Jailor’s Daughter’s Monologue from The Two Noble Kinsmen, Act 2, Scene 6: "Let all the dukes and all the devils roar"
Synopsis
Having freed Palamon from prison, the Jailor’s Daughter reflects on her desperate actions and unwavering love for him. She recounts her plan to hide him in a nearby wood and provides for his escape, despite the risk of her own condemnation. Her passion and determination shine through as she contemplates the consequences of her love and her hopes for Palamon’s gratitude and affection.
What’s just happened before this moment that’s relevant to the scene?
The Jailor’s Daughter has acted on her love for Palamon by releasing him from her father’s prison. She hides him in a remote location and plans to help him further escape. Her monologue reveals her emotional vulnerability and unwavering resolve.
Original Text
"Let all the dukes and all the devils roar,
He is at liberty! I have ventured for him
And out I have brought him; to a little wood
A mile hence I have sent him, where a cedar
Higher than all the rest spreads like a plane
Fast by a brook, and there he shall keep close
Till I provide him files and food, for yet
His iron bracelets are not off. Oh, Love,
What a stout-hearted child thou art! My father
Durst better have endured cold iron than done it.
I love him beyond love and beyond reason,
Or wit, or safety; I have made him know it;
I care not, I am desperate. If the law
Find me and then condemn me for’t, some wenches,
Some honest-hearted maids, will sing my dirge
And tell to memory my death was noble,
Dying almost a martyr. That way he takes,
I purpose, is my way too. Sure he cannot
Be so unmanly as to leave me here;
If he do, maids will not so easily
Trust men again. And yet he has not thanked me
For what I have done, no, not so much as kissed me,
And that methinks is not so well; nor scarcely
Could I persuade him to become a free man,
He made such scruples of the wrong he did
To me and to my father. Yet I hope,
When he considers more, this love of mine
Will take more root within him. Let him do
What he will with me, so he use me kindly
For use me so he shall, or I’ll proclaim him,
And to his face, no man. I’ll presently
Provide him necessaries and pack my clothes up
And where there is a path of ground I’ll venture,
So he be with me; by him, like a shadow,
I’ll ever dwell. Within this hour the hubbub
Will be all o’er the prison: I am then
Kissing the man they look for. Farewell, father!
Get many more such prisoners and such daughters
And shortly you may keep yourself. Now to him."
Translation of Text into Contemporary Language
*"Let all the dukes and devils scream if they want to—
He’s free now! I risked everything for him,
And I’ve gotten him out. I’ve sent him to a little wood
About a mile from here, where there’s a tall cedar tree
Next to a brook. He’ll stay hidden there
Until I bring him files to cut his chains and some food,
Since he’s still wearing his iron shackles.
Oh, Love, what a brave and reckless thing you are!
My father would have endured chains himself
Rather than do what I just did.
I love him beyond reason,
Beyond logic or safety, and I’ve made sure he knows it.
I don’t care—I’m desperate. If the law catches me
And sentences me to death,
At least some kind-hearted young women
Will remember me as someone noble,
Someone who died like a martyr for love.
Wherever he goes, I’ll go too.
He can’t possibly be so cruel as to leave me here.
If he does, no woman will ever trust a man again.
But he hasn’t even thanked me yet,
Not even with a kiss, and I don’t like that.
I had to practically beg him to take his freedom,
He felt so guilty about wronging me and my father.
Still, I hope that once he thinks it over,
My love will take root in his heart.
He can do whatever he wants with me, as long as he’s kind.
But I’ll make sure he keeps me close, or I’ll tell everyone
He’s not a real man.
Now, I’ll get him the supplies he needs,
Pack my things, and go wherever I can with him.
I’ll follow him like a shadow.
Soon, the whole prison will be in chaos,
And I’ll be kissing the man they’re searching for.
Goodbye, Father! Find yourself more prisoners and daughters like me,
And soon you’ll need no one else. Now I’m off to him."*
Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words
Venture: Risk or dare to act.
Files: Tools to cut through the iron shackles.
Durst: Dared.
Dirge: A song or poem of mourning.
Scruples: Doubts or moral hesitations.
Proclaim: Declare publicly.
Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing with Acting Notes
"Let all the dukes and all the devils roar, He is at liberty! I have ventured for him And out I have brought him..."
Acting Note: Start with triumphant determination. The Jailor’s Daughter is proud of her bold actions, energized by her success."Oh, Love, What a stout-hearted child thou art! My father Durst better have endured cold iron than done it."
Acting Note: Shift to reflection. Her tone is a mix of awe and disbelief at the extremes her love has driven her to."I love him beyond love and beyond reason, Or wit, or safety; I have made him know it; I care not, I am desperate."
Acting Note: Speak with passionate intensity. Her love for Palamon consumes her, overriding her logic and self-preservation."And yet he has not thanked me For what I have done, no, not so much as kissed me..."
Acting Note: Add a touch of bitterness and vulnerability. She feels unappreciated and questions Palamon’s lack of gratitude."Yet I hope, When he considers more, this love of mine Will take more root within him."
Acting Note: Introduce hopefulness. She clings to the idea that Palamon will come to love her in time."Let him do What he will with me, so he use me kindly For use me so he shall, or I’ll proclaim him, And to his face, no man."
Acting Note: Speak with quiet resolve and subtle threat. She refuses to let Palamon dismiss her love without consequence."Now to him."
Acting Note: End with determination and urgency. She is resolute in her plan to follow and stay close to Palamon.
Journey Keypoints
Hook: The monologue begins with triumph and energy as she recounts her successful rescue of Palamon.
Turning Point: Her reflection on love and desperation highlights her emotional vulnerability.
Climax: She reveals her frustration with Palamon’s lack of gratitude and her hope for his eventual love.
Resolution: She reaffirms her determination to follow Palamon, no matter the risk.
Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role
Claire Bloom (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1971)
Kathryn Hunter (Shakespeare’s Globe, 2007)
Charlotte Hope (The Globe Theatre, 2016)
Leah Brotherhead (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2022)
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