The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Shakespeare's earliest surviving comedy explores the conflict between friendship and romantic love, featuring many devices — cross-dressing, an absent lover, a clown and his dog — that he would develop throughout his comic career.
At a Glance
- Genre: Comedy
- Approximate date: c. 1589–1591 (Shakespeare's earliest comedy)
- Setting: Verona; Milan; frontiers of Mantua
- Source: Jorge de Montemayor's romance Diana (c. 1559)
- Acts: 5
Dramatis Personæ
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| VALENTINE | One of the two gentlemen; falls in love with Silvia |
| PROTEUS | One of the two gentlemen; betrays Valentine and Julia |
| JULIA | Lady of Verona, beloved of Proteus; disguises as page |
| SILVIA | Beloved of Valentine; daughter to the Duke of Milan |
| DUKE OF MILAN | Father to Silvia |
| THURIO | Foolish rival to Valentine; suitor to Silvia |
| ANTONIO | Father to Proteus |
| EGLAMOUR | Agent for Silvia in her escape |
| SPEED | Clownish servant to Valentine |
| LANCE | Clownish servant to Proteus; famous for scenes with his dog |
| PANTHINO | Servant to Antonio |
| HOST | Where Julia lodges in Milan |
| LUCETTA | Waiting-woman to Julia |
| OUTLAWS | Who encounter Valentine in the forest |
Plot Summary
Act I: Valentine departs Verona for Milan to seek advancement; Proteus stays behind, in love with Julia. They exchange vows. Julia's servant Lucetta delivers a letter from Proteus; Julia tears it up, then retrieves and reads it. Proteus's father Antonio decides to send Proteus to court in Milan.
Act II: Valentine arrives in Milan and falls in love with Silvia, daughter of the Duke. He writes love letters for Silvia — who cleverly gives them back to him, signaling her own love. Proteus arrives, is introduced to Silvia, and immediately falls in love with her, betraying his love for Julia and his friendship with Valentine. Speed and Lance provide comic counterpoint.
Act III: Proteus betrays Valentine's secret elopement plan to the Duke. The Duke discovers Valentine's rope ladder and banishes him. Valentine falls in with a band of outlaws who make him their captain. Proteus, meanwhile, courts Silvia on behalf of Thurio while secretly pursuing her for himself. Julia arrives in Milan disguised as the boy Sebastian, and becomes Proteus's page.
Act IV: Proteus serenades Silvia with music; Julia (as Sebastian) watches with pain. Silvia, who sees through Proteus's duplicity, refuses him. She escapes with Eglamour to find Valentine. Proteus learns she has fled and gives chase.
Act V: In the forest, the outlaws capture Silvia. Proteus rescues her but then attempts to assault her. Valentine intervenes; Proteus repents; Valentine instantly forgives him and offers to give up Silvia as proof of friendship. Julia (still disguised) nearly faints; she reveals herself. Proteus is reconciled to Julia. The Duke arrives, pardons Valentine, approves the match, and abandons Thurio. Four marriages are implied.
Key Themes
- Friendship vs. love — the Renaissance ideal of male friendship tested by erotic desire
- Constancy and betrayal — Proteus (named for the shape-shifting sea-god) is inconstancy personified
- Disguise — Julia as Sebastian anticipates Viola in Twelfth Night
- The problem of forgiveness — Valentine's instant forgiveness of Proteus strikes many modern readers as troubling
Notable Quotations
"What light is light, if Silvia be not seen? / What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?" *(IV.ii)*
"Who is Silvia? what is she, / That all our swains commend her?" *(IV.ii — the song)*
LibriVox Recording
The Two Gentlemen of Verona audiobook on LibriVox — Free public domain recording.
Cross-references
- Comedies — genre context
- Twelfth Night — Viola's cross-dressing echoes Julia's
- The Merchant of Venice — Portia as another witty heroine in disguise