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Allusions
Act 3, Scene 6
Explanation and Analysis—That Day :
In an emotionally tense scene during which Arcite and Palamon help each other to don armor in preparation for their upcoming fight, Shakespeare and Fletcher present a brief flashback to an earlier and happier time in the cousins’ past:
PALAMON
Methinks this armor’s very like that, Arcite,
Thou wor’st that day the three kings fell, but lighter.ARCITE
That was a very good one, and that day,
I well remember, you outdid me, cousin.
I never saw such valor. When you charged
Upon the left wing of the enemy,
I spurred hard to come up, and under me
I had a right good horse.PALAMON
You had, indeed;
A bright bay, I remember.ARCITE
Yes, but all
Was vainly labored in me; you outwent me,
Nor could my wishes reach you; yet a little
I did by imitation.
While helping Arcite to prepare for battle, Palamon notes nostalgically that the armor is similar to the armor which Arcite wore “that day the three kings fell.” Here, he references a previous event: Creon’s defeat of the three kings whose widowed queens petition Theseus for vengeance. Despite their present animosity, the two cousins are able to discuss the past civilly, each insisting upon the bravery exhibited by the other in battle. In this scene, Arcite and Palamon display a spark of their former kinship, underscoring the tragedy of their feud.
Related Themes:
