The Two Noble Kinsmen is Shakespeare’s final play written before his death in 1616. He collaborated on it with John Fletcher ; later, Fletcher took over as playwright for the King’s Men. The plot derives from “The Knight’s Tale” in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales .

Thebes and Athens are at war. The tyrant Creon of Thebes commands Arcite and Palamon to fight for him. After a battle against Theseus, they end up captured and imprisoned. From their cell window, they see a beautiful woman named Emilia. Arcite and Palamon’s friendship turns into rivalry when they challenge each other to a fight to the death—with the victor claiming Emilia.

This Standard Ebooks edition is based on the 1894 Royal Shakespeare edition.