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Constance is the mother of Arthur, the young Duke of Brittany, and her main objective throughout the play is to secure his claim to the English throne. She is fiercely loyal to her son and will stop at nothing to ensure his success.
- King John. The King of England. John is the third son of Henry II. His older brother, Richard the Lionhearted, was king before him. Legally, his dead brother Geoffrey's son Arthur should have become the next king, but John takes the throne because Richard appointed him.
- Eleanor. John's mother, Eleanor encourages John to have a strong hold on the throne even if his legitimacy is in question. She and Arthur's mother argue enthusiastically about who should be the next king.
- Philip. The King of France, Philip is Arthur's champion, and demands that John abdicate in favor of his nephew. Yet Philip easily changes his mind and joins with John's family in marriage when the citizens of Angers suggest that Louis and Blanche marry.
- Arthur. Son of John's elder brother, Arthur is the rightful heir to the throne. His mother, Constance, masterminds his attempt to seize the throne, and Philip provides the military strength he needs.
Constance is a woman with a mission: she wants her son Arthur to become king of England. She thinks it is his by right, because the tradition is that the crown passes from the father to his oldest son, and Constance's husband Geoffrey was John's older brother.
Evangeline Maria O'Connor. J.D. Morris and Co. We have seen that in the mother of Coriolanus, the principal qualities are exceeding pride, self-will, strong maternal affection, great power of imagination, and energy of temper.
Queen Eleanor, John’s mother, tells him that Arthur’s mother, Constance, will not rest until she has all of France supporting her son’s claim. The King of France also supports Arthur’s claim, but King John refuses to give up the crown to his nephew.
Constance is the widow of King John’s elder brother Geoffrey, and Prince Arthur’s mother.
The following speech to the boy-prince illustrates our meaning, and has left its impress of unloveliness on our high ideal of Constance; a mother after our own heart could never have found it in hers to give utterance to such a libel on the only love which is indifferent to physical, moral, or mental perfections in its object:
