All scenes

Grief Fills the Room

A drama monologue from King John by William Shakespeare. About 1 min.

Constance, whose young son Arthur has been taken prisoner, answers a king who calls her too fond of grief.

Constance
30s to 40s. A mother whose son has been taken from her

  1. King Philip has just told her, “You are as fond of grief as of your child.”

  2. Grief fills the room up of my absent child,

  3. Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me,

  4. Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words,

  5. Remembers me of all his gracious parts,

  6. Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form;

  7. Then have I reason to be fond of grief?

  8. Fare you well.

  9. Had you such a loss as I, I could give better comfort than you do.

  10. I will not keep this form upon my head,

  11. She unbinds her hair.

  12. When there is such disorder in my wit.

  13. O Lord! My boy, my Arthur, my fair son!

  14. My life, my joy, my food, my all the world!

  15. My widow-comfort, and my sorrows’ cure!

Ready to put it on camera?

Record it in Sides with your lines on screen, free.

Public domain, William Shakespeare, 1623. Text from Project Gutenberg #1511.

More scenes to rehearse