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Act 5, Scene 4
Explanation and Analysis:
The Two Noble Kinsmen is generally categorized as a “tragicomedy,” or a work that combines elements of both tragedy and comedy. Though the term “tragicomedy” was not used in Shakespeare’s own lifetime, literary scholars apply this term to works that do not fit neatly into the traditional genres of early modern theater: history, comedy, and tragedy. In this play, Shakespeare and Fletcher blend genres together to explore both serious themes and lighthearted subject matter.
The play begins with a tragic premise: the capture and imprisonment of the noble knights Arcite and Palamon. Their bitter rivalry over the indifferent Emilia sets the stage for a tragic conclusion. The themes of pride, jealousy, and honor, which are central to the plot, are typical of tragic works. However, as the play progresses, it introduces significant comedic elements, such as the antics of the jailer's daughter and the various rustic characters who live in the countryside surrounding Athens.
The play’s conclusion, in which Palamon is spared execution due to the surprising, accidental death of Arcite, is typical of tragicomedy. Theseus comments directly upon the contrasting emotions elicited by the events of the play’s conclusion:
Let us look sadly, and give grace unto
The funeral of Arcite, in whose end
The visages of bridegrooms we’ll put on
And smile with Palamon—for whom an hour,
But one hour since, I was as dearly sorry
As glad of Arcite, and am now as glad
As for him sorry. O you heavenly charmers,
What things you make of us!
Theseus notes that he and his companions must “look sadly” upon the tragic death of Arcite, but simultaneously, they must “smile with Palamon” who will shortly be married to his beloved Emilia. Traditionally, a comic play ends with a marriage and a tragedy ends with a funeral. Befitting its status as a tragicomedy, The Two Noble Kinsmen ends with both.
