The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, an early play in five acts by William Shakespeare, was written perhaps in 1590–94 and published in the First Folio of 1623 from an authorial manuscript. It is a pastoral story about two young friends who travel to Milan, educated in courtly behavior.
Two best friends, Proteus and Valentine, travel to Milan, where they fall in love with Silvia. Silvia loves Valentine, but Proteus pursues her despite having a girlfriend at home. After apologizing, Proteus and Valentine reconcile, Proteus loves his girlfriend again, and both couples marry.
The primary source of the play's plot was a translation of an extended Spanish prose romance titled Los siete libros de la Diana (1559?; The Seven Books of Diana) by Jorge de Montemayor. Shakespeare is thought to have adapted the relationship of the two gentlemen of the title. The ending of the play from various possible sources, including Richard Edwards's play Damon and Pythias (1565), Geoffrey Chaucer's The Knight's Tale in The Canterbury Tales, and especially the story of Titus and Gisippus in Sir Thomas Elyot's The Boke Named the Governour (1531).
Major Characters
Valentine and Proteus: Two young gentlemen from Verona are best friends but love the same woman.
Silvia: Beloved of Valentine. She rebuffs the advances of Proteus.
Julia: Young woman who loves Proteus. She remains loyal to him even though he becomes infatuated with Silvia.
Duke of Milan: Father of Silvia. He attempts to force her to marry the vain Thurio.
Antonio: Father of Proteus.
Thurio: A foolish rival of Valentine.
Summary
Act I
Alright, so we've got these buds, Valentine and Proteus, and they're saying their goodbyes. Valentine's off on a journey, while Proteus is sticking around Verona for his crush, Julia. Julia's maid, Lucetta, hands her a love letter from Proteus, and even though Julia acts like she's not into it, she's totally smitten.
Act II
Proteus's dad, Antonio, sends him off to Milan. Julia's heartbroken, but they exchange some sweet words before parting ways. Proteus rolls into Milan with his pal Lance and his trusty pup, Crabb. Over at the Duke's court, Valentine falls for Silvia, the Duke's daughter. Valentine's quick-witted page, Speed, helps him see that Silvia's feeling the same way. But wait, Proteus spots Silvia and suddenly switches his crush from Julia to her.
Act III
There's some drama brewing. The Duke wants Silvia to marry Thurio, but Valentine and Silvia run away together. Proteus rats them out, and Valentine gets the boot. Proteus, on the other hand, decides to go for Silvia, even though he'd sworn loyalty to Julia back in Verona. Meanwhile, Lance's got marriage on his mind.
Act IV
Back in Verona, Julia disguises herself as a dude named Sebastian and heads to Milan to find Proteus. Proteus sends her off to grab a portrait from Silvia. Silvia's staying loyal to Valentine, though, and she convinces a knight, Sir Eglamour, to help her find him.
Act V
Valentine's out in the wilderness, captured by a gang of noble outlaws who make him their leader. Silvia and Sir Eglamour get caught by the outlaws too. Proteus and company show up to rescue Silvia, but Proteus starts getting a bit too pushy. Lucky for everyone, Valentine steps in and stops him. Julia reveals herself, Proteus realizes he messed up, and Valentine and Silvia make up. Oh, and the Duke approves of all this lovey-dovey stuff, so everyone's getting hitched. Even the outlaws get a pardon. And that's a wrap – love wins, and Verona's all about those wedding bells.
Themes
Friendship and Betrayal
Two Gentlemen of Verona is often described as a "celebration" of male friendship. In the play, male bonds are threatened by heterosexual romance and one man's capacity for betrayal. While some critics read the play as an attempt to reconcile the tension between friendship and heterosexual love, others see a play in which male bonds are given priority over all other relationships. We can also read the play as an exploration of common sixteenth-century attitudes. Male friendship was considered the most elevated form of human connectedness for many prominent writers and philosophers.
Love
Love makes men and women do some pretty strange things in Two Gentlemen of Verona. It turns men and women into fickle creatures and can transform men into unrecognizable and lovesick fools, or worse. At the same time, in Valentine and Silvia, we see two young lovers willing to risk everything to be together – an idea that Shakespeare will later develop in Romeo and Juliet.
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