Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

JAILER

in The Two Noble Kinsmen — Fletcher, John; Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayThe Two Noble Kinsmen
AuthorFletcher, John; Shakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1634
First performance1613
Decade1630s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
TheaterBlackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Iailor. | Iay. | Iaylor. | Keeper, | Iai. | Keep. | Iay, | Keeper. | Keep | Iaylor | Ioy. | Keep,
Words740
Characters3781
Typicality0.35 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA00969
BritDrama no.1724
ClusterCluster 13 — Attendant courtiers & citizens

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

I may depart with little, while I live, some thing I May cast to you, not much: Alas the Prison I Keep, though it be for great ones, yet they seldom Come; Before one Salmon, you shall take a number Of Minnowes: I am given out to be better lined Then it can appear, to me report is a true Speaker: I would I were really, that I am Delivered oh be: Marry, what I have (be it what it will) I will aflure upon my daughter at The day of my death. Well, we will talk more of this, when the solemnity Is passed; But have you a full promise of her? Enter Daughter. When that shall be seen, I tender my consent. Your Friend and I have changed nced to name You here, upon the old business: But no more of that. Now, so soon as the Court hurry is over, we will Have and end of it: In h mean time look tenderly To the two Prisoners. I can tell you they are princes. They are fa ed to be a pair of absolute men. Do they so? The Duke himself came privately in the night, Enter Palam on, and Arcite, above. And so did they, what the reason of it is, I Know not: Look yonder they are; that's Arcite looks out. Hear you no more, was nothing said of me Concerning the escape of Palamon? Good Sir remember. Pray heaven it hold so. They are welcome, You are a good man And ever bring good news. I hope they are good. Why do you ask? This morning. Well Sir. I half suspected What you told me: the gods comfort her: Either this was her love to Palamon, Or fear of my miscarrying on his escape, Or both. But why all this haste Sir? Pray go on Sir? 'Tis true, Yes wench we know him. 'Tis, Love. She's lost Passed all cure. Yes. Here. Up to the top Boy. She is continually in a harmless distemper, sleeps Little, altogether without appetite, save often drinking, Dreaming of another world, and a better; and what Broken piece of matter so'ere she's about, the name Palamon lards it, that she every business Enter Daughter. Withal, fits it to every question; Look where comes, you shall perceive her behaviour. What think you of her Sir? Alas, what then? I was once Sir, in great hope, she had fixed her Liking on this gentleman my friend. Hoa there Doctor. Thank ye Doctor. I will, and tell her Her Falam n stays for her: But Doctor, Me thinks you are i'th wrong still. Come, your Love Palamon stays for you child, And has done this long hour, to visit you. Yes. He's a very fair one. No. That's fine indeed. Having these virtues I think he might be brought to play at Tennis. Can he write and read too. Very well. What dowry has she? Make curtsy, here your love comes. Yes. Are they i'th Field? I'll away straight I must even leave you here. How did you Like her? Sir she's well restored, And to be married shortly. The gods requite you all, And make her thankful. Prince Palamon, I must awhile bereave you Of your fair Cosens Company. Banishd: Prince Piritbous Obtained his liberty; but never more Upon his oath and life must he set foot Upon this Kingdom. My Lord for you I have this charge too. I herd them reported in the Battle, to be the only Go too, leave your pointing; they would not Make us their object; out of their sighed. No, but from this place to remo we your Lordship, The window are too open. And hang for't afterwards. Indeed yond must my Lord. No. There is no remedy. I do not think she was very well, for now You make me mind her, but this very day I asked her questions, and she answered me So far from what she was, so childishly. So sillily, as if she were a fool, And Innocent, and I was very angry. But what of her Sir? By your leave Gentlemen: Lord Arcite, you must presently to'th Duke; The cause I know not yet. I must constrain you then; and for you are dange rous I'll clap more irons on you. But first by your leave I'th way of honesty. Even thus all day long. Why my Lord?

Plot summary

Plot — The Two Noble Kinsmen
Theseus’ wedding to Hippolyta is interrupted by three widowed queens, whose husbands have fallen in battle against Thebes. Creon, the victor, has denied them the right to bury their dead, so they request Theseus’ help in forcing his hand. At Hippolyta’s request, Theseus postpones the wedding feast and leads an army against Thebes. It is a bad moment for the Theban princes Palamon and Arcite: they are on the point of leaving Creon’s corrupt court, but now feel a patriotic duty to defend their city. Theseus wins the war, Palamon and Arcite are taken prisoner, and the dead kings are buried. Palamon and Arcite are imprisoned in Athens. Their cell overlooks a garden where Emilia walks; they both fall in love with her and quarrel jealously. Arcite is released, on condition that he never returns to Athens, but he stays in disguise and performs with distinction at a. sporting festival for Emilia’s birthday. Meanwhile Palamon is moved to a cell without a garden view. The jailer’s daughter falls in love with him and, aware that they are of markedly different rank, seeks to win his regard by engineering his escape. Palamon meets Arcite in the woods the following morning; Arcite agrees to bring him food, clothing, and weapons so that they can fight out their quarrel. In consequence, Palamon fails to turn up at his appointment with the jailer’s daughter, and she is driven mad by a combination of disappointed love and fear that her father will be blamed for the escape. The fight between Palamon and Arcite is interrupted by Theseus. Though one has broken banishment and the other broken prison, Hippolyta and Emilia beg that their lives be spared, but the kinsmen will not consent to Emilia’s proposal that they should be banished from Athens and_.swear never again to see either her or one another. Theseus proposes to execute only one of them if Emilia will agree to marry the other, but she cannot decide between them. Theseus resolves on a trial by combat, with each kinsman supported by three knights: the winner will get Emilia, and the loser will die. Palamon exonerates the jailer concerning his escape and gives his daughter a dowry. A doctor treats her by dressing her fiancé as Palamon and encouraging him to play up to her, even if it entails pre-marital sex. It does, and she is cured. The kinsmen return to Athens with their knights to participate in the combat. Arcite prays for victory to Mars and Palamon to Venus; both receive signs of their respective deities’…