Theseus Timeline and Summary

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• On his way home from conquering Scythia, Theseus meets a group of mourning women who ask him to take revenge on Creon, lord of Thebes, for refusing to allow them to bury their husbands' bodies.
• Theseus agrees, and wages war on Thebes, defeating Creon.
• Theseus takes Palamon and Arcite hostage without hope of ransom.
• Theseus agrees to release Arcite at the request of their mutual friend, Perotheus.
• Out hunting one day, Theseus stumbles upon Arcite and Palamon dueling over Emily.
• Theseus makes a speech about how love is a cruel master that causes men to do foolish things.
• Theseus decrees that Arcite and Palamon must return to Athens with 100 soldiers each and engage in a joust that will determine who marries Emily.
• Theseus constructs a huge stadium for the joust, complete with temples of Mars, Venus, and Diana.
• Theseus hosts a welcome banquet for Palamon and Arcite's companies.
• Theseus presides over the joust.
• Theseus hosts an evening banquet after the joust, and gives gifts to all the men who fought in it.
• After Arcite's death, Theseus arranges a lavish funeral for him.
• After he recalls Palamon to Athens, Theseus gives a speech before him, Emily, and his counselors about the meaning of death and the proper response to it.
• Theseus asks Palamon to marry Emily.