The Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean tragicomedy involving two cousins who battle for their city and fall in love with one woman. The play is based on "The Knight's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a long poem written in Middle English in the latter half of the fourteenth century. The Two Noble Kinsmen was likely performed as early as 1613, but it was not entered into the Stationer's Register until 1634. It was published in quarto form later that year by bookseller John Waterson.
While the play is generally attributed to William Shakespeare, it is known now as a collaboration between Shakespeare and playwright John Fletcher. Based on scholarly analysis, it is believed that Shakespeare wrote roughly half the play, with Fletcher contributing the lion's share of the composition. The play was not included in the First Folio of Shakespeare's work in 1623, nor any of the subsequent folios of Shakespeare's writing. It did appear, however, in the Beaumont and Fletcher Folio in 1679 (Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher are well-known for their many collaborations).
The play draws heavily on Chaucer's original plot: soon after Theseus marries Hippolyta, three queens petition them to wage war on Thebes, whose king, Creon, has refused to give their husbands a decent send-off. However, two cousins, Palamon and Arcite, vow to defend their city by all means. The Athenians defeat the Thebians, and the three queens are allowed to give their husbands a decent burial. In the process of fighting, Palamon and Arcite are captured and taken to an Athenian jail.
While in the Athenian prison, the two cousins fall in love with Emilia, the king’s sister-in-law. In order to win her, Palamon and Arcite challenge each other to a duel. During the preparation for the fight, Theseus discovers their plans and rebukes them. Theseus requests that his sister-in-law choose between the two men, and the loser will be executed. Emilia is unable to choose, but a jousting tournament is organized where the winner will marry her. During the contest, Arcite is wounded and bequeaths Emilia to Palamon.
