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Soliloquy
Act 1, Scene 4
Explanation and Analysis:
In The Two Noble Kinsmen, Shakespeare and Fletcher employ a “classical” style that draws heavily from the techniques and conventions of Greek and Roman classical theater. The story is set in the Ancient Greek cities of Athens and Thebes, and the playwrights showcase their strong understanding of Ancient Greek religious belief, history, and legal code, even if their portrayal is not always historically accurate. Where many other plays of the Jacobean era depict multiple storylines across lengthy periods of time, this play follows the conventions of classical theater in following one primary storyline across a relatively short period of time.
One key element of this classical style is the play’s many allusions to classical history, religion, and mythology. When Theseus reports back to his Herald after the battle with Thebes led by the despotic Creon, his language is thickly saturated with classical references:
By th’ helm of Mars, I saw them in the war,
Like to a pair of lions, smeared with prey,
Make lanes in troops aghast. I fixed my note
Constantly on them, for they were a mark
Worth a god’s view.
In order to affirm the truth of his statement, he swears first to Mars, the Roman equivalent of the Greek god of war, Ares. Further, he uses a typical image from classical theater, a “pair of lions” fighting together, and last he describes the sight of Arcite and Palamon fighting as “Worth a god's view.” These casual allusions embed the story in its classical setting, and they also reward viewers and readers who are able to “catch” the references as they come.
