The Daughter's speech is architecturally remarkable. It opens with a genuine question — 'Why should I love this gentleman?' — and then answers it in three stages that mirror the actual psychology of falling in love: first sight, then pity, then love. She narrates her own emotional history like a diagnosis. She is watching herself from the outside even as she's inside it. The line 'Then I loved him. Extremely loved him. Infinitely loved him!' marks the point where the watching-self is overwhelmed. After that, the voice shifts: instead of analysis, we get memory (the kiss, the ten days). The logical faculty has been consumed. By the time she reaches 'what does the law say then?' and her dismissal of it, she is not reasoning anymore — she is rationalising a decision she has already made with her body. The structure of the speech enacts the thing it describes.
Why should I love this gentleman? ’Tis odds
He never will affect me. I am base,
My father the mean keeper of his prison,
And he a prince. To marry him is hopeless;
To be his whore is witless. Out upon ’t!
What pushes are we wenches driven to
When fifteen once has found us! First, I saw him;
I, seeing, thought he was a goodly man;
He has as much to please a woman in him,
If he please to bestow it so, as ever
These eyes yet looked on. Next, I pitied him,
And so would any young wench, o’ my conscience,
That ever dreamed, or vowed her maidenhead
To a young handsome man. Then I loved him,
Extremely loved him, infinitely loved him!
And yet he had a cousin, fair as he too,
But in my heart was Palamon, and there,
Lord, what a coil he keeps! To hear him
Sing in an evening, what a heaven it is!
And yet his songs are sad ones. Fairer spoken
Was never gentleman. When I come in
To bring him water in a morning, first
He bows his noble body, then salutes me thus:
“Fair, gentle maid, good morrow. May thy goodness
Get thee a happy husband.” Once he kissed me;
I loved my lips the better ten days after.
Would he would do so ev’ry day! He grieves much—
And me as much to see his misery.
What should I do to make him know I love him?
For I would fain enjoy him. Say I ventured
To set him free? What says the law then?
Thus much for law or kindred! I will do it;
And this night, or tomorrow, he shall love me.
Why would I fall in love with this man? The odds are against it—he'll never be attracted to me. I'm lowborn; my father is just the jailer keeping him in prison, and he's a prince. Marrying him is impossible; being his mistress is foolish. Forget it! What pressures do we young women face once we turn fifteen? First, I saw him; seeing him, I thought he was an impressive man. He has more qualities to attract a woman than anyone I've ever seen, if he'd choose to show them. Then I pitied him, as any young woman would who's ever dreamed of or promised herself to a handsome man. Then I loved him, loved him intensely, loved him infinitely! And he even had a cousin who was equally handsome, but in my heart was only Palamon, and there he causes such turmoil! Hearing him sing in the evening—what a slice of paradise! And yet his songs are melancholy. No gentleman was ever more gracious in speech. When I come in to bring him water in the morning, he first bows his noble body, then greets me like this: "Beautiful, gracious lady, good morning. May your kindness bring you a happy husband." He kissed me once; I felt blessed by my lips for ten days afterward. If only he would do it every day! He suffers greatly—and I suffer seeing his misery. What can I do to show him I love him? I want to be with him. What if I risked setting him free? What would the law say then? To hell with law or family connections! I'll do it; tonight or tomorrow, he will love me.
Why would I ever love this guy? Let's be real—he's never going to feel the same way about me. I'm nobody; my dad's just his prison guard, and he's royalty. There's no way I could marry him, and being his secret girlfriend is just dumb. Ugh! The pressure we girls face once we hit fifteen is insane! Anyway, I first saw him and thought he was incredible. He's got all the charm any woman could want if he'd actually use it. Then I felt sorry for him, and honestly, any girl would who's ever fantasized about a good-looking guy. Then I fell for him hard, like really hard, impossibly hard! He even had a cousin who was just as hot, but Palamon took over my entire mind and won't leave. When I hear him singing at night, it's like heaven. His songs are kind of sad though. I've never heard a guy talk more beautifully. When I bring him water in the morning, he bows like a gentleman and says, "Good morning, beautiful lady. I hope you find a good husband." He kissed me once, and I was floating for ten days. I'd love it if he did that every day! He's really suffering, and it kills me to see him hurt. How can I get him to know I love him? I want to be with him so badly. What if I got him out of here? What would happen legally? Who cares about the law! I'm gonna do it. By tonight or tomorrow, he's gonna love me.
why him? he's a prince i'm nobody can't marry him can't be his mistress he has everything i love him impossibly he kissed me once i floated i want him so bad what if i set him free im doing it tonight he will love me
The Reckoning
Three chunks. One speech. One of the most devastating monologues in the play. The Daughter is doing something unusual here: she is being completely, lucidly honest about her own situation — she is base, he is a prince, marriage is impossible, sleeping with him would be reckless — and then proceeding as though none of that is relevant. She sees the situation with total clarity and chooses the thing anyway. This is not delusion. It's something closer to courage, or to the specific kind of courage that looks like madness from the outside. The final line — 'this night, or tomorrow, he shall love me' — is not a romantic fantasy. It's a declaration. She has decided.
If this happened today…
A hospital worker has become obsessed with one of the long-term patients — a man from a wealthy family who's there following an accident, clearly educated, handsome, way above her pay grade. She knows exactly what she's doing. She says it out loud to herself in the supply closet: 'I can't date him, I definitely can't sleep with him, this is probably going to ruin my career.' Then she walks out and starts making plans to discharge him early.