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Act 2, Scene 3
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
Back at the prison, the Jailer’s Daughter sits alone in a room and bemoans her bad luck to fall in love with Palamon: things won’t work out between them because she is the “base” daughter of Palamon’s cruel imprisoner, and Palamon is himself a prince. The Jailer’s Daughter knows she can neither marry Palamon nor be his lover. Even though Palamon’s cousin is just as handsome, the Jailer’s Daughter only loves Palamon. She recalls the sad songs Palamon sings and the way “he bows his noble body” to thank her for bringing him water in the morning. One time, he even kissed her. She wonders how to prove her love to Palamon and ruminates over the possibility of betraying her family and breaking the law to set him free.
The Jailer's Daughter recognizes the irrationality of believing she and Palamon could have a future together since she is a commoner and he is nobility. Even the way Palamon holds himself and "bows his noble body" shows her that they exist in totally different spheres. Still, her love for him is so strong that she is willing to ignore the fact that they'll likely not end up together and pursue him anyway, and she devises a plan to free him from prison to get him to notice her. Unfortunately, the Jailer's Daughter's pursuit of a relationship with Palamon is as foolish as it is unachievable: freeing Palamon, a prisoner of war, will put her and her father's life at risk. Finally, this scene paints an unflattering portrait of Palamon if one assumes that Palamon's feelings for Emilia leave him uninterested in the Jailer's Daughter. If this is so, Palamon appears to be exploiting the Jailer’s Daughter’s emotions, kissing her not out of genuine attraction but as part of a strategic plan to woo her to the point that she is willing to help him escape.
Themes
