Evil King John? Today’s Objective: Was John a good or a bad King?

Assessment Time! You are now going to complete the assessment You are being assessed on your ability to explain your knowledge of historical interpretation (e.g. different views people hold about people and events). This will involve analysing sources and questioning their reliability by looking at who wrote them, when they were written and the purpose (why) of the source (PROVENANCE). You will also need to recognise and explain the difference between fact and opinion.

Introductions You need to give a brief explanation about King John’s reign and set out your main arguments in your introduction. You also need to briefly explain why his reputation has varied over time.

Model Introduction King John’s reputation is one of an evil king who fought with his own family, heavily taxed the barons, fell out with the church and lost English territory his father had gained in France. However he also improved the British military and improved the wealth of the country. Yet his reputation has largely been tainted by two medieval chroniclers; Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris who recorded extremely negative accounts of John’s reign. These views were then furthered by J.R Green who published a book on the history of England in 1875 and based his views about John, on Wendover and Paris’ accounts. Many people’s views have been influenced by this book and therefore John’s reputation has suffered. These views however are clearly biased due to the background of the authors and this means it is not easy to draw a clear conclusion about whether King John was a good or a bad king.

Speeches The main part of this assessment involves you writing two speeches. One attacking King John and the other defending him. You must make use of the sources and the facts you have gathered about him.

Speech 1 – Good King I am writing to all of you good citizens of England to defend King John’s honour. King John was a fair King, who protected people and fought to make England a fairer country. People who accuse him of being a tyrant are biased and have a grudge against him. I have been reading a recent history book which gives a balanced account, so it more trustworthy than other one sided accounts. It states; “John tried hard to be a good king.” Even though this source also points out some negative aspects to John’s rule, it does also portray him in a positive light. King John has often been viewed as an evil King because he is compared to other English monarchs such as Elisabeth, but John should be judged separately on his own merits.

Speech 2 – Evil King I am writing to you sensible people of England to persuade you that King John was an evil tyrant and a selfish ruler. He did after all raise taxes and destroy the positive relationship England held with the church. J. R. Green’s account is a good example of how badly John is viewed. “His court was a brothel.” However, this source has been accused of being biased as it was based on Roger of Wendover’s accounts of King John and he was a monk, with a grudge against King John. J. R. Green has also clearly exaggerated his views on King John. “Hell itself is defiled by the fouler presence of King John.” A more reliable interpretation of King John comes from a contemporary monk, who still claims John was a tyrant. “… a became drunk and possessed with the devil.” Even though these sources are opinions, they overwhelming show John in an evil light, and many facts about his reign support this.

LevelDetail involved in write-upWhat was King John like?Reference to sources 3Brief description.You say what he was like and what he did. No mention of sources. 4Reasonably detailed account.You begin to understand what John’s reputation was like. You begin to show that you know what is fact and what is opinion. You mention 1 or 2 sources. You begin to show that sources give different views. 5A detailed account.You understand some of the different views of King John and you give some examples. You know the difference between fact and opinion. You use some sources. You briefly say who wrote the sources and whether they saw him as a good or a bad King. You are beginning to consider if you can trust the source. 6Very detailed and well organised account. Your account may show evidence of your own research into the question to consider if John deserves this reputation or not. You understand the different views of King John. You clearly understand which groups of people would have held these views and why. You begin to realise and explain (why) his reputation has changed through time. You use several sources. You clearly say who wrote the sources and whether they saw him as a good or bad King. You are explaining if you can trust the source. 7A very well supported description of his reputation. Your account will show evidence of your own research into the question and good overall understanding of Medieval England. You understand the different views of King John. You clearly understand which groups of people would have held these views and why. You clearly understand how and why his reputation has changed through time. You explain several sources. You analyse how reliable the sources are and give clear reasons for their reliability or limitations.

Using the books and what you have learnt in the lesson write your introduction

Plenary – Check List Introduction Two speeches – providing balanced argument Use of sources Discussion of reliability of sources Identifying fact and opinion Explaining why his reputation has varied over time Short conclusion