Discussion: King John

I just looked up and read the scene that contains the lines. Not having read this play before, thank you for sharing. Enjoy! (I'm a fan of English royal history, from the Plantagenets to the Stewarts...I lost track and interest shortly after Elizabeth I and definitely by Oliver Cromwell...usurper.)

I got turned on (by Leslie Minarik, who has an eye for good things to read) to the podcast series Revolutions. It is quite extensive, follows one revolution at a time in great detail. The first series was on the English revolution of the 1600s against King Charles. Oliver Cromwell was quite a substantial presence. Pretty entertaining and informative. It's a weekly series, still going on, but the English stuff finished up about 5 years ago, and one can listen to it straight through, if you have time for that sort of thing. I listen to it in the car, not being the kind of guy who can listen to podcasts and run or ride my bike or that sort of thing.

Apparently Eleanor was *amazing*. My friend Jean, who I acted with at MIT back in the 1980s, is staying with me, and playing Eleanor. She was badass. She was queen of Aquitaine and then queen of England. She lived forever, was into the arts, got all involved in war and politics, etc.

Yup. Did you ever see A Lion in Winter? I knew Eleanor was a badass after seeing that when I was much much younger than now (probably when it came out, in 1968). Becket is the follow-up movie about Henry II (same actor).

I need to see that.

Yes, you definitely do. :-)

Did you guys catch the Henry II reference in the Comey hearing?

Not listening/following the hearing live, but will look for it. :-D

Comey's a smart man.

I looked up the reference on 'the Google' and saw someone's tweet saying something to the effect of: "yes! My education has been validated!"

Yes! So cool! I mean, I didn't catch it in real time, but I read about it.
And then I find myself reading some thread on reddit about Eleanor. So odd how these themes come together in time...
There is a similar scene in King John, in which he hints very strongly that he wants young Arthur murdered - and another scene, when he berates the same courtier for having (he thinks) carried out the deed. So watching that after the whole Comey reference was another layer.

And the Commodity speech of the Bastard's also seems so hugely Trumpian in theme.