John Bales’ king Jehan is an allegory in which the dramatist recasts history to his liking.
King John, a historical figure, is represented as a great Protestant and religious reformer, one who is however, misunderstood by his people. King Jehan is remarkable for three reasons: (a) “It is the Morality play whence the historical drama is about to emerge.” (b) Real and allegorical characters appear on the stage, (c) It has left its mark on Shakespeare’s King John.