Bawcutt, N. W. Introduction to The Two Noble Kinsmen, by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, 7-46. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1977.

Bawcutt provides a lengthy discussion of the ways in which The Two Noble Kinsmen shows that human lives are manipulated by impersonal or superhuman powers. In Bawcutt's judgment, the play demonstrates that although "we may not understand the ultimate order that governs life," we should not question or condemn that order. He points to Thesus as the character most committed to playing out the role life has assigned him.

Berggren, Paula S. " 'For What We Lack, We Laugh': Incompletion and The Two Noble Kinsmen." Modern Language Studies XIV, no. 4 (Fall 1984): 3-17.

Berggren believes that the play demonstrates the difficulty of moving gracefully and naturally from innocence to experience. An important part of her discussion of interrupted or disconnected action in The Two Noble Kinsmen centers on Arcite's...