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.