geeking out on shakespeare's histories

Thank you! I love getting comments, even late ones. Especially late ones! And I am especially pleased that you found it expressive: John was hard to write because he doesn't often say what he really thinks, and indeed doesn't even think what he really thinks (that makes no sense, but you know what I mean, he wouldn't say it even in internal monologue). He takes after his dad in a lot of things, as you note. Poor emotionally stunted Lancastrians.