HIPPOLYTA (to Emilia)

Alas, the pity! Now or never, sister,

Speak, not to be denied. That face of yours

Will bear the curses else of after ages

For these lost cousins.

EMILIA

In my face, dear sister,

I find no anger to ’em, nor no ruin.

The misadventure of their own eyes kill ’em.

Yet that I will be woman and have pity,

⌈She kneels⌉

My knees shall grow to th’ ground, but I’ll get mercy.

Help me, dear sister—in a deed so virtuous

The powers of all women will be with us.

Hippolyta kneels

Most royal brother—

HIPPOLYTA

Sir, by our tie of marriage—

EMILIA

By your own spotless honour—

HIPPOLYTA

By that faith,

That fair hand, and that honest heart you gave me—

EMILIA

By that you would have pity in another,

By your own virtues infinite—

HIPPOLYTA

By valour,

By all the chaste nights I have ever pleased you—

THESEUS

These are strange conjurings.

PIRITHOUS

Nay, then, I’ll in too.

⌈He kneels⌉

By all our friendship, sir, by all our dangers,

By all you love most: wars, and this sweet lady—

EMILIA

By that you would have trembled to deny

A blushing maid—

HIPPOLYTA

By your own eyes, by strength—

In which you swore I went beyond all women,

Almost all men—and yet I yielded, Theseus—

PIRITHOUS

To crown all this, by your most noble soul,

Which cannot want due mercy, I beg first—

HIPPOLYTA

Next hear my prayers—

EMILIA

Last let me entreat, sir—

PIRITHOUS

For mercy.

HIPPOLYTA Mercy.

EMILIA

Mercy on these princes.

THESEUS

Ye make my faith reel. Say I felt

Compassion to ’em both, how would you place it?

⌈They rise⌉

EMILIA

Upon their lives—but with their banishments.

THESEUS

You are a right woman, sister: you have pity,

But want the understanding where to use it.

If you desire their lives, invent a way

Safer than banishment. Can these two live,

And have the agony of love about ‘em,

And not kill one another? Every day

They’d fight about you, hourly bring your honour

In public question with their swords. Be wise, then,

And here forget ’em. It concerns your credit

And my oath equally. I have said—they die.

Better they fall by th’ law than one another.

Bow not my honour.

EMILIA

O my noble brother,

That oath was rashly made, and in your anger.

Your reason will not hold it. If such vows

Stand for express will, all the world must perish.

Beside, I have another oath ’gainst yours,

Of more authority, I am sure more love—

Not made in passion, neither, but good heed.

THESEUS

What is it, sister?

PIRITHOUS (to Emilia) Urge it home, brave lady.

EMILIA

That you would ne’er deny me anything

Fit for my modest suit and your free granting.

I tie you to your word now; if ye fail in’t,

Think how you maim your honour—

For now I am set a-begging, sir. I am deaf

To all but your compassion—how their lives

Might breed the ruin of my name, opinion.

Shall anything that loves me perish for me?

That were a cruel wisdom: do men prune

The straight young boughs that blush with thousand

blossoms

Because they may be rotten? O, Duke Theseus,

The goodly mothers that have groaned for these,

And all the longing maids that ever loved,

If your vow stand, shall curse me and my beauty,

And in their funeral songs for these two cousins

Despise my cruelty and cry woe worth me,

Till I am nothing but the scorn of women.

For heaven’s sake, save their lives and banish ’em.

THESEUS

On what conditions?

EMILIA

Swear ’em never more To make me their contention, or to know me,

To tread upon thy dukedom; and to be,

Wherever they shall travel, ever strangers

To one another.

PALAMON

I’ll be cut a-pieces

Before I take this oath—forget I love her?

O all ye gods, despise me, then. Thy banishment

I not mislike, so we may fairly carry

Our swords and cause along—else, never trifle,

But take our lives, Duke. I must love, and will;

And for that love must and dare kill this cousin

On any piece the earth has.

THESEUS

Will you, Arcite,

Take these conditions?

PALAMON

He’s a villain then.

PIRITHOUS

These are men!

ARCITE

No, never, Duke. ’Tis worse to me than begging,

To take my life so basely. Though I think

I never shall enjoy her, yet I’ll preserve

The honour of affection and die for her,

Make death a devil.

THESEUS

What may be done? For now I feel compassion.

PIRITHOUS

Let it not fall again, sir.

THESEUS

Say, Emilia, If one of them were dead—as one must—are you

Content to take the other to your husband?

They cannot both enjoy you. They are princes

As goodly as your own eyes, and as noble

As ever fame yet spoke of. Look upon ’em,

And if you can love, end this difference.

I give consent. (To Palamon and Arcite) Are you

content too, princes?

PALAMON and ARCITE

With all our souls.

THESEUS

He that she refuses

Must die, then.