BASTARD, THE

also called Philip Faulconbridge, later Sir Richard Plantagenet half brother of Robert Faulconbridge and illegitimate son of the late King Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard I, the Lion-Heart) in Shakespeare's King John. The Bastard is considered by many to be the outstanding character in the play. He initially interjects comic relief through repartee and sardonic asides, notably his soliloquy on "commodity," or the value of expedient self-interest. As the king weakens, however, the Bastard grows in both heroism and eloquence.