The Shakespeare Book

340

T

he wedding of Theseus,

Duke of Athens, and

Hippolyta, Queen of the

Amazons, is disrupted by three

grieving queens who plead with

Theseus to attack Thebes and its

evil ruler Creon, who has killed

their husbands in battle and denied

them burial. In Thebes, cousins

Arcite and Palamon are disgusted

by their corrupt uncle Creon and

contemplate fleeing the city when

news comes of Theseus’s imminent

attack. Despite their anxieties, they

remain and fight, but are captured,

taken to Athens, and imprisoned.

THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN

While in jail, Palamon and

Arcite surprise their captors by

consoling one another with their

close friendship. However, their

relationship is tested when

Palamon looks out of the prison

window and sees the Amazonian

princess Emilia gathering flowers.

He proclaims instant love for her,

as does Arcite, and the two friends

argue over a woman they do not

know, nor seemingly have any

hope of attaining.

Arcite is suddenly released from

prison and banished to Thebes,

but disguises himself, determined

DRAMATIS

PERSONAE

Palamon Best friend and

cousin to Arcite, nephew of

King Creon. His friendship

with his cousin turns to hatred

when they both fall for Emilia.

Arcite Best friend and

cousin to Palamon, nephew

of King Creon. He enters and

wins the Athenian games for

which he is made “master of

the horse.”

Theseus Duke of Athens.

He arranges a tournament

between Palamon and Arcite

in which the winner will

marry Emilia and the loser

will be executed.

Hippolyta Queen of the

Amazons and wife to

Theseus. She encourages

him to postpone their

wedding until after he

defeats Creon of Thebes.

Emilia Sister of Hippolyta.

The object of desire for both

Palamon and Arcite. Palamon

ultimately wins her hand after

Arcite’s death.

A jailer Duke Theseus’s

prison keeper.

The jailer’s daughter She is

driven mad by her unrequited

love for Palamon.

Three queens Widows

of kings killed in the

siege of Thebes.

A wooer He is in love with

the jailer’s daughter.

A doctor He is summoned to

cure the jailer’s daughter.

1.4

2.2

1.1

1.2

2.3

Creon loses to Theseus,

and Palamon and

Arcite are captured and

imprisoned in Athens.

The wedding of King

Theseus and

Hippolyta is disrupted

by grieving queens,

whose husbands have

been denied burial rights

by their enemy, King

Creon of Thebes.

Debating whether

to flee Thebes, the

two kinsmen

(Arcite and

Palamon) stay to

fight when

Theseus attacks

the city.

Arcite leaves prison

and disguises

himself in order to

be near Emilia.

Palamon and Arcite spy

Emilia gathering flowers

through their prison window

and immediately begin to

argue over who saw

her first.

Act 1 Act 2