And with that word Arcite gan espye
Wher as this lady romed to and fro,
And with that sighte hir beautee hurte hym so,
That, if that Palamon was wounded sore,
Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or moore.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Arcite and Palamon aren’t just soldiers-in-arms and cousins, but they have similar tastes in women too. Like Palamon was, Arcite’s is hit with a bad case of love at first sight as he watches the beautiful Emily in the garden. And it hurts him just as much, and even more than Palamon – the competition between the pair has started already.