Through your bravery,
for all the pleasure I have given you in the night–
THESEUS
These are strange conjurings.
These are strange demands.
PIRITHOUS
Nay then I’ll in too.
Kneels.
By all our friendship, sir, by all our dangers,
By all you love most—wars, and this sweet lady—
Well, I'll join in too.
For our friendship, sir, for all our dangers,
by all you love most–war, and this sweet lady–
EMILIA
By that you would have trembled to deny
A blushing maid—
For something that you would be afraid to deny
a blushing girl–
HIPPOLYTA
By your own eyes, by strength,
In which you swore I went beyond all women,
Almost all men, and yet I yielded, Theseus—
For the sake of your own eyes, and my strength,
which is always greater than that of any woman,
and almost all men, and yet I surrendered to you, Theseus–
PIRITHOUS
To crown all this, by your most noble soul,
Which cannot want due mercy, I beg first.
On top of everything, for your most noble soul,
which cannot be lacking in mercy, I beg you.
HIPPOLYTA
Next hear my prayers.
And hear my prayers next.
EMILIA
Last let me entreat, sir.
And let me beg you last of all, sir.
PIRITHOUS
For mercy.
For mercy.
HIPPOLYTA
Mercy.
Mercy.
EMILIA
Mercy on these princes.
Have mercy on these princes.
THESEUS
Ye make my faith reel. Say I felt
Compassion to ’em both, how would you place it?
You've put my mind in a whirl. What if I felt
sorry for them both, what should I do then?
EMILIA
Upon their lives; but with their banishments.
Save their lives, just exile them.
THESEUS
You are a right woman, sister, you have pity,
But want the understanding where to use it.
If you desire their lives, invent a way
Safer than banishment. Can these two live,
And have the agony of love about ’em,
And not kill one another? Every day
They’ld fight about you; hourly bring your honor
In public question with their swords. Be wise then
And here forget ’em; it concerns your credit
And my oath equally. I have said they die;
Better they fall by th’ law than one another.
Bow not my honor.
You are a good woman, sister, you have pity,
but you don't know how you should apply it.
If you want them to live, think of a way
safer than exile. Can these two live,
both suffering from the agony of love,
and not kill each other? Every day
they would fight over you; every hour they would
duel for your honour in public. So be sensible
and forget about them; it affects your reputation
and my oath equally. I have said they will die;
it's better for them to be executed by the law than each other.
Don't make me be dishonourable.
EMILIA
O my noble brother,
That oath was rashly made, and in your anger,
Your reason will not hold it. If such vows
Stand for express will, all the world must perish.
Beside, I have another oath ’gainst yours,
Of more authority, I am sure more love,
Not made in passion neither, but good heed.
O my noble brother,
you made that oath in the heat of the moment when you were angry,
you won't keep to it when you think of it. If such oaths
have to be maintained then the whole world would die.
Besides, I have another oath to put against yours,
which is more powerful, has more love in it,
and was made rationally, not out of passion.
THESEUS
What is it, sister?
What is it, sister?
PIRITHOUS
Urge it home, brave lady.
Drive it home, good lady.
EMILIA
That you would nev’r deny me any thing
Fit for my modest suit and your free granting.
I tie you to your word now; if ye fall in’t,
Think how you maim your honor
(For now I am set a-begging, sir, I am deaf
To all but your compassion), how their lives
Might breed the ruin of my name; opinion,
Shall any thing that loves me perish for me?
That were a cruel wisdom. Do men proin
The straight young boughs that blush with thousand blossoms,
Because they may be rotten? O Duke Theseus,
The goodly mothers that have groan’d for these,
And all the longing maids that ever lov’d,
If your vow stand, shall curse me and my beauty,
And in their funeral songs for these two cousins
Despise my cruelty, and cry woe worth me,
Till I am nothing but the scorn of women.
For heaven’s sake save their lives, and banish ’em.
That you would never deny me anything
within your power that was suitable for my modest position.
I hold you to your word now; if you don't keep it,
think what damage you do your honour
(now I have started begging, Sir, I can't hear
anything but your compassion), how their deaths
would ruin my reputation; what would people think,
if anyone who loved me should die for it?
That would be a cruel judgement. Do men prune
straight young branches that hold a thousand flowers,
because they might be rotten? Oh Duke Theseus,
if you stick to your word the good mothers
who suffered to give these men birth,
and all the longing girls that ever were in love,
shall curse me and my beauty,
and in their funeral songs for these two cousins
they will hate my cruelty, and call for me to suffer,
until I am hated by all women.
For the sake of heaven save their lives, and banish them.
THESEUS
On what conditions?
On what conditions?
EMILIA
Swear ’em never more
To make me their contention, or to know me,
To tread upon thy dukedom, and to be,
Where ever they shall travel, ever strangers
To one another.
Make them swear they will never
fight over me again, or try to find me,
or walk in your lands, and that
wherever they go they will never
see each other again.
PALAMON
I’ll be cut a-pieces
Before I take this oath. Forget I love her?
O all ye gods, despise me then. Thy banishment
I not mislike, so we may fairly carry
Our swords and cause along; else, never trifle,
But take our lives, Duke. I must love, and will,
And for that love must and dare kill this cousin,
On any piece the earth has.
I'll be cut to pieces
before I swear this. Forget I love her?
Then all the gods can despise me. I don't object
to being exiled, if we can take our swor
ds
and continue our battle; otherwise, don't mess about,
but take our lives, Duke. I must love, and I will,
and for that love I must and there to kill this cousin,
wherever he is on Earth.
THESEUS
Will you, Arcite,
Take these conditions?
Will you agree to these
conditions, Arcite?
PALAMON
He’s a villain then.
He's a villain if he does.
PIRITHOUS
These are men!
These are truly men!
ARCITE
No, never. Duke. ’Tis worse to me than begging
To take my life so basely. Though I think
I never shall enjoy her, yet I’ll preserve
The honor of affection, and die for her,
Make death a devil.
No, never, Duke. I would rather be a beggar
the man lives my life so dishonourably. Though I think
I shall never have her, I'll still uphold
the honour of my love, and die for her,
if death were the devil himself.
THESEUS
What may be done? For now I feel compassion.
What can be done? For now I feel pity.
PIRITHOUS
Let it not fall again, sir.
Hold on to that feeling, sir.
THESEUS
Say, Emilia,
If one of them were dead, as one must, are you
Content to take th’ other to your husband?
They cannot both enjoy you. They are princes
As goodly as your own eyes, and as noble
As ever fame yet spoke of. Look upon ’em
And if you can love, end this difference.
I give consent.—Are you content too, princes?
Tell me, Emilia,
if one of them was dead, as one of them must be, are you
happy to take the other one as your husband?
They cannot both enjoy you. They are princes
as handsome as your own eyes, and as noble
as any in legend. Look at them and if
you can love one of them, stop this argument.
I give consent.–Do you agree, princes?
BOTH. ARCITE AND PALAMON
With all our souls.
With all our souls.
THESEUS
He that she refuses
Must die then.
Whoever she turns down
must die then.
BOTH. ARCITE AND PALAMON
Any death thou canst invent, Duke.
Any death you name, Duke.
PALAMON
If I fall from that mouth, I fall with favor,
And lovers yet unborn shall bless my ashes.
If I am condemned by that mouth, I will die lucky,
and future generations of lovers will bless my ashes.
ARCITE
If she refuse me, yet my grave will wed me,
And soldiers sing my epitaph.
If she turns me down, my grave will be like a wedding bed,
and soldiers will sing my epitaph.
THESEUS
Make choice then.
Make your choice then.
EMILIA
I cannot, sir, they are both too excellent:
For me, a hair shall never fall of these men.
I cannot, sir, they are both too wonderful:
I don't want to see any harm come to either of them for my sake.
HIPPOLYTA
What will become of ’em?
What will become of them?
THESEUS
Thus I ordain it,
And by mine honor, once again it stands,
Or both shall die: you shall both to your country,
And each within this month, accompanied
With three fair knights, appear again in this place,
In which I’ll plant a pyramid; and whether,
Before us that are here, can force his cousin
By fair and knightly strength to touch the pillar,
He shall enjoy her; the other lose his head,
And all his friends; nor shall he grudge to fall,
Nor think he dies with interest in this lady.
Will this content ye?
This is what I order,
and by my honour, this must be obeyed
or you both shall die: you shall both go to your country,
and within a month each of you, accompanied
by three good knights, will come back to this place,
where I will place a pyramid; and whoever,
in our presence, can force his cousin
in a fair and chivalrous duel to touch the pillar,
he will have first; the other will lose his head,
and so will his companions; and he will not complain
or think that he dies with any rights to this lady.
Will this satisfy you?
PALAMON
Yes. Here, cousin Arcite,
I am friends again till that hour.
Yes. Come here, cousin Arcite,
I am your friend again until that time.
ARCITE
I embrace ye.
I embrace you.
THESEUS
Are you content, sister?
Are you satisfied, sister?
EMILIA
Yes, I must, sir,
Else both miscarry.
Yes, I must be, sir,
otherwise they both will die.
THESEUS
Come shake hands again then,
And take heed, as you are gentlemen, this quarrel
Sleep till the hour prefix’d, and hold your course.
Come and shake hands again then,
and make sure, on your honour as gentlemen, that this quarrel
is over until the time I said, keep your promise.
PALAMON
We dare not fail thee, Theseus.
We do not fail you, Theseus.
THESEUS
Come, I’ll give ye
Now usage like to princes and to friends.
When ye return, who wins I’ll settle here;
Who loses, yet I’ll weep upon his bier.
Exeunt.
Come, now I'll treat you
as princes and friends should be treated.
When you come back, I will give whoever wins a position here;
whoever loses, I will weep at his funeral.
Athens. A room in the prison.
(Jailer, Two Friends, Wooer, Jailer’s Brother, Daughter)
Enter Jailer and his Friend.
JAILER
Hear you no more? Was nothing said of me
Concerning the escape of Palamon?
Good sir, remember.
Did you hear anything else? Wasn't anything said about me
regarding Palamon's escape?
Good sir, try to remember.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Nothing that I heard,
For I came home before the business
Was fully ended. Yet I might perceive,
Ere I departed, a great likelihood
Of both their pardons; for Hippolyta,
And fair-ey’d Emily, upon their knees
Begg’d with such handsome pity, that the Duke
Methought stood staggering whether he should follow
His rash oath, or the sweet compassion
Of those two ladies; and to second them,
That truly noble prince Pirithous,
Half his own heart, set in too, that I hope
All shall be well. Neither heard I one question
Of your name, or his scape.
I heard nothing,
though I came home before the business
was wrapped up. But I noticed,
before I left, it seemed very likely
that they would both be pardoned; for Hippolyta
and beautiful
Emily were begging for pity
so beautifully upon their knees, that the Duke
seemed to me to be wavering between keeping
his hasty oath, or showing pity
to those two ladies; and to back them up,
that truly noble Prince Pirithous
threw in his heartfelt opinions, so I hope
all will be well. I didn't hear anyone mention
you, or his escape.
JAILER
Pray heaven it hold so!
May heaven keep it that way!
Enter Second Friend.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Be of good comfort, man; I bring you news,
Good news.
Cheer up, man; I bring you news,
good news.
JAILER
They are welcome.
That would be welcome.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Palamon has clear’d you,
And got your pardon, and discover’d how
And by whose means he escap’d, which was your daughter’s,
Whose pardon is procur’d too; and the prisoner—
Not to be held ungrateful to her goodness—
Has given a sum of money to her marriage,
A large one, I’ll assure you.
Palamon has exonerated you,
and you have been pardoned, he has revealed how
and with whose help he escaped; it was your daughter who helped him,
she has been pardoned too; and the prisoner–
not wanting to seem ungrateful for her help–
has given her a sum of money for a dowry,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 425