William Shakespeare, John Fletcher
(and Francis Beaumont?)
(Shakespeare Apocrypha)
THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN

1613–1616

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ALCIDES

A "ghost character." Alcides is another name for Hercules. He does not appear in the play but is described by Theseus as an individual with whom Theseus is personally acquainted.

ARCAS

Arcas the weaver is a friend of the Second Country Person and will attend the Duke's games.

ARCITE

Arcite is the nephew of Creon, King of Thebes, and one of the two kinsmen for whom the play is named. Critical of Creon, Arcite plans to leave Creon's court but goes to battle as a loyal Theban and is injured in Athenian territory. Arcite and his brother Palamon fall in love with Emilia, sister-in-law to the Duke of Athens; the result of the brothers' fighting over Emilia is Arcite's banishment and Palamon's imprisonment. Arcite eventually wins a battle with Palamon and is given Emilia, but just before Palamon is to suffer death on the Duke's order, Arcite is trammeled to death by a horse, and his brother wins the lady.

ARTESIUS

A Captain under the command of Duke Theseus, Artesius is commissioned to make the necessary preparations to avenge the deaths of the three queens' husbands.

BARBARY

Barbary is named as one of the women who will dance with the morris-dancers for the Duke.

BAVIAN

The Bavian is a morris-dancer dressed in a traditional ape costume.

BOY

The unnamed Boy follows Hymen during the Duke and Hippolyta's wedding processional and sings a song of blessing for the couple.

BROTHER, JAILER'S

This unnamed Brother of the Jailer opens his home to his niece the Jailer's Daughter when she is rescued by her Wooer from a suicidal drowning attempt.

CICELY

Cicely is the daughter of a seamstress and does not arrive as promised to take part in the morris-dancing performance planned for the Duke.

CREON

A "ghost character", Creon does not appear on stage in the play. He is the ruler of Thebes; his armies slew the husbands of the three queens, and he refused to allow the burial of the bodies. He is also the uncle of Palamon and Arcite, the two kinsmen for whom the play is named.

DOCTOR

The Doctor is summoned to attend the Jailer's Daughter, a young woman whose mind has faltered through excessive, unrequited love for Palamon. Unable to help the girl, the Doctor suggests that the girl's rebuffed Wooer pretend to be Palamon and thus help ease the girl back into some form of mental normalcy.

EMILIA

Emilia is sister to Hipployta, the new bride of Theseus, Duke of Athens. She is beloved of both Palamon and Arcite, the noble kinsmen of Thebes. She cannot bring herself to choose between the two gentlemen but consents to wed whichever man survives the challenge suggested by Theseus. She ends by wedding Palamon, who loses the challenge but whose kinsman Arcite is trammeled to death by a horse shortly after his victory.

FIRST COUNTRY PERSON

Unnamed in the play, this First Country Person remarks that his wife is sure to be jealous of the time he spends performing morris-dances at the Duke's games.

FIRST FRIEND

This First Friend of the Jailer describes Hippolyta and Emilia begging Theseus to have mercy upon Palamon and Arcite.

FIRST KNIGHT

This unnamed Knight stands with Palamon in the challenge. He offers that the winner's honor is no greater than his own as a loser, and he provides a purse for the Jailer's Daughter.

FIRST QUEEN

This First unnamed Queen is one of three royal widows who appear at the wedding of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta. The Queens' husbands have all fallen to Creon of Thebes, and the First Queen pleads that Theseus help the women recover and bury the bodies of their slain husbands.

FLAVINA

A "ghost character." Flavina does not appear on stage in the play but is mentioned by Emilia as a now-deceased childhood friend.

FOURTH COUNTRY PERSON

This unnamed Fourth Country Person is among a group of locals who plan to perform morris-dances for Duke Theseus.

FRIZ

A "ghost character." Friz is mentioned as one of the women expected to join local men in performing morris-dances for the Duke of Athens.

GENTLEMAN

This unnamed Gentleman brings news to Emilia that Palamon and Arcite have arrived.

GERROLD

Gerrold is a local Athenian schoolmaster. Associated with the morris-dancers, Gerrold chides the performers for poor following of directions and offers a prologue to the dance before the Duke.

HERCULES

A "ghost character." Also referred to as Alcides late in the play, Hercules is called cousin by Theseus and was supposedly a guest at the First Queen's wedding.

HIPPOLYTA

Hippolyta is the Amazonian bride of Theseus, Duke of Athens. The Second Queen particularly petitions her for Theseus' help in recovering the dead bodies of all three Queens' husbands. She is more than willing to postpone her nuptial solemnities until Theseus has been able to address the pleas of the widowed ladies; with her sister Emilia and with Pirithious, Hippolyta begs Theseus' mercy upon Palamon and Arcite.

HYMEN

Hymen, patron of marriage, opens the play by leading the marriage processional of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hipployta.

JAILER

This unnamed Athenian Jailer complains that his jail is designed for great ones who seldom reside there. Inmates of his jail during this drama include the two noble kinsmen from Thebes, Palamon and Arcite. The Jailer also has a daughter who rebuffs her Wooer and becomes deranged over an unrequited love for Palamon.

JAILER'S DAUGHTER

Unnamed in the play, the Jailer's Daughter rebuffs the proposals offered by her Wooer and instead falls in love with Palamon while he is incarcerated. She allows Palamon to escape and accompanies him into the woods, where Palamon politely but firmly refuses her love. She becomes mentally unstable, telling fortunes and joining the morris-dancers. Saved from a suicidal drowning attempt by her Wooer, she is eventually seen by the Doctor, who can do nothing for her save suggest that the Wooer pretend to be Palamon. Palamon and his knights donate several purses to the Jailer's Daughter when they lose their battle challenge and face death.

KEEPER

The Keeper is a message carrier and attendant at the jail where Palamon and Arcite are incarcerated in Athens. He explains to Palamon that Arcite has been banished.

KING CAPANEUS

A "ghost character." King Capaneus is mentioned as being the dead husband of the First Queen; obtaining the right to bury Capaneus' body is the cause of the First Queen's petition to Theseus.

LORD STEWARD'S DAUGHTER

A "ghost character." The Lord Steward's Daughter is unnamed and does not appear on stage in the play. Palamon and Arcite describe her as having once met Arcite in an arbor.

LUCE

Luce is one of the local women scheduled to perform in the morris-dances for the Duke.

MARSHAL'S SISTER

A "ghost character." The Marshal's sister does not appear on stage in the play, but she is described by Palamon and Arcite as a "pretty brown wench."

MAUDLINE

Maudline is mentioned as a woman who plans to perform morris-dances for the Duke.

MESSENGER

This unnamed Messenger details for Theseus the knights that are to stand with Arcite in the forthcoming challenge.

NELL

Nell is mentioned as a woman who plans to perform morris-dances for the Duke.

PALAMON

Palamon is nephew to Creon of Thebes and one of the two kinsmen for whom the play is named. Palamon is taken captive in battle against Athens and is well tended by Duke Theseus' physicians. He falls in love with Emilia, Theseus' sister-in-law, and he is again jailed when he and Arcite fight over the young woman. Released from jail by the lovesick Jailer's Daughter, Palamon politely refuses that young woman's love and encounters Arcite, who was banished from Athens but refused to leave because he did not want to be away from Emilia. Palamon and Arcite are joined by knights and engage in a challenge. Palamon loses the fight and, as loser, is to be executed. Arcite is to have Emilia. But Arcite is trammeled to death by a horse after his victory, and Palamon wins his bride while losing a dear friend.

PIRITHIOUS

Pirithious is an Athenian general called cousin by Duke Theseus. He boasts a long history of campaigns and battles at Theseus' side; as a trusted compatriot he is asked to find service for the disguised Theban Arcite, and he places Arcite in service to Emilia. With Emilia and Hippolyta, Pirithious begs the Duke to be merciful to Palamon and Arcite.

RYCAS

Rycas the weaver is described as a friend of the Second Country Person and will be attending the Duke's games.

SECOND COUNTRY PERSON

This unnamed Second Country Person offers some sexually slanted remarks about the First Country Person's wife and plans to perform morris-dances for the Duke.

SECOND FRIEND, JAILER'S

This unnamed Second Friend of the Jailer bears news that Palamon's testimony has both cleared the Jailer of wrongdoing and acquired a pardon for the Jailer.

SECOND KNIGHT

This unnamed Second Knight stands with Palamon during the challenge. With Palamon and the other knights, he bequeaths his purse to the Jailer's Daughter.

SECOND QUEEN

Unnamed, this Second Queen falls at the feet of Hippolyta and pleads her cause, along with two other widowed queens whose husbands lie unburied because of the Theban Creon.

SENNOIS

Sennois the weaver is a friend of the Second Country Person and plans to participate in the Duke's games.

SERVANT

The Servant's role in the play is to report to Emilia news of the seesaw nature of the challenge between Palamon and Arcite.

THESEUS

Theseus is the Duke of Athens. At his wedding to Hippolyta he is met by three widowed Queens who beg his aid in retrieving and burying the bodies of their dead husbands, slain by the forces of Creon of Thebes. Theseus acts upon the widows' petitions and fights Creon, taking two prisoners-Palamon and Arcite-in the process. He orders the best care given to these two noblemen, both of whom fall in love with Emilia, sister to Hippolyta. Because the situation seems irresolvable, Theseus banishes Arcite and keeps Palamon in prison. But Arcite remains in Athens and Palamon is helped to escape, leading ultimately to a challenge between the two men and their knights. As victor, Arcite is to wed Emilia; as loser, Palamon is to die. But Arcite is trammeled by a horse just before Palamon's execution, and Theseus gives Emilia as wife to Palamon.

THIRD COUNTRY PERSON

Like the Second Country Person, this Third local is also unnamed and offers some sexually slanted remarks about his First colleague's wife as the friends gather to practice their morris-dances.

THIRD KNIGHT

This unnamed Third Knight stands with Palamon in the challenge. With Palamon and the other knights, he bequeaths his purse to the Jailer's Daughter.

THIRD QUEEN

Unnamed, this Third Queen falls at the feet of Emilia and pleads her cause, along with two other widowed queens whose husbands lie unburied because of the Theban Creon.

TIMOTHY

Timothy is a taborer, a musician for the morris-dancers who plan to perform for the Duke.

VALERIUS

Valerius is a message bearer who brings news to Palamon and Arcite in Thebes of Theseus' threat and Creon's summons to arms.

WOMAN

This unnamed Woman is one of Emilia's attendants.

WOOER

This unnamed Wooer unsuccessfully courts the Jailer's Daughter. His love is rebuffed when the girl falls in love with Palamon, who politely refuses her admiration. At the suggestion of the Doctor, the Wooer dresses up as Palamon, pretending to be that love object of the Jailer's Daughter in hopes of easing her unstable mind.