The Magna Carta is an odd sort of peace treaty—it came before a war and not after one.
It was designed to stop the king and the barons from fighting and therefore it doesn't declare a winner or a loser, but it's obvious that the barons are the ones demanding things and the king is the one forced to comply.
The document is one sided, with the king all but admitting defeat in numerous places and with multiple capitulations to his nobles and the church. Of course, to him this was all a ruse that he didn't really mean and that wouldn't prevent a war from taking place.
Questions About Defeat
- Considering King John's crimes, do you think that him saying he's sorry in the Magna Carta was enough of a defeat, or would you have liked to see him suffer more? Explain.
- Why do you think that the barons stopped short of calling for King John's abdication?
Chew on This
King John may have come across as a loser because he gave in to so many demands in the Magna Carta, but by giving up so much he made it plausible that he was being forced and therefore came out a winner when the pope nullified it for him.
The Magna Carta is the greatest defeat for monarchies in the history of the world. It's not only a defeat of John's crown, but it leads to the defeat of the divine right of kings and has played a role in every deposed royal since 1215.