one of the worst kings."

And his unpleasant personality compounds his mistakes, says Mr Hudson. Trying to seize control of the throne while his brother, King Richard I, was imprisoned abroad, lost him the trust of the people long before he became king himself.

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"I see him a bit like Barack Obama in so far as he inherited a nightmare situation from his predecessor but because he was a bad politician he didn't help himself to get out of it.

>

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: crusades; godsgravesglyphs; richardthelionheart
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Paul Giamatti as King John in Ironclad
1 posted on 03/01/2011 5:10:51 AM PST by decimon
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To: SunkenCiv

Aside from that ping.


2 posted on 03/01/2011 5:11:24 AM PST by decimon
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To: decimon
"I see him a bit like Barack Obama in so far as he inherited a nightmare situation from his predecessor"

When Nancy Pelosi's Democrats took Congress away from Republicans in January 2007, unemployment was at 4.5%, the deficit had been cut in half to $180 billion, taxes were low, and the Dow Jones was about 14 thousand.

Some nightmare.

3 posted on 03/01/2011 5:20:57 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: decimon

Maybe because it’s just tv and makes for a good story?


4 posted on 03/01/2011 5:26:24 AM PST by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different)
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To: decimon

Give me Shakespeare´s.


5 posted on 03/01/2011 5:31:44 AM PST by onedoug (If)
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To: ClearCase_guy
When Nancy Pelosi's Democrats took Congress away from Republicans in January 2007, unemployment was at 4.5%, the deficit had been cut in half to $180 billion, taxes were low, and the Dow Jones was about 14 thousand.

All due blame to the Dems but the Pubs were hardly blameless. And then in the last play of the game, Bush through a Hail Mary pass right into a crowd of the opposite uniforms. Can anyone explain that?

6 posted on 03/01/2011 5:32:28 AM PST by decimon
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To: decimon
Why is King John the classic villain?

I believe this was explained some years ago:

"I got some reeeally bad advice from Rottingham..."

7 posted on 03/01/2011 5:37:00 AM PST by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: stuartcr
Maybe because it’s just tv and makes for a good story?

Probably. England has chosen its heroes and villains.

8 posted on 03/01/2011 5:37:18 AM PST by decimon
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To: decimon
King John isn't the pantomime villain of British Culture. If he was, the BBC wouldn't be rehabilitating him. That role belongs to the unfortunate Richard III, God rest his soul. Shakespeare's play has a lot to answer for....

The Richard III Society

9 posted on 03/01/2011 5:51:26 AM PST by Eepsy
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To: ClearCase_guy

Same way Richard the Lionheart was a disaster!

This article assumes people don’t know history...Bush as Richard I, one of the most beloved Kings of all time? I’ll take it!


10 posted on 03/01/2011 6:03:22 AM PST by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: decimon

One of my ‘Darth Vader moments’ in genealogical research was learning I was descended from King John. Bleh. :-)


11 posted on 03/01/2011 6:04:33 AM PST by Liberty1970 (Thanking God for many blessings :-))
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To: decimon

My favorite was Basil Rathbone...


12 posted on 03/01/2011 6:05:30 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Go Hawks !)
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To: decimon

John had to tax people to death to pay for his Brother Richards wars. That made him a villain.


13 posted on 03/01/2011 6:16:59 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: decimon
Giamatti is a very versatile actor....
...not gorgeous, but convincing!...and strangely compelling.
14 posted on 03/01/2011 7:15:24 AM PST by Guenevere (....)
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To: decimon

In one sense, John and the Brits are analagous to King George and the colonists.

John’s abuse led to the “revolt” that produced the Magna Carta.

George’s abuse of the colonies led to the Declaration of Independence.


15 posted on 03/01/2011 7:20:37 AM PST by fruser1
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To: Guenevere
Giamatti is a very versatile actor....
...not gorgeous, but convincing!...and strangely compelling.

Probably a lot of good actors get mostly secondary roles. The better they are the less you notice them.

16 posted on 03/01/2011 7:29:52 AM PST by decimon
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To: decimon

Didn’t John sign the Magna Carta?


17 posted on 03/01/2011 8:19:18 AM PST by sportutegrl
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To: sportutegrl
Didn’t John sign the Magna Carta?

Yes. How willingly he signed it could get an argument.

18 posted on 03/01/2011 8:38:59 AM PST by decimon
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To: decimon

King John was not a good man
He had his little ways
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days...

Mrs. AV


19 posted on 03/01/2011 11:23:51 AM PST by Atomic Vomit (http://www.cafepress.com/aroostookbeauty/358829)
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To: decimon; nickcarraway; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...

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Thanks decimon. Here's the reason this op-ed was written in the first place:
"I see him a bit like Barack Obama in so far as he inherited a nightmare situation from his predecessor but because he was a bad politician he didn't help himself to get out of it."
Obama has used the nightmare situation -- Democrats in control in Congress -- to set the stage for the uprising, that's cool.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword ·
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·


20 posted on 03/01/2011 5:06:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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