After reading · Section 13
Section 13Three Prayers and Conflicting Promises
Summary
In Venus’s hour, Palamon prays not for martial fame but possession of Emily; Venus’s statue shakes, and he understands that his delayed wish is granted. Emily then asks Diana to preserve her unmarried life and turn both men’s love away from her. If marriage is unavoidable, she asks for the man who desires her most. Diana’s altar fires behave ominously, and the goddess appears to say Emily must marry one rival, though she cannot name him.
Arcite asks Mars specifically for victory and vows lifelong service; a murmur from the god’s statue promises it. The incompatible grants provoke conflict between Venus and Mars in heaven. Saturn reconciles them by promising Venus that Palamon will have his lady even though Mars will aid his own knight, and the narrator turns back toward the tale’s main action.
Who’s who
- Palamon — Venus’s knight, who values gaining Emily above battlefield victory.
- Emily — Diana’s devotee, who asks first to remain unmarried.
- Arcite — Mars’s knight, who asks directly for victory in battle.
- Venus and Mars — gods whose promises appear to conflict.
- Diana — goddess of chastity and hunting, who answers Emily without naming her future husband.
- Saturn — Venus’s grandfather, who devises terms that satisfy the rival gods.