Character in King John
Bastard ♂ male
523Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.7Last Scene
19.8%Of Play Dialogue
Bastard is the #1 role in King John by line count (523 lines, 19.8% of the play), sharing the stage most often with King John — 8 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Bastard’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bastard (this role) | 523 | 19.8% |
| 2 | King John | 441 | 16.7% |
| 3 | Constance | 264 | 10.0% |
| 4 | King Philip | 193 | 7.3% |
| 5 | Cardinal Pandulph | 164 | 6.2% |
| 6 | Salisbury | 158 | 6.0% |
| 7 | Lewis | 154 | 5.8% |
| 8 | Hubert | 141 | 5.3% |
| 9 | Arthur | 120 | 4.5% |
| 10 | Pembroke | 79 | 3.0% |
How Bastard’s dialogue distributes across the play
Bastard’s dramatic peak falls in Act 5 with 155 lines.
Every scene where Bastard speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 143 | 51.4% |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 124 | 20.4% |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 9 | 2.5% |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 8 | 72.7% |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | 5 | 6.0% |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | 22 | 7.9% |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | 57 | 34.1% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 43 | 53.1% |
| Act 5, Scene 2 | 53 | 29.0% |
| Act 5, Scene 6 | 20 | 41.7% |
| Act 5, Scene 7 | 39 | 31.7% |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Your faithful subject I, a gentleman”
Longest speech (Act 1, Scene 1): “Lest men should say 'Look, where three-farthings goes!'”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 7): “If England to itself do rest but true.”
Who Bastard shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| King John | 8 |
| Salisbury | 5 |
| Hubert | 4 |
| Queen Elinor | 4 |
| Arthur | 4 |
| Lewis | 3 |
| Pembroke | 3 |
| Cardinal Pandulph | 3 |
| Constance | 2 |
| King Philip | 2 |
Questions about Bastard
Is Bastard the lead role in King John?
Bastard is ranked #1 by line count among 28 speaking characters in King John — carrying 19.8% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Bastard’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 1, where Bastard speaks 143 lines.
Who does Bastard speak to the most?
Bastard shares the most scenes with King John — 8 scenes together across King John.