The Two Noble Kinsmen
Three queens arrive at the gates of Athens to plead with Theseus and Hippolyta. They demand justice for their husbands, who were killed by Creon of Thebes. Creon refuses to allow them proper burial rites. This plea sets in motion a war that will change the fate of two cousins. Palamon and Arcite fight bravely against Theseus' army but are captured. They sit in a dark prison cell, resigned to their doom. A window opens above them, revealing Princess Emilia walking through a rose garden. Both men fall instantly in love with her sight. Their friendship shatters into bitter rivalry over a woman they have never spoken to.
Scholars examined the play's text to determine how much each author contributed. Metrical characteristics and vocabulary patterns helped distinguish the hands behind the work. John Fletcher wrote the prologue and most of Act Two through Act Four. William Shakespeare handled scenes one through three of Act One and parts of Act Five. Specific lines in Act Five show clear division between the two writers. The Stationers Register entry from the 8th of April 1634 lists both names on the title page. No single author claimed sole ownership during their lifetimes. Modern consensus accepts this dual attribution as fact based on linguistic evidence.
A jailer's daughter sings wild songs while wandering through the forest. She has gone mad after being rejected by Palamon. Her father tries to restore her mind with the help of a doctor. He brings a wooer to pretend he is the prisoner she loves. The girl slowly begins to trust him again. Countrymen gather to perform a Morris dance for the royal couple. They invite the mad daughter to join them in the strange performance. Theseus watches the bizarre act unfold before his eyes. The scene offers emotional contrast to the high-stakes tournament above.
The play was entered into the Stationers Register on the 8th of April 1634. Bookseller John Waterson published the quarto later that year. Printer Thomas Cotes produced the physical copies for distribution. It did not appear in the First Folio of Shakespeare's works in 1623. A copy discovered in Salamanca, Spain, dates back to the early seventeenth century. This edition may be the oldest surviving version of any Shakespeare work in Spanish-speaking lands. References to Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair from 1614 suggest the play existed earlier than its publication date. Composition likely occurred during 1613 and 1614.
Sir William Davenant adapted the play as The Rivals for the Duke's Company in 1664. Samuel Pepys attended a performance and called it no excellent play but good acting. The Royal Shakespeare Company staged a production at the Swan Theatre in 1986. Another version appeared there again in 2016. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre included it in their summer season of 2018. Hudson Shakespeare Company set a New Jersey production in ancient Greece with an ethnically diverse cast. The Porters of Hellsgate re-purposed the Morris dance as a hallucination in Los Angeles. Toronto's Shakespeare Bash'd Theatre Company presented the work in January 2024.
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Common questions
Who wrote The Two Noble Kinsmen?
John Fletcher and William Shakespeare co-wrote the play. John Fletcher wrote the prologue and most of Act Two through Act Four, while William Shakespeare handled scenes one through three of Act One and parts of Act Five.
When was The Two Noble Kinsmen entered into the Stationers Register?
The play was entered into the Stationers Register on the 8th of April 1634. Bookseller John Waterson published the quarto later that year with printer Thomas Cotes producing physical copies for distribution.
Why did Palamon and Arcite fight each other in The Two Noble Kinsmen?
Palamon and Arcite fought because they both fell instantly in love with Princess Emilia after seeing her from their prison cell window. Their friendship shatters into bitter rivalry over a woman they have never spoken to.
What happened to the jailer's daughter in The Two Noble Kinsmen?
The jailer's daughter went mad after being rejected by Palamon. Her father tried to restore her mind with the help of a doctor who brought a wooer to pretend he is the prisoner she loves.
Where can I find information about early editions of The Two Noble Kinsmen?
A copy discovered in Salamanca, Spain, dates back to the early seventeenth century. This edition may be the oldest surviving version of any Shakespeare work in Spanish-speaking lands.