The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours.

God shall be truly known, and those about her

From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,

And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.

Nor shall this peace sleep with her, but, as when

The bird of wonder dies—the maiden phoenix—

Her ashes new create another heir

As great in admiration as herself,

So shall she leave her blessedness to one,

When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,

Who from the sacred ashes of her honour

Shall star-like rise as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fixed. Peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,

That were the servants to this chosen infant,

Shall then be his, and, like a vine, grow to him.

Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,

His honour and the greatness of his name

Shall be, and make new nations. He shall flourish,

And like a mountain cedar reach his branches

To all the plains about him. Our children’s children

Shall see this, and bless heaven.

KING HENRY

Thou speakest wonders.

CRAMMER

She shall be, to the happiness of England,

An aged princess. Many days shall see her,

And yet no day without a deed to crown it.

Would I had known no more. But she must die—

She must, the saints must have her—yet a virgin,

A most unspotted lily shall she pass

To th’ ground, and all the world shall mourn her.

KING HENRY

O lord Archbishop, Thou hast made me now a man. Never before

This happy child did I get anything.

This oracle of comfort has so pleased me

That when I am in heaven I shall desire

To see what this child does, and praise my maker.

I thank ye all. To you, my good Lord Mayor,

And your good brethren, I am much beholden.

I have received much honour by your presence,

And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords.

Ye must all see the Queen, and she must thank ye.

She will be sick else. This day, no man think

He’s business at his house, for all shall stay—

This little one shall make it holiday. ⌈Flourish.⌉ Exeunt

Epilogue

Enter Epilogue

EPILOGUE

‘Tis ten to one this play can never please

All that are here. Some come to take their ease,

And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear,

We’ve frighted with our trumpets; so, ’tis clear,

They’ll say ’tis naught. Others to hear the city

Abused extremely, and to cry ‘That’s witty!’—

Which we have not done neither; that, I fear,

All the expected good we’re like to hear

For this play at this time is only in

The merciful construction of good women,

For such a one we showed ’em. If they smile,

And say “Twill do’, I know within a while

All the best men are ours—for ’tis ill hap

If they hold when their ladies bid ’em clap.

Exit

THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN

BY JOHN FLETCHER AND WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

WHEN it first appeared in print, in 1634, The Two Noble Kinsmen was stated to be ‘by the memorable worthies of their time, Mr John Fletcher, and Mr William Shakespeare’. There is no reason to disbelieve this ascription: many plays of the period were not printed till long after they were acted, and there is other evidence that Shakespeare collaborated with Fletcher (1579―1625). The morris dance in Act 3, Scene 5, contains characters who also appear in Francis Beaumont’s Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray’s Inn performed before James I on 20 February 1613. Their dance was a great success with the King; probably the King’s Men—some of whom may have taken part in the masque—decided to exploit its success by incorporating it in a play written soon afterwards, in the last year of Shakespeare’s playwriting life.

The Two Noble Kinsmen, a tragicomedy of the kind that became popular during the last years of the first decade of the seventeenth century, is based on Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale, on which Shakespeare had already drawn for episodes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It tells a romantic tale of the conflicting claims of love and friendship: the ‘two noble kinsmen’, Palamon and Arcite, are the closest of friends until each falls in love with Emilia, sister-in-law of Theseus, Duke of Athens. Their conflict is finally resolved by a formal combat with Emilia as the prize, in which the loser is to be executed. Arcite wins, and Palamon’s head is on the block as news arrives that Arcite has been thrown from his horse. Dying, Arcite commends Emilia to his friend, and Theseus rounds off the play with a meditation on the paradoxes of fortune.

Studies of style suggest that Shakespeare was primarily responsible for the rhetorically and ritualistically impressive Act 1, for Act 2, Scene 1. Act 3, Scenes 1 and 2; and for most of Act 5 (Scene 4 excepted), which includes emblematically spectacular episodes related to his other late plays. Fletcher appears mainly to have written the scenes showing the rivalry of Palamon and Arcite along with the sub-plots concerned with the Jailer’s daughter’s love for Palamon and the rustics’ entertainment for Theseus.

Though the play was adapted by William Davenant as The Rivals (1664), its first known performances since the seventeenth century were at the Old Vic in 1928; it has been played only occasionally since then, but was chosen to open the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1986. Critical interest, too, has been slight; but Shakespeare’s contributions are entirely characteristic of his late style, and Fletcher’s scenes are both touching and funny.

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY

PROLOGUE

THESEUS, Duke of Athens

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, later wife of Theseus

EMILIA, her sister

PIRITHOUS, friend of Theseus

Hymen, god of marriage

A BOY, who sings

ARTESIUS, an Athenian soldier