You have done worthily. I have not seen,
Since Hercules, a man of tougher sinews.
Whate’er you are, you run the best and wrestle,
That these times can allow.
You've performed excellently. I haven't seen anyone as physically strong since Hercules himself. Whoever you are, you run the fastest and wrestle the best that anyone can in this era.
You did amazing. I haven't seen anyone as powerful as you since Hercules. No matter who you are, you're the best wrestler and runner I've ever seen.
amazingly done nobody this strong since hercules youre the best athlete ever
I am proud to please you.
I'm honored to have impressed you.
I'm happy to impress you, sir.
glad i impressed you
What country bred you?
Where are you from?
Where do you come from originally?
where you from?
This; but far off, Prince.
From here, but from a distant part of it, sir.
From this place, but far away from here.
from around here but far away
Are you a gentleman?
Are you of noble birth?
Are you nobility?
noble?
My father said so;
And to those gentle uses gave me life.
My father was, and he raised me with noble education and manners.
My father was, and he raised me to be a gentleman.
my dad was raised me noble
Are you his heir?
Are you the main heir to his estate?
The eldest son, or...?
heir?
His youngest, sir.
His youngest, sir.
In other words: his youngest, sir.
his youngest sir
Your father
Sure is a happy sire then. What profess you?
Your father is surely fortunate then. What is your profession?
Your father's lucky then. What do you do?
lucky dad what do you do?
A little of all noble qualities.
I could have kept a hawk and well have hallowed
To a deep cry of dogs. I dare not praise
My feat in horsemanship, yet they that knew me
Would say it was my best piece; last, and greatest,
I would be thought a soldier.
A bit of everything noble. I could have trained hawks and handled hunting dogs well. I don't want to boast about my horsemanship, but those who knew me would say it was my greatest skill. Most importantly, I'd be thought of as a soldier.
A little bit of everything noble, you know. I can train hawks and handle hunting dogs well. I don't like to brag, but people who know me say I'm an incredible horseman—that's my strongest point. But most of all, I want to be known as a soldier.
bit of everything training hawks great with horses but im a soldier
Theseus's questions to Arcite in this scene function as a sustained dramatic near-miss — each question gets close enough to exposure that the audience holds its breath, and each answer is technically true while being substantively false. 'Where were you bred?' — 'This country, but far off.' 'Are you a gentleman?' — 'My father said so.' 'Are you his heir?' — 'His youngest.' Everything Arcite says is accurate. He was bred in this country (Thebes is near enough). He is a gentleman — more than a gentleman. His father was honourable. He is a younger man, though whether youngest is debatable. The scene is a masterclass in the rhetoric of evasion: how much truth you can tell while deceiving completely. The play seems genuinely interested in the ethics of this. Arcite isn't technically lying. He's just letting the wrong picture be painted.
You are perfect.
You are perfect.
In other words: you are perfect.
you perfect
Upon my soul, a proper man.
By my word, he's an excellent man.
He's a genuinely good man, I can tell.
hes a good dude
He is so.
He is so.
In other words: he is so.
he so
How do you like him, lady?
What do you think of him, lady?
What do you think, lady?
your opinion on him?
I admire him.
I have not seen so young a man so noble,
If he say true, of his sort.
I admire him. I've never seen such a young man with such nobility, if what he says about his background is true.
I admire him. I've never seen someone so young be so noble, if he's telling the truth about who he is.
hes amazing so noble for his age if hes being honest
Believe,
His mother was a wondrous handsome woman;
His face, methinks, goes that way.
I'd believe it; his mother must have been a strikingly beautiful woman—his face shows it.
I bet his mother was beautiful; he definitely got his looks from her.
his moms prob beautiful he looks like her
But his body
And fiery mind illustrate a brave father.
But his physique and passionate spirit show he has a courageous father.
His build and strong personality show he comes from a brave father.
his strength and passion come from a brave dad
Mark how his virtue, like a hidden sun,
Breaks through his baser garments.
Notice how his nobility, like a hidden sun, shines through his simple clothing.
Look how his goodness shines through those rough clothes like the sun breaking through clouds.
his nobility breaks through like sun through clothes
He’s well got, sure.
He's definitely well-born.
He's definitely noble.
definitely noble
What made you seek this place, sir?
What brought you to come here?
Why did you come here?
why you here?
Noble Theseus,
To purchase name and do my ablest service
To such a well-found wonder as thy worth;
For only in thy court, of all the world,
Dwells fair-eyed Honour.
Noble Theseus, to build my reputation and serve you with all my ability, because you are such an exceptional person; because only in your court, of all the world, does true honor reside.
Noble Theseus, I came to gain a good reputation and serve someone as incredible as you with all my talent. Honestly, your court is the only place in the world where real honor actually exists.
came to build reputation serve someone as great as you honor only exists in your court
All his words are worthy.
Everything he says is noble and worthy.
Everything he says sounds good.
hes got game with words
Sir, we are much indebted to your travel,
Nor shall you lose your wish.—Pirithous,
Dispose of this fair gentleman.
Sir, I'm very grateful for your journey here, and you won't regret coming. Pirithous, take charge of this excellent gentleman.
Thanks so much for traveling here, and you're not gonna regret it. Pirithous, I want you to take care of this excellent man.
thanks for coming you wont regret it pirithous take care of him
Emilia's responses to Arcite in this scene are worth watching carefully. She says little — 'He is so,' 'his mother was a wondrous handsome woman,' 'I hope too wise for that' — but each line is precise. She notices his face first (attributing it to his mother), not his body or his skill. She is attending to something specific: the quality of his features, which is where, she thinks, beauty lives. This is consistent with her character throughout the play — Emilia perceives the world aesthetically, in terms of beauty and its sources. She will be incapable of choosing between Palamon and Arcite later not because she's passive but because she literally cannot rank the beautiful. Her 'I hope too wise' is significant: she is actively maintaining her vow to Diana, holding herself back from something she senses is a pull.
Thanks, Theseus.
Whate’er you are, you’re mine, and I shall give you
To a most noble service: to this lady,
This bright young virgin; pray, observe her goodness.
You have honoured her fair birthday with your virtues,
And, as your due, you’re hers; kiss her fair hand, sir.
Thanks, Theseus. Whoever you are, you're now in my service, and I'm putting you in an important role: serving this lady, this brilliant young woman. Please notice how good she is. You've honored her birthday celebration with your excellent character, and as a reward, you belong to her; kiss her hand respectfully, sir.
Thanks, Theseus. Okay, whoever you are, you're working for me now, and I'm giving you a great assignment: serve this lady here, this amazing young woman. Pay attention to how wonderful she is. You've honored her birthday with your amazing talent, so as a reward, you're hers; kiss her hand, sir.
youre mine now going to serve this lady shes amazing you honored her birthday youre hers now kiss her hand
Sir, you’re a noble giver.—Dearest beauty,
Thus let me seal my vowed faith.
Sir, you're an honorable person for giving so generously. Most beautiful lady, let me honor my commitment to you this way.
Sir, that's generous. Beautiful lady, this is how I pledge my dedication to you.
youre generous sir beautiful lady i pledge myself to you
When your servant,
Your most unworthy creature, but offends you,
Command him die, he shall.
Whenever your servant—your most humble creature—offends you in any way, just command him to die and he will.
If I ever do anything to upset you, just say the word. You can command me to die and I'll do it. That's how much I serve you.
if i ever upset u just tell me to die i'll do it that's how loyal i am
That were too cruel.
If you deserve well, sir, I shall soon see ’t.
You’re mine, and somewhat better than your rank
I’ll use you.
That would be too harsh. If you prove yourself worthy, I'll know it quickly. You belong to me, and I'll treat you better than your position requires.
That's too mean. If you prove yourself worthy, I'll see it soon enough. You work for me, and I'll treat you better than someone in your rank would normally expect.
be nice to you if youre worth it ill treat you well better than your rank
I’ll see you furnished, and because you say
You are a horseman, I must needs entreat you
This afternoon to ride, but ’tis a rough one.
I'll make sure you have everything you need, and since you mentioned you're a skilled rider, I must ask you to ride with us this afternoon, but it will be a difficult ride.
I'll make sure you have everything, and since you're a horseman, I'd love you to ride with us this afternoon—but be warned, it's gonna be a rough ride.
ill get you supplies ride with us today its gonna be rough
I like him better, Prince; I shall not then
Freeze in my saddle.
I like that even more, sir; I won't be sitting uncomfortably in my saddle.
That sounds even better; I won't be sitting there all stiff.
sounds good i wont be stiff
Sweet, you must be ready,—
And you, Emilia,—and you, friend,—and all,
Tomorrow by the sun, to do observance
To flowery May, in Dian’s wood.—Wait well, sir,
Upon your mistress.—Emily, I hope
He shall not go afoot.
Everyone be ready—and Emilia and you, my friend—tomorrow at sunrise, we're celebrating May flowers in Diana's forest. Take good care of your mistress. Emily, I hope he won't have to walk—he'll have a horse.
Everybody listen up—tomorrow morning we meet before dawn to celebrate May flowers in the sacred forest. Take good care of your new master. And Emilia, make sure he has a horse.
be ready tomorrow sunrise celebrating may flowers in the forest serve your mistress give him a horse
That were a shame, sir,
While I have horses.—Take your choice, and what
You want at any time, let me but know it.
If you serve faithfully, I dare assure you
You’ll find a loving mistress.
That would be shameful when I have horses to give. Take your pick of them, and if you ever need anything, just tell me. If you serve me well, I promise you'll find me to be a kind and caring mistress.
That would be terrible; I've got horses. Take whichever one you want, and if you need anything at all, just let me know. If you're loyal to me, I promise you'll find me to be a wonderful mistress.
shame to walk i have horses take your pick ill give you what you need be loyal ill be good to you
If I do not,
Let me find that my father ever hated,
Disgrace and blows.
If I'm not loyal, may I receive the disgrace and beatings my father always despised.
If I don't serve you well, may I get nothing but shame and suffering, which my father always hated.
if i fail may i get disgrace and pain like my dad hated
Go lead the way; you have won it.
It shall be so; you shall receive all dues
Fit for the honour you have won; ’twere wrong else.
Sister, beshrew my heart, you have a servant,
That, if I were a woman, would be master.
But you are wise.
Go lead the way; you've earned it. It will be so; you'll receive everything appropriate for the honor you've won—anything less would be wrong. Sister, I have to say, you have a servant who, if I were a woman, I'd make my master. But I know you're wise.
Go on ahead; you've earned the lead position. You'll get everything you deserve for winning. I'll be honest, sister—you have a servant who's so impressive that if I were a woman, I'd marry him. But I know you're smart.
you earned it go lead ill get everything you deserve sister hes so impressive if i were a woman id marry him but youre smart
I hope too wise for that, sir.
I certainly hope I demonstrate better judgment than that, sir.
I think I'm smarter than that, sir.
im smarter than that
The Reckoning
A scene of sustained dramatic irony and delicious danger. Arcite is lying to the Duke's face about who he is, and everything he says is simultaneously false and true — he is gentle, he is a soldier, his father was honourable. The audience knows all of this. Theseus and Pirithous practically fall over themselves to compliment him. Emilia says his mother must have been beautiful. And then Pirithous — with wonderful, catastrophic generosity — assigns him to serve the woman he is risking his life to be near. The gods are giving Arcite exactly what he wanted, which in this play is the most dangerous thing that can happen.
If this happened today…
The disgraced investment banker has won the poker tournament. He's brought up to meet the sponsor — who turns out to be the CEO of his old firm, who never knew his face. The CEO is charmed by him, asks about his background, gets suitably vague answers, and then — because he's impressed and it's a festive occasion — assigns the young man to work directly with his daughter.