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Act 3, 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
The Jailer’s Daughter returns to the forest. When she can’t find Palamon, she assumes he must be waiting for her at the wrong location. In anguish over her absent lover, she proclaims that she would rather wolves devour her than leave Palamon entrapped in his shackles and left to fend for himself in the woods. She contemplates calling for Palamon but fears attracting a wolf, though she ultimately decides that wolves must have already killed him. Having accepted Palamon’s likely death, the Jailer’s Daughter considers her situation: the city will hang her father for Palamon’s escape, and they’ll hang her, too, though she no longer cares to live, anyway. Additionally, it's been days since she's eaten. Wanting to die and not wanting to commit suicide, the Jailer's Daughter longs for death to take her naturally.
The Jailer's Daughter sinks deeper into madness, as well. It's wishful thinking at best for her to assume that Palamon has accidentally wandered off in the wrong direction, since he's given her practically no indication to suggest that he's interested in her romantically. Yet, her obsession compels her to see the best in him and give him the benefit of the doubt. Lastly, the Jailer's Daughter's desire to die naturally rather than commit suicide reflects her respect for the gods' will. Like other characters, she believes the gods dictate her fate, not her. Her desire for death also reflects her awareness of badly she's messed up by allowing her love for Palamon to dictate her actions. While she's carried away by love and acts irrationally because of it, she still has some sense of reality and sanity left. At the same time, though, it does appear that her overall sense of stability is quickly deteriorating.
Themes
Literary Devices
