Abstract
At the beginning of Shakespeare and Fletcher’s The Two Noble Kinsmen, Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding is interrupted by three queens, each begging for Theseus to avenge her husband’s death. Theseus agrees, telling Pirithious to bring Hippolyta into the temple, where they should “omit not anything / In the pretended celebration.” Although not the intended meaning, the use of “pretended” highlights a reoccurring theme in the play: moments of celebration are not always celebratory in truth. In this article, I argue that Shakespeare and Fletcher expand upon the accusations of Chaucer’s Theseus that “folk […] at myn homcomynge / Perturben so my feste with criynge,” highlighting the ways in which celebration in the story is not true celebration. By manipulating Chaucer’s original narrative and adding their own elements, the playwrights convert any event that should be celebratory into one tinged with sorrow and confusion, relegating any joy or festive nature to the background. These moments of frustrated celebration allow playgoers to question whether the characters have any control over events, ultimately highlighting the parallels between the characters' situations and our own.
Recommended Citation
Morris, Angeline M.
(2026)
""In the pretended celebration": Frustrated Celebration in Shakespeare and Fletcher's 'The Two Noble Kinsmen',"
ROMARD: Vol. 62, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/romard/vol62/iss1/3
