The Two Noble Kinsmen

Co-written with John Fletcher (c. 1613–1614), The Two Noble Kinsmen adapts Chaucer's Knight's Tale into a late-career romance exploring the same conflict as The Two Gentlemen of Verona — male friendship shattered by rivalry for the same woman — but in a darker, more elegiac key.

At a Glance

Dramatis Personæ

Character Description
ARCITE Noble kinsman; cousin to Palamon; ultimately wins Emilia but dies in accident
PALAMON Noble kinsman; cousin to Arcite; rivals for Emilia; wins Emilia by accident of Arcite's death
THESEUS Duke of Athens; judge and authority figure
HIPPOLYTA Queen of the Amazons; Theseus's wife
EMILIA Hippolyta's sister; the object of the kinsmen's love; unable to choose between them
PIRITHOUS Theseus's friend
THREE QUEENS Widows of kings slain before Thebes; beg Theseus's aid
THE JAILER Theseus's prison keeper
THE JAILER'S DAUGHTER Falls in love with Palamon; goes mad when he escapes
THE JAILER'S BROTHER
THE WOOER Suitor to the Jailer's daughter; eventually pretends to be Palamon to cure her madness
TWO FRIENDS OF THE JAILER
A DOCTOR Advises the Wooer to play along with the Daughter's madness
ARTESIUS Athenian soldier
VALERIUS Theban
WOMAN Attending on Emilia
SIX KNIGHTS Three for each kinsman
GERALD A schoolmaster
SIX COUNTRYMEN Perform a morris dance
NEL A countrywoman
A SINGING BOY
PROLOGUE and EPILOGUE

Plot Summary

Act I: Three Queens beg Theseus to delay his wedding and aid them against Creon of Thebes, who has denied burial to their slain husbands. Theseus agrees; the wedding is postponed. Palamon and Arcite, honorable young men of Thebes, are captured in battle.

Act II: In prison, Palamon and Arcite reaffirm their extraordinary friendship — then both simultaneously see Emilia in the garden below. They immediately become rivals. Arcite is released from prison but banished; he returns in disguise to serve Theseus's court and to be near Emilia. Palamon, still imprisoned, meets the Jailer's Daughter, who falls in love with him.

Act III: The Jailer's Daughter helps Palamon escape. He and Arcite meet in the forest; they arm each other courteously for a duel — interrupted by Theseus. He decrees they must fight for Emilia in a formal tournament; the loser and his three knights will be executed.

Act IV: The Jailer's Daughter, mad from Palamon's departure, wanders and sings. She is coaxed back by her Wooer pretending to be Palamon.

Act V: Each kinsman prays to his patron deity — Arcite to Mars, Palamon to Venus, Emilia to Diana. The tournament is fought. Arcite wins. Palamon and his knights kneel for execution. Then news arrives: Arcite has been thrown from his horse and is dying. He gives Emilia to Palamon. Palamon is freed; Arcite dies. The Epilogue addresses the audience with self-deprecating humor.

Key Themes

Notable Quotations

"O love, what a courage thou inspirest!" *(Palamon, III.i)*

"This world's a city full of straying streets, / And death's the market-place where each one meets." *(Arcite, I.v)*

LibriVox Recording

The Two Noble Kinsmen audiobook on LibriVox — Free public domain recording.

Cross-references