PALAMON You shall not love at all.
ARCITE Not love at all!
Who shall deny me?
PALAMON I that first saw her, I that took possession
First with mine eye of all those beauties in her
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Revealed to mankind! If thou lovest her,
Or entertain’st a hope to blast my wishes,
Thou art a traitor, Arcite, and a fellow
False as thy title to her. Friendship, blood,
And all the ties between us, I disclaim,
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If thou once think upon her.
ARCITE Yes, I love her
And, if the lives of all my name lay on it,
I must do so; I love her with my soul:
If that will lose ye, farewell, Palamon.
I say again,
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I love her and in loving her maintain
I am as worthy and as free a lover,
And have as just a title to her beauty,
As any Palamon, or any living
That is a man’s son.
PALAMON Have I called thee friend?
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ARCITE
Yes, and have found me so; why are you moved thus?
Let me deal coldly with you: am not I
Part of your blood, part of your soul? you have told me
That I was Palamon and you were Arcite.
PALAMON Yes.
ARCITE Am not I liable to those affections,
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Those joys, griefs, angers, fears, my friend shall
suffer?
PALAMON Ye may be.
ARCITE Why then would you deal so cunningly,
So strangely, so unlike a noble kinsman,
To love alone? Speak truly: do you think me
Unworthy of her sight?
PALAMON No, but unjust
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If thou pursue that sight.
ARCITE Because another
First sees the enemy, shall I stand still
And let mine honour down, and never charge?
PALAMON Yes, if he be but one.
ARCITE But say that one
Had rather combat me?
PALAMON Let that one say so,
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And use thy freedom. Else, if thou pursuest her,
Be as that cursed man that hates his country,
A branded villain.
ARCITE You are mad.
PALAMON I must be,
Till thou art worthy, Arcite; it concerns me.
And, in this madness, if I hazard thee
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And take thy life, I deal but truly.
ARCITE Fie, sir!
You play the child extremely. I will love her;
I must, I ought, to do so, and I dare,
And all this justly.
PALAMON O that now, that now,
Thy false self and thy friend had but this fortune:
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To be one hour at liberty and grasp
Our good swords in our hands! I would quickly teach thee
What ’twere to filch affection from another;
Thou art baser in it than a cutpurse.
Put but thy head out of this window more
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And, as I have a soul, I’ll nail thy life to’t.
ARCITE
Thou dar’st not, fool, thou canst not, thou art feeble.
Put my head out? I’ll throw my body out
And leap the garden, when I see her next,
And pitch between her arms, to anger thee.
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Enter Jailer.
PALAMON No more; the keeper’s coming. I shall live
To knock thy brains out with my shackles.
ARCITE Do!
JAILER By your leave, gentlemen.
PALAMON Now, honest keeper?
JAILER Lord Arcite, you must presently to th’ Duke;
The cause I know not yet.
ARCITE I am ready, keeper.
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JAILER Prince Palamon, I must awhile bereave you
Of your fair cousin’s company.
Exeunt Arcite and Jailer.
PALAMON And me too,
Even when you please, of life. – Why is he sent for?
It may be he shall marry her; he’s goodly
And like enough the Duke hath taken notice
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Both of his blood and body. But his falsehood –
Why should a friend be treacherous? If that
Get him a wife so noble and so fair,
Let honest men ne’er love again. Once more
I would but see this fair one. Blessed garden
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And fruit and flowers more blessed that still blossom
As her bright eyes shine on ye: would I were
For all the fortune of my life hereafter
Yon little tree, yon blooming apricock!
How I would spread and fling my wanton arms
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In at her window! I would bring her fruit
Fit for the gods to feed on; youth and pleasure
Still as she tasted should be doubled on her
And, if she be not heavenly, I would make her
So near the gods in nature, they should fear her,
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Enter Jailer.
And then I am sure she would love me. – How now, keeper?
Where’s Arcite?
JAILER Banished. Prince Pirithous
Obtained his liberty, but never more
Upon his oath and life must he set foot
Upon this kingdom.
PALAMON He’s a blessed man.
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He shall see Thebes again and call to arms
The bold young men that, when he bids ’em charge,
Fall on like fire. Arcite shall have a fortune,
If he dare make himself a worthy lover,
Yet in the field to strike a battle for her
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And, if he lose her then, he’s a cold coward;
How bravely may he bear himself to win her
If he be noble Arcite – thousand ways!
Were I at liberty, I would do things
Of such a virtuous greatness that this lady,
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This blushing virgin, should take manhood to her
And seek to ravish me.
JAILER My lord, for you
I have this charge to –
PALAMON To discharge my life.
JAILER
No, but from this place to remove your lordship;
The windows are too open.
PALAMON Devils take ’em
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That are so envious to me! Prithee, kill me.
JAILER And hang for’t afterward!
PALAMON By this good light,
Had I a sword I would kill thee.
JAILER Why, my lord?
PALAMON
Thou bringst such pelting, scurvy news continually,
Thou art not worthy life. I will not go.
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JAILER Indeed you must, my lord.
PALAMON May I see the garden?
JAILER No.
PALAMON Then I am resolved; I will not go.
JAILER
I must constrain you then and, for you are dangerous,
I’ll clap more irons on you.
PALAMON Do, good keeper!
I’ll shake ’em so, ye shall not sleep;
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I’ll make ye a new morris. – Must I go?
JAILER There is no remedy.
PALAMON Farewell, kind window.
May rude winds never hurt thee! – O, my lady,
If ever thou hast felt what sorrow was,
Dream how I suffer! – Come, now bury me.
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Exeunt Palamon and Jailer.
2.3 Enter ARCITE.
ARCITE Banished the kingdom? ’Tis a benefit,
A mercy I must thank ’em for; but banished
The free enjoying of that face I die for –
Oh, ’twas a studied punishment, a death
Beyond imagination, such a vengeance
5
That, were I old and wicked, all my sins
Could never pluck upon me. Palamon,
Thou hast the start now; thou shalt stay and see
Her bright eyes break each morning ’gainst thy window
And let in life into thee; thou shalt feed
10
Upon the sweetness of a noble beauty
That nature ne’er exceeded nor ne’er shall.
Good gods, what happiness has Palamon!
Twenty to one, he’ll come to speak to her
And, if she be as gentle as she’s fair,
15
I know she’s his; he has a tongue will tame
Tempests and make the wild rocks wanton.
Come what can come,
The worst is death; I will not leave the kingdom.
I know mine own is but a heap of ruins
20
And no redress there. If I go, he has her.
I am resolved another shape shall make me
Or end my fortunes. Either way I am happy:
I’ll see her and be near her, or no more.
Enter four Countrymen, and one with a garland before them. ARCITE stands aside.
1COUNTRYMAN My masters, I’ll be there, that’s certain.
25
2COUNTRYMAN And I’ll be there.
3COUNTRYMAN And I.
4COUNTRYMAN
Why then, have with ye, boys. ’Tis but a chiding.
Let the plough play today; I’ll tickl’t out
Of the jades’ tails tomorrow.
1COUNTRYMAN I am sure
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To have my wife as jealous as a turkey –
But that’s all one: I’ll go through; let her mumble.
2COUNTRYMAN
Clap her aboard tomorrow night and stow her,
And all’s made up again.
3COUNTRYMAN Ay, do but put
A fescue in her fist and you shall see her
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Take a new lesson out and be a good wench.
Do we all hold against the Maying?
4COUNTRYMAN Hold?
What should ail us?
3COUNTRYMAN Arcas will be there.
2COUNTRYMAN And Sennois
And Rycas – and three better lads ne’er danced
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Under green tree – and ye know what wenches, ha?
But will the dainty dominie, the schoolmaster,
Keep touch, do you think? For he does all, ye know.
3COUNTRYMAN He’ll eat a hornbook ere he fail. Go to;
The matter’s too far driven between him
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And the tanner’s daughter to let slip now;
And she must see the Duke and she must dance too.
4COUNTRYMAN Shall we be lusty?
2COUNTRYMAN All the boys in Athens
Blow wind i’th’ breech on’s. And here I’ll be,
And there I’ll be for our town and here again,
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And there again – ha, boys, hey for the weavers!
1COUNTRYMAN This must be done i’th’ woods.
4COUNTRYMAN O, pardon me.
2COUNTRYMAN
By any means; our thing of learning says so –
Where he himself will edify the Duke
Most parlously in our behalfs. He’s excellent i’th’
woods;
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Bring him to th’ plains, his learning makes no cry.
3COUNTRYMAN
We’ll see the sports, then every man to’s tackle;
And, sweet companions, let’s rehearse, by any means,
Before the ladies see us and do sweetly
And God knows what may come on’t.
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4COUNTRYMAN
Content; the sports once ended, we’ll perform.
Away, boys – and hold. [Arcite comes forward.]
ARCITE By your leaves, honest friends:
Pray you, whither go you?
4COUNTRYMAN Whither?
Why, what a question’s that?
ARCITE Yes, ’tis a question,
To me that know not.
3COUNTRYMAN To the games, my friend.
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2COUNTRYMAN
Where were you bred, you know it not?
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 550