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Act 1, Scene 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Two Noble Kinsmen, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Irrationality
Fate, Fortune, and Divine Providence
Chivalry, Honor, and Pride
Friendship
Gender and Power
Summary
Analysis
Arcite and Palamon enter. Arcite addresses his dear, innocent cousin Palamon and suggests that they leave Thebes before its evil temptations corrupt them any further. Palamon agrees with Arcite. Since they first arrived here for school, they’ve seen many atrocities, including poor, disheveled soldiers who have become poor beggars without any new battles to fight. Seeing the soldiers’ suffering makes Palamon wish that Juno would start another war. Arcite contends that people besides soldiers are suffering. Palamon explains that seeing noble people suffer particularly bothers him. But there’s suffering everywhere, Arcite says, explaining that what he meant is that he wants to leave before they, too, conform to the evil ways of Thebes.
Thebes is a city defined by suffering, misery, and corruption. Arcite wants to leave it because he believes that the simple act of being in Thebes will be enough to turn him and his cousin evil. Arcite’s stance doesn’t leave much room for free will: he seems to believe that he and his cousin have little control over their actions—that something as simple as existing in Thebes is enough to ruin them completely. Palamon, too, doesn’t seem all that invested in free will: his wish that Juno, a Roman goddess known for protecting nations, would start another war credits the gods with inciting wars rather than the humans who actually fight in those wars.
Themes
Literary Devices
Palamon disagrees, arguing that they can “be masters of [their] own manners.” Furthermore, what most disturbs him is the cruelty of their uncle, Creon, “whose successes / Makes heaven unfear’d,” and “almost puts / Faith in a fever, and deifies alone / Voluble chance.” Palamon longs for leeches to suck out the blood that binds him to Creon’s corruption.
Palamon’s worldview seems to allow for more free will than Arcite’s: he believes they can “be master of [their] own manners.” Palamon believes humans can orchestrate their fates to a certain degree. Still, they can’t escape all fate: even if he and Arcite want to be noble, they must live with their fate to be related to their uncle Creon, “whose successes / Makes heaven unfear’d” and “almost puts / Faith in a fever, and deifies alone / Voluble chance.” What makes Creon evil is that he believes he “deifies alone / Voluble chance,” or that he can escape or subvert fate. Palamon’s critique of their evil uncle establishes that it is wrong to question fortune and good or virtuous to accept fate.
Themes
Arcite suggests he and Palamon leave Creon’s court to save their reputations; if they stick around, it’s only a matter of time before they adopt Creon’s evil ways. Palamon agrees. Valerius enters and announces that Creon has called for the cousins. He says that Creon is enraged because Theseus, who is nearby, has announced his intention to conquer Thebes.
Arcite seems more concerned about whether he and Palamon appear virtuous than actually being virtuous: this is what motivates him to want to leave Thebes, since their association with their uncle mars their reputation, which is just as bad as if they were actually corrupt themselves. However, Theseus's approaching army complicates the cousins' decision. Now, they are faced with choosing between distancing themselves from a cruel leader and dishonorably abandoning their city, or honoring their duty to fight and supporting their friends and family.
Themes
Arcite claims not to be afraid of Theseus, but he feels conflicted about defending Thebes due to their disrespect for Creon. Palamon insists that they’d be defending Thebes—not their uncle. Furthermore, it would be dishonorable to remain neutral. The cousins resolve to accept their fate and fight for Thebes.
The cousins decide that their chivalric duty to fight outweighs their disapproval of their uncle. They thus demonstrate their chivalry by putting their city, friends, and family above their own desires. Furthermore, while Creon might be corrupt, he's still family, and in Arcite and Palamon's society, turning one's back on family is a dishonorable act—regardless of the moral character of one's kin.
Themes
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Arcite asks Valerius if the war has started yet, and Valerius confirms that it has. Palamon tells his cousin they now must go to Creon, though he regrets the blood they’ll have to shed on his behalf, since Creon isn’t nearly as honorable a man as Theseus. Arcite, too, accepts that they must “follow / The becking of [their chance].” They exit.
When Arcite instructs Palamon to join him in “follow[ing] / The becking of [their chance],” he means that he and Arcite should continue down the path the gods have laid out for them. To run from war would be to run from (and try to control or alter) fate, which is a sin of which Creon is guilty, so it’s something the cousins should avoid. Therefore, to do what is brave and virtuous, they boldly accept their fate and put their futures in the hands of the gods, whom they accept as more powerful and more knowledgeable .
Themes
