The Two Noble Kinsmen Act Two– “By him, like a shadow , I'll ever dwell.”

The Two Noble Kinsmen Act Two– “By him, like a shadow
, I'll ever dwell.”

Act Two starts with a Wooer approaching a Jailor to get his permission to marry his daughter. The Jailor says that he will think more about this match. The Jailor’s Daughter then enters and waxes lyrical about the conduct, charm and nobleness of the two prisoners. She is obviously in love with them. Palamon and Arcite enter. They have resigned themselves to their imprisonment but Arcite in particular seems to suggest that they make the most of their time as they also swear eternal friendship to one another:

“No, Palamon,

Those hopes are Prisoners with us; here we are

And here the graces of our youthes must wither

Like a too-timely Spring; here age must finde us,

And, which is heaviest, Palamon, unmarried;

The sweete embraces of a loving wife,

Loden with kisses, armd with thousand Cupids

Shall never claspe our neckes, no issue know us,

No figures of our selves shall we ev'r see,

To glad our age, and like young Eagles teach 'em

Boldly to gaze against bright armes, and say:

'Remember what your fathers were, and conquer.'

The faire-eyd Maides, shall weepe our Banishments,

And in their Songs, curse ever-blinded fortune,

Till shee for shame see what a wrong she has done

To youth and nature.  This is all our world;

We shall know nothing here but one another,

Heare nothing but the Clocke that tels our woes.

The Vine shall grow, but we shall never see it:

Sommer shall come, and with her all delights;

But dead-cold winter must inhabite here still…

Yet, Cosen,

Even from the bottom of these miseries,

From all that fortune can inflict upon us,

I see two comforts rysing, two meere blessings,

If the gods please: to hold here a brave patience,

And the enjoying of our greefes together.

Whilst Palamon is with me, let me perish

If I thinke this our prison…

Shall we make worthy uses of this place

That all men hate so much?

… Let's thinke this prison holy sanctuary,

To keepe us from corruption of worse men.

We are young and yet desire the waies of honour,

That liberty and common Conversation,

The poyson of pure spirits, might like women

Wooe us to wander from.  What worthy blessing

Can be but our Imaginations

May make it ours?  And heere being thus together,

We are an endles mine to one another;

We are one anothers wife, ever begetting

New birthes of love; we are father, friends, acquaintance;

We are, in one another, Families,

I am your heire, and you are mine: This place

Is our Inheritance, no hard Oppressour

Dare take this from us; here, with a little patience,

We shall live long, and loving: No surfeits seeke us:

The hand of war hurts none here, nor the Seas

Swallow their youth: were we at liberty,

A wife might part us lawfully, or busines;

Quarrels consume us, Envy of ill men

Grave our acquaintance; I might sicken, Cosen,

Where you should never know it, and so perish

Without your noble hand to close mine eies,

Or prayers to the gods: a thousand chances,

Were we from hence, would seaver us…”

While they are talking in their prison cell, Emilia (Hippolyta’ sister) and her gentlewomen enter the garden below both men are attracted to Emilia, who is the sister of Hippolyta, wife of Theseus. The eternal friendship they so recently swore to seems to go by the wayside as they profess they will both try to woo Emilia. Palamon claims that since her saw her first that he has first claim on her affections but Arcite claims he love her more deeply. They argue and even threaten to knock one another’s brains out. The Jailor arrives and they stop their fighting for the moment. Arcite is taken away to see Theseus and we hear that Arcite is to be exiled while Palamon is left in jail but moved into irons away from the garden where he first spied Emilia.

Thinking that Palamon will have the advantage now in gaining Emilia’s affections, the exiled Arcite decides that he will disguise himself as a peasant and renter the city to see his beloved Emilia.

“Banishd the kingdome? tis a benefit,

A mercy I must thanke 'em for, but banishd

The free enjoying of that face I die for,

Oh twas a studdied punishment, a death

Beyond Imagination: Such a vengeance

That, were I old and wicked, all my sins

Could never plucke upon me.  Palamon,

Thou ha'st the Start now, thou shalt stay and see

Her bright eyes breake each morning gainst thy window,

And let in life into thee; thou shalt feede

Vpon the sweetenes of a noble beauty,

That nature nev'r exceeded, nor nev'r shall:

Good gods! what happines has Palamon!

Twenty to one, hee'le come to speake to her,

And if she be as gentle as she's faire,

I know she's his; he has a Tongue will tame

Tempests, and make the wild Rockes wanton.

Come what can come,

The worst is death; I will not leave the Kingdome.

I know mine owne is but a heape of ruins,

And no redresse there; if I goe, he has her.

I am resolu'd an other shape shall make me,

Or end my fortunes.  Either way, I am happy:

Ile see her, and be neere her, or no more.”

Arcite then encounters three countrymen who are going to the city for some games that Theseus is holding. Arcite sees this as the perfect opportunity to enter the city again and perhaps compete in a wrestling competition and see Emilia again.

“This is an offerd oportunity

I durst not wish for.  Well I could have wrestled,

The best men calld it excellent, and run--

Swifter the winde upon a feild of Corne

(Curling the wealthy eares) never flew: Ile venture,

And in some poore disguize be there; who knowes

Whether my browes may not be girt with garlands?

And happines preferre me to a place,

Where I may ever dwell in sight of her.”

Back inside the city, the Jailor’s Daughter reveals that she is in love with Palamon and she decides to free him and help him escape:

“Why should I love this Gentleman?  Tis odds

He never will affect me; I am base,

My Father the meane Keeper of his Prison,

And he a prince: To marry him is hopelesse;

To be his whore is witles.  Out upon't,

What pushes are we wenches driven to,

When fifteene once has found us!  First, I saw him;

I (seeing) thought he was a goodly man;

He has as much to please a woman in him,

(If he please to bestow it so) as ever

These eyes yet lookt on.  Next, I pittied him,

And so would any young wench, o' my Conscience,

That ever dream'd, or vow'd her Maydenhead

To a yong hansom Man; Then I lov'd him,

Extreamely lov'd him, infinitely lov'd him;

And yet he had a Cosen, faire as he too.

But in my heart was Palamon, and there,

Lord, what a coyle he keepes!  To heare him

Sing in an evening, what a heaven it is!

And yet his Songs are sad ones.  Fairer spoken

Was never Gentleman.  When I come in

To bring him water in a morning, first

He bowes his noble body, then salutes me, thus:

'Faire, gentle Mayde, good morrow; may thy goodnes

Get thee a happy husband.'  Once he kist me.

I lov'd my lips the better ten daies after.

Would he would doe so ev'ry day!  He greives much,

And me as much to see his misery.

What should I doe, to make him know I love him?

For I would faine enjoy him.  Say I ventur'd

To set him free? what saies the law then?  Thus much

For Law, or kindred!  I will doe it,

And this night, or to morrow, he shall love me.”

Theseus, Hippolyta, Pirithous and Emilia enter with Arcite (in disguise as a common man with some noble blood). Arcite has a victor’s garland on and it is obvious that he has won the wrestling contest. It is decided that Arcite will look after take a ride with Emilia the next day in the forest.

The act ends when the Jailor’s Daughter enters revealing to the audience that she has helped Palamon to escape and has led him to a forest (the same forest that the audience knows that Arcite and Emilia are soon to enter).