The Two Noble Kinsmen

William Shakespeare's 'The Two Noble Kinsmen', usually attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare, is believed to be his final play before retirement. In this tragicomedy, two cousins and best friends, Palamon and Arcite, are imprisoned and stoically accept their fate. However, their friendship is instantly destroyed when they see Princess Emilia from their prison window and both fall madly in love with her. The plot of Shakespeare's 'The Two Noble Kinsmen' is an adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Knight's Tale' from 'The Canterbury Tales', a story that has been dramatised many times, including in the 2001 film 'A Knight's Tale' starring Heath Ledger.