Plan for the Essay

Beginnings of a Plan

Considering that I already have a solid basis of research and only need to clarify certain aspects (at this particular moment), I feel that it would be beneficial for me to begin planning my essay.

From earlier, when I was deprived of the internet, I made a rough list of some of the points that I immediately considered as relevant to discuss. I have transcribed it below.

Authorship 

• Compare with Henry VIII; Nicholson's theory on the "collaboration" with Shakespeare (inconsistencies in the character arcs)
• Also mention late play Pericles, which is believed to be 827 lines of Shakespeare's and the rest belonging to George Wilkins [Vickers, Brian. Shakespeare, Co-Author, Oxford UP, 2002, pp. 291–293]
• All the research for authorship in TTNK, especially Waith's Introduction.
• Mention Cardenio, the lost play purported to have been a collaboration between Fletcher and Shakespeare.
• Mention other possible Shakespeare collaborations?

Characters

• The fact that Theseus and Hippolyte already appear in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Compare the characters of The Tempest, Pericles, Cymbeline and The Winter's Tale to those of TTNK closely.
• Mention the other plays where relevant; e.g., the Jailer's Daughter is reminiscent of Ophelia.
• Note that the characters would be inspired by earlier performances of Chaucer's tale; the characters aren't his (also look at the variety in adaptations; e.g., there isn't a 'Jailer's Daughter' in the other adaptations)
• The roles of the characters in all the Late plays texts and whether these are comparable to TTNK.

Themes

• Explain the "transcendence" of the Late plays and how TTNK goes against it.
• Look at themes such as: chivalry, friendship, chastity, love, honour, violence, death, madness etc.
• Refer to the shifting theme from Chaucer to Shakespeare and Fletcher (i.e., the removal of the two kinsmen being considered blood-brothers but heightening the importance of their friendship.

Narrative

• The hopeful, happy endings of the Late plays contrasted with the misery of TTNK.
• How TTNK's ending was already set by Chaucer, as they were adapting the tale.
• How the narrative moves with less conviction and power when compared to the other plays.
• How the climaxed is reached in comparison (e.g., The Winter's Tale does not show the immediate reconciliation between Leonates and Perdita, but Arcite and Palamon are able to overcome their grievances in the former's dying breaths).
• How TTNK compares to other renditions of 'The Knight's Tale' that were around at the time?

Conclusion (roughly, thus so far)

TTNK is unconventional when compared to the beauty of the other late plays due to its tragic ending, but this is established because they are following the source material. Similarly, the influence of Fletcher has to be noted throughout and cemented in the conclusion.

Changing the Question

As I discovered over Christmas (and this initial discovery can be found in my last post), the question I had writ for myself was far too vast and vague. "Is The Two Noble Kinsmen a Conventional Shakespeare Play in Regards to its Authorship (which I was going to assimilate into the introduction) and Characters?" would mean I'd have to deeply read some thirty plays and understand them so ubiquitously that I could drop comparisons in with little thought. This would take a considerable amount of dedication and (more importantly) time - the latter of which I certainly don't have, and the former of which I have to divide between several pursuits.

However, a similar question that would still rely on my previous research came to me some time around four in the morning, when the brain's idle chatter manages to splutter forth something surprisingly coherent in its maddened effort to keep you from sleep. This was during the holiday (so there was no loss to these early hours spent listening to the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the hull) so hasn't been confirmed with my supervisor yet. This is the question that I composed:

"Is The Two Noble Kinsmen Conventional of Shakespeare's 'Late' Plays in Regards to its Authorship, Characters, Themes and Narrative?"

This question gives me wide (but not mind-shatteringly vast) parameters, as the 'Late' period can be considered to be composed of around 4-5 plays (Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, The Tempest, and King Henry VIII depending on which critic you ask) excluding The Two noble Kinsmen. While this is still quite a few plays, I have given all of them a cursory read (bar King Henry VIII; hopefully I will only need to cite criticism regard its dubious authorship) and have a collection the late plays coming shortly; this is the same volume of Everyman's Library's William Shakespeare: Romances that I read on holiday, so should already be familiar with its layout. Giving myself a defined period in the Shakespeare apocrypha greatly benefits both the essay and the state of my mind.

The subsequent aspects of the question (authorship, characters - both intrinsic to my original essay - themes and narrative) give myself broad headings with which I could expose the 5-6 plays in comparison, and also bring in outside research.

An example of that would be in authorship, where I could look at both Henry VIII and Pericles in regards to dubious authorship (Nicholson asserts that the former manuscript was passed from Shakespeare to Fletcher, while Quiller-Couch argues that the latter's first two acts were written by a different poet or written substantially earlier than the subsequent acts) and also reference the lost play The History of Cardenio, which was supposedly a collaboration between Shakespeare and Fletcher, much like The Two Noble Kinsmen is supposed to be.

In regards to characters, I could reference the fact that Shakespeare had already given Theseus and Hippolyta a platform before in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Furthermore, the most obvious matter in this segment would be comparing the characters in each play, and whether there are any striking similarities or differences: for example, Pericles' Marina and TTNK's Jailer's Daughter would undoubtedly be foils if they were in the same play due to opposition perspectives on sexuality, but neither are demoted to being unsympathetic because of this. It would also be wise to mention that these characters aren't Shakespeare's or Fletcher's: they are Chaucer's, but other performances of the tale (Waith's Introduction mentions that there are at least two other lost performances) may have influenced their decision, just as Tatlock's essay on Trolius and Cressida's poor treatment of the mythical character relates it to the contemporary portrayals at the time.

The predominant themes of the late plays are reconciliation, redemption, and resurrection - at least, I observed these on my readings of them. It would therefore be chiefly in my interest to compare these themes and their execution to the ones in TTNK. There is specifically an interesting point I've already established in regards to resurrection: three of the plays have heroines who are risen from the dead -Pericles' Thaisa, The Winter's Tale's Hermione (although she has only been thought of as dead) and Cymbeline's Imogen - who are then reconciled and reunited with their lovers for a "happily ever after". In The Two Noble Kinsmen, neither Emilia or the Jailer's Daughter are risen from the dead, but Palamon and Arcite have a heart-wrenching reconciliation on the brink of death: Palamon is going to be executed for losing the tournament, and Arcite is succumbing to his injuries from being bucked off his steed. While Palamon survives to marry Emilia, Arcite isn't raised from the dead. He remains a sacrifice to the death of friendship in the quarrels for love, and both his cousin and would-be wife have to life with those consequences. This is a sharp swerve from the happy endings given to all other protagonists in the late plays, but it can be argued this is so because they do not follow a narrative already laid out.

The narrative ties in closely with the themes, especially in relation to the bittersweet happy endings and dramatic climaxes, of which TTNK is called a "sketch" by William Spalding at the end of his 1834 letter to his friend in regards to the play's dubious authorship. Of course, it would again have to referenced that Shakespeare and Fletcher are adapting a different author's work.

Overall, I think the change is definitely warranted.

On the 'Reading Texts'

Having read all of this and not committed to the essay (which is my first folly; I originally wanted this trip that the texts were read during to be dedicated to its writing), I have realised my severe fault with it. “Is The Two Noble Kinsmen a Conventional Shakespeare Play in Regards to its Authorship and Characters” is a vast question, particularly when I drafted an introduction plan that assimilated authorship into its midst. Shakespeare wrote over thirty plays and I’d be a madwoman to think I’d be able to read them all deeply and provide insightful comments on each one in relation to TNNK. 

Therefore, I might consider changing the question to this: “Is The Two Noble Kinsmen Conventional of Shakespeare’s ‘Late’ Plays in Regards of its Authorship, Characters, Themes, and Narrative”. The authorship segment in particular could not only focus on the dubious nature of the play, but also in its parallels to other Shakespeare collaborations: Nicholson’s essay on Henry VIII would serve as immensely helpful, as would information on the lost collaboration between Shakespeare and Fletcher on Cardenio. The ‘Late’ plays in question would be those I’ve read over the past couple of days (or possibly narrowed down to two, if four proves too much) but comparisons to other Shakespeare plays not in the late category would be employed if they were apt. I worry that changing the question so late might become my downfall, but it is a change desperately needed if my EPQ is going to deliver itself justly.

Reading Texts (13)

William Shakespeare: Romances by Everyman’s Library

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

These plays are published by arrangement with New American Library, a division of Penguin Books, USA Inc.

The Winter’s Tale: Copyright © 1963, 1988 by Frank Kermode

Copyright © 1963, 1988 by Sylvan Barnet

Shakespeare seems to redeem the conflicted and jealous figure of Othello (and his tragic self-immolation) through the happy resolution of The Winter’s Tale, as Leontes’ daughter is returned to him (although we aren’t granted this in a scene, like with Pericles) and the wife he so horribly scorned is returned to life and loves him still. Paulina seems to be an evolved Emilia – outspoken against the tyranny of Leontes and her husband’s commands, but unflinchingly loyal to her mistress. The love blossoming between Florinzel and Perdita (who at the time thinks she is nothing more than a shepherdess) on the surface conflicts the deception the Jailer’s Daughter is subjected to. However, they parallel: both couples receive a match of their status, even when it is believed otherwise (the Jailer’s Daughter believes that the Wooer is her unobtainable Palamon; it is soon revealed that Perdita is the lost daughter of Leontes, making her a noble-blooded match for the prince of Bohemia). There are echoes of the earlier tragedies in the late plays so far, and each one transcends the tragic through reconciliation and resurrection. TTNK does not have this resurrection, and if it is the last play casts a bitter note.

William Shakespeare: Romances by Everyman’s Library

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

These plays are published by arrangement with New American Library, a division of Penguin Books, USA Inc.

The Tempest: Copyright © 1964, 1987 by Robert Langbaum

Copyright © 1964, 1987 by Sylvan Barnet

I can imagine that The Tempest is nothing short of a phenomenal spectacle when performed on stage. Frequently, I would read one of Ariel’s fantastical actions or of Prospero’s magic and be awed at how it would be translated. It, like Pericles, bears distinct maritime leanings, but differs by setting it on the ‘uninhabited’ island. The theme of resurrection is less obvious (unless you could argue the resurrection of Prospero’s connection with normal men) but reconciliation is most definitely prominently. I think of all the plays it’s the one I’m least able to connect to TTNK off the top of my head; I have only just read it, however, so my thoughts on it might not be as digested as they have been with my other analyses.

Reading Texts (12)

William Shakespeare: Romances by Everyman’s Library

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

These plays are published by arrangement with New American Library, a division of Penguin Books, USA Inc.

Pericles: Copyright © 1965 by Ernest Schanzer

Copyright © 1963, 1988 by Sylvan Barnet

Pages 1-112

Edited by Ernest Schanzer

Cymbeline: Copyright © 1968 by Richard Hosley

Copyright © 1963, 1988 by Sylvan Barnet

Pages 113-256

Edited by Richard Hosley

I read both plays in immediate succession and found them both to be incredibly poignant and resonating reads. The theme of transcendence in the late plays (or Romances, as labelled by the copy which held both) which I’ve heard discussed is definitely alive in both of these plays: where there would assumedly be tragedy (especially in the case of Cymbeline, whose progressively thickening plot almost makes your stomach churn in anticipation for the climax) there is instead a transcendence beyond this, to a peaceful closure. Arguably, both plays are resolved with a happily ever after, which is a stark contrast to TTNK’s cathartic, miserable ending. Both plays also feature the dead being resurrected: Thaisa is brought back to life on Ephesus, and Imogen is saved by Cornelius’ tampering with the Queen’s poisonous vial when ill. Both feature female protagonists dedicated to Diana and their chastity: Thaisa becomes a priestess of Diana once she awakes while her daughter, Marina, converts the men who visit her at the brothel to the path of purity; Imogen is willing to die once she receives the letter from Posthumus declaring that she had cuckolded him, even though this was part of Iachimo’s scheming. TTNK’s Emilia is similar in this regard.

Pericles seems unlike any other Shakespeare I’ve read (but does deal with the same themes of chivalry and morality that TTNK does) and although I haven’t read it yet, reminds me of The Tempest with its focus on the maritime. Its usage of Gower and the frequencies of the Dumb Shows are unlike any other Shakespeare I’ve encountered, bar the play-within-a-play elements of Hamlet; it is used for transitions and often inspires both mirth and pathos. The meeting of Marina and Pericles is massively pathos-inducing and has echoes of Lear and Cordelia’s reunion in regards to its massive emotional weight; when the Jailer’s friends recover his Daughter there is a similar but paler echo of this. The processions involving the Knights invokes a similar atmosphere to TTNK’s, and Pericles’ friendship with Helicanus echoes that of Theseus and Pirithous’. 

Cymbeline is a fantastic play. The delicate and often-spurned relationship between Posthumus Leonatus and Imogen is reminiscent of Othello and Desdemona – both are set towards downfall by scheming Italians whose names begin with ‘Ia’, both are wedded against the permission of their fathers, both rely on misplaced tokens to herald the infidelity (although Iachimo supplies far more damning evidence, by relaying a view of the chamber and the mole upon Imogen’s left breast) – but Imogen survives her husband’s wrath thanks to the help of Pisanio, as she and her husband have a reconciliation at the end of the play. The theme of reconciliation is in fact one of the most prominent in this play, as in the end there is the reconciliation between the couple, between Cymbeline, Belarius and his two stolen sons, between Cymbeline and Imogen, between Imogen and Pisanio (as she thought he had killed Posthumus when she wakes in hers and the headless Cloten’s grave), between Iachimo’s guilt and Posthumus’ nobility to not kill him, and between Rome and Britain. The reconciliations demonstrate it as the play whose characters communicate instead of waging war, and they are happier for it. Cymbeline seems to bookend the tragedies– chiefly Othelloand King Lear – where the lack of communication serves to be but one cause of their peripeteias. It seems interesting then to compare this happier reconciliation with the heart-wrenching one between Palamon and Arcite when the latter is dying. However, it has to be noted that Shakespeare and Fletcher were following the unhappy ending already laid out by Chaucer in The Knight’s Tale.

As late plays, they are most likely to be what I’ll compare TTNK to, if I regain any sense of what the essay will be about.

Reading Texts (11)

Two Fictitious Ethical Types

Walter Libby

International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 18, No.4 (Jul., 1908)

pp.466-475

Published by: The University of Chicago Press

The essay provides a standpoint I’d never considered: that Theseus is an “evolved” Hamlet in regards to character study. Furthermore, Libby relates TTNK to a variety of Shakespeare plays, both earlier in the canon and later (including The Tempest and Pericles, which I would like to read) as well as relating Theseus’ positions to those of Nietzsche. It’s an interesting read, and perhaps with greater thought will prove to be more useful than it looks at this moment.

Reading Texts (10)

The Suitors in the Parlement of Foules Again

Oliver Farrar Emerson

Modern Language Notes, Vol. 26, No.4 (April, 1911)

pp.109-111

Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press

Unfortunately, it is almost entirely unrelated to my essay – only the tenuous links to Chaucer would sustain it, but the quibbles discussed don’t even concern the correct Chaucer poem. At least it was brief enough to be easily skimmed, so its irrelevance was easily discerned.

Palæmon and Arcyte, Progne, Marcus Germinus, and the Theatre in Which They Were Acted, as Described by John Bereblock (1566)

W. Y. Durand

PMLA, Vol.20, No.3 (1905)

pp.502-528

Published by: Modern Language Association

Another interesting read: Durand provides the translations for the summaries of the three plays shown at Oxford in 1566 to an audience that included Queen Elizabeth I. While the play itself is lost, the three summaries (by three different authors) demonstrates how this play would have lodged in the conscious of even those who didn’t attend: three people died in accident, yet the play ‘Palæmon and Arcyte’ was still shown.

Reading Texts (9)

Review

Reviewed Work: History of English Literature, Vol. II, Part I by Bernhard Ten Brink and Wm. Clark Robinson

Review by: Oliver Farrar Emerson

The School Review, Vol1, No.5 (May, 1893) 

pp.311-313

Published by: The University of Chicago Press

I can only wish I were reading the discussions of Ten Brink on The Knight’s Tale, rather than Emerson’s summation of them. It is a somewhat useful direction to take, but I worry that it doesn’t relate closely enough to The Two Noble Kinsmen for me to investigate it.