Protestant and anti-Catholic themes in John Bale's historical play "King Johan" (1538)

This article analyzes John Bale’s history play “King Johan” (1538) within the context of the political and religious transformations of the English Reformation. The study begins with an examination of Bale’s biographical details, including his close relationship with Thomas Cromwell, to demonstrate the influence of Protestant beliefs on his literary output and political stance. The analysis of the dramatic structure reveals an innovative combination of morality play elements and historical narrative. Bale’s use of allegorical characters alongside historical figures from the 13 th and 16th centuries enables him to create a synthetic perspective, mixing multiple temporal and spatial planes for a more compelling critique of the papal see and the abuses of the Catholic Church. King John Lackland, presented by John Bale as a parallel to Henry VIII, emerges in the play as a champion of true faith and a victim of papal tyranny, which continues the tradition established by Simon Fish and William Tyndale. The study identifies and explores key themes raised by Bale in his play: the supremacy of secular authority over the authority of the papal see, the use of Latin as an instrument of ecclesiastical monopoly over Scripture, the accumulation of wealth by the Church, England’s political isolation within a surrounding of Catholic powers etc. The incongruity between the radical Protestant ideas discernible in the play and the more moderate reformist course of Henry VIII becomes an important authorial strategy in the mid-16th century. Through it, authors such as Bale were able to employ the image of royal power as a tool for exposing the vices of the Catholic Church, thereby contributing to the spread of Reformation ideas. The study concludes that Bale, like many authors of the era, was compelled to resort to compromise in expressing his Protestant beliefs, masking them under criticism of the papacy and justification of royal supremacy. Through its syncretic genre, “King John” became an expression of not only anti-Catholic, but also Protestant ideas, simultaneously emphasizing the supremacy of secular power and underscoring the primacy of Scripture over the authority of the papal see. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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