Exactly how steamy is this story?
G
The whole point of courtly love, the "system" of love in which Palamon and Arcite express their devotion to Emily, is that it's supposed to elevate love beyond the physical, to something higher and more ennobling than 'mere' sex. Or at the very least, if characters do want sex, they only talk about it in the most metaphorical terms, calling it the "end" of love without ever really saying what that end is. That being said, Palamon and Arcite are in love with Emily, but they never mention sex or the "end" of courtly love. In other words, move along, folks, there's nothing to see here.