The Two Gentlemen of Verona (15 page)

Exeunt

F = First Folio text of 1623, the only authority for the play

F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SD = stage direction

List of parts
based on “Names of all the Actors”
(
reordered
)
at end of F text

F
spells
Protheus, Thurio, Panthino

The two friends Valentine and Proteus are discussing Valentine’s imminent departure for Milan while Proteus is to stay in Verona and woo his beloved Julia. Valentine leaves and his servant Speed arrives hurrying after his master. Proteus asks him whether he delivered a letter he had written to Julia. Speed confirms that he has but gives a deliberately misleading account of her response to the letter in his attempt to gain payment from Proteus for delivering it. He departs and Proteus fears that Julia will disregard his letter because of the incompetent messenger.

Lines 1–67:
Julia is discussing love with Lucetta, asking which of her many suitors she favors. They list them but Lucetta initially refuses to pass judgment on Proteus. Finally she admits she thinks he loves Julia best and produces a letter for her mistress. She believes it is from Proteus and Julia is furious that Lucetta has accepted it and angrily dismisses her, telling her to take the letter with her. Lucetta leaves with the letter. Once alone Julia regrets not having looked at it, believing Lucetta should have made her. She attributes her own “wayward” behavior to the effect of “foolish love.” She also repents sending Lucetta away pretending to be angry when in reality she was delighted and as penance calls Lucetta back.

Lines 68–144:
Lucetta reappears and Julia demands to know what paper she has dropped and picked up. They quarrel over it and Julia seizes the letter and in her anger tears it to shreds, dismissing Lucetta once again. Lucetta departs but is not deceived, believing that Julia would be delighted with another letter. Alone again, Julia picks up the pieces and reads the fragments; finding her own name and Proteus’,
she folds them together so that they may “kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.” She is called away when Lucetta announces that dinner is ready and her father waiting.

Lines 1–44:
Antonio and Pantino are discussing Proteus. Pantino says that Antonio’s brother is surprised that Antonio should allow his son to stay at home rather than send him abroad to see the world and broaden his mind. Antonio also thinks it would do his son good to gain some experience of the world, and when Pantino suggests sending Proteus to Valentine at the court of the duke of Milan, he agrees. They decide he should accompany a group of courtiers due to set out the following day.

Lines 45–92:
Proteus enters, poring over a love letter from Julia. When his father demands to see it, he pretends it is a note from Valentine. His father wants to know what it says and Proteus says that he reports he’s enjoying himself and wishes Proteus were there too. Antonio asks him how he feels about the idea. Proteus replies dutifully that his father’s wishes are more important than his own. Antonio says in that case he can go to Milan the next day. Proteus tries to play for time, saying he needs to prepare himself, but Antonio dismisses the idea and says whatever he needs can be sent on, that his departure is already decided. He and Pantino leave. Proteus, now alone, realizes that he has brought this situation on himself: he concealed the letter from his father, fearing his disapproval, and now he will have to leave Julia anyway. Considering the sudden reversals of fortune in love, he likens it to the “uncertain glory of an April day.”

Lines 1–86:
A comic scene between Valentine and Speed: Speed finds a glove he believes is Valentine’s, who recognizes it belongs to Silvia. When he says her name, Speed calls her, much to Valentine’s annoyance. Valentine asks Speed if he knows who she is and Speed inquires if he means the one “your worship loves.” When Valentine
asks him how he knows that he’s in love, Speed replies that he’s now like Proteus and shows all the external signs of a lover: he’s melancholy, weeps, sighs, walks alone, and has lost his appetite. He’s completely changed and is now unrecognizable from his former self. Valentine asks if all these signs are perceived in him and Speed says they’re obvious for anyone to see. Valentine inquires again if Speed knows Silvia and describes her beauty, but in a battle of wits between the two, Speed contrives to continually misunderstand his meaning and deflate Valentine’s praise of his beloved. Valentine tells Speed that Silvia has asked him to write “some lines to one she loves.”

Lines 87–159:
Silvia enters and she and Valentine greet one another effusively. Speed watches and comments on their encounter in a series of satirical asides. Valentine tells Silvia that he has dutifully written the letter that she asked him to write, although it pained him to do so and it was difficult since he did not know to whom it was written. She asks him if it was too much effort, but he replies that to please her he’d write “a thousand times as much.” She tells him to take the letter back, and when he objects that it’s for her, she says that she asked for it to be written, but it’s not for herself but for him and, insisting he keep the letter, she leaves. Speed at once realizes that Silvia’s playing a game with Valentine and that she’s asked him to write a love letter from her to himself. Valentine wants to know what he’s talking about and Speed tries to explain but Valentine is unconvinced.

Proteus and Julia say goodbye before he leaves for Milan. They exchange rings and a kiss. Proteus protests that he will think of Julia every day and asks that something terrible should happen to him if he should forget his love.

Lance, who is going to Milan with Proteus, explains that he has been bidding his sorrowful farewells to his family. They have all been upset
and weeping except Crab, his dog, who did not “shed one tear.” He goes through a comic recital of the whole family’s responses, using a pair of shoes, a staff, and a hat. Crab, however, remained unmoved throughout. Pantino arrives telling him to hurry and not miss the tide, but Lance replies that if the river were dry he could fill it with his tears.

Lines 1–96:
Valentine and Turio compete for Silvia’s love and attention. Her father, the Duke, arrives and asks Valentine if he knows Don Antonio and whether he has a son. Valentine confirms that he knows them both and goes on to praise his friend Proteus. The Duke tells him that in that case he will be pleased to know that Proteus has arrived. Valentine says that’s all he would have wished for and the Duke tells Silvia and Turio to welcome him “according to his worth.” He leaves, saying he’ll send Proteus along to them. Valentine then confirms to Silvia that this is the friend he had talked of who would have accompanied him had it not been for his eyes being held prisoner by the looks of his beloved. Silvia thinks that she must have set him free or exchanged his eyes for some other pledge of loyalty or found a new lover since he has now left her to come to Milan, but Valentine does not believe this possible.

Lines 97–141:
Proteus arrives and is welcomed by Valentine and introduced to Silvia. Valentine asks her to accept Proteus as her servant like himself. After some courtly banter, she accepts his service. She is then called away to her father. Valentine inquires after all their mutual friends back in Verona and asks after his lady and how his love thrives. Proteus says he used to be bored with talk of love and Valentine confesses that that’s all changed. He is punished for having scorned love in the past and is now suffering all its pains and torments. He can think of nothing else but love.

Lines 142–216:
Proteus guesses that Silvia is his “idol” and Valentine starts to praise her. Proteus, however, claims that his own beloved Julia is superior and the two vie with each other over the
qualities of their respective ladies. Valentine tells Proteus that Silvia returns his love but unfortunately her father favors Turio as a suitor because of his great wealth. He then confides that they plan to elope that night. He is to climb to her bedroom window using a rope ladder down which they will escape. He asks Proteus to go with him to advise him. Proteus says he’ll be along soon. Once alone he confesses that he’s now fallen in love with Silvia. He will try to overcome his “erring love” but if he can’t, he’ll do everything possible to achieve her.

Speed welcomes Lance to Padua—most likely to confuse the slower-witted Lance. The two hold a comic dialogue in which Speed tries to ascertain whether Proteus and Julia are to be married. Lance won’t answer directly but says that his dog will answer for him. Speed says that his master is now become a “notable lover” too. The pair continue their comedy routine as they set off for the alehouse.

A lengthy soliloquy in which Proteus debates whether or not to pursue Silvia. He justifies himself, arguing that if he does he will lose Valentine and Julia, but if he doesn’t he will lose himself and, since he loves himself more than his friend, he resolves to “forget that Julia is alive,” consider Valentine “an enemy,” and pursue his love for Silvia. He decides, therefore, to betray Valentine’s plan to elope with her to the Duke so that Valentine will be banished. He will then think of some way to thwart the dull-witted Turio, her father’s preferred suitor, calling on “Love” to lend him “wings” to enable him to carry out his schemes swiftly.

Lines 1–38:
Back in Verona Julia asks for Lucetta’s help with her plan to go to Proteus in Milan. Lucetta argues that it’s a long, hard
journey but Julia says it won’t be with “Love’s wings” to help her reach one so perfect as Proteus. Lucetta advises that it’s better to wait for him to return, but Julia claims she’ll starve to death without seeing him and that Lucetta might as well try to make a fire from snow as put out “the fire of love with words.” Lucetta objects that she isn’t trying to put out her “love’s hot fire,” just to keep it within the “bounds of reason,” but Julia says that’s impossible, she’ll never rest until she finds her love.

Lines 39–90:
Lucetta then turns to practical matters, asking her what she’s going to wear. Julia says she’ll disguise herself as a young man to avoid attracting unwelcome sexual attention. Lucetta tells her she should cut her hair, but Julia decides she’ll tie it up. They discuss trousers and whether Julia needs a “codpiece.” Julia is impatient over these details, although Lucetta gets great comedy mileage out of them. Julia then considers how scandalous her actions are and Lucetta advises her to stay at home, but Julia is determined. Lucetta says it doesn’t matter as long as Proteus is pleased to see her, but she doubts that he will be. Julia, however, assures her that is the least of her “fear.” His many oaths and tears are guarantees of his love. Lucetta points out that false men use these, but Julia defends Proteus. Lucetta says she hopes Julia’s proved right when she finds him. Julia begs her not to think harshly of Proteus and to help her prepare for her journey and she’ll leave everything behind in Lucetta’s hands.

Lines 1–50:
Proteus tells the Duke of Valentine’s plans to elope with Silvia that night, claiming that his actions are inspired by gratitude and his sense of duty. The Duke thanks him for his “honest care” and says that he has noticed that Valentine loves Silvia and now locks her in a high tower at night, keeping the key himself. Proteus tells him that they plan to escape via a rope ladder that Valentine has gone to fetch and that if he stays there he can “intercept” him. He begs that the Duke will keep his part in betraying his friend’s secret, though, and the Duke willingly agrees. Proteus leaves as he sees Valentine coming.

Lines 51–170:
Valentine enters and the Duke asks him where he’s going so fast. Valentine says just to send letters to a friend and the Duke says in that case he can stay to listen to his problems. The Duke tells him that he wants Silvia to marry Turio but she’s being stubborn and disobedient so that he doesn’t love her anymore and that he’s decided to remarry in his old age. He then concocts a story about having fallen in love with a woman whose family want her to marry someone else and asks Valentine’s advice about wooing her. Valentine suggests sending presents and visiting her by night, and finally suggests that the Duke needs a rope ladder, which he can get for him. He will need a cloak to conceal the ladder. The Duke asks what sort of cloak and suggests one such as Valentine’s. He removes it, finds the rope ladder and a letter addressed “To Silvia.” The Duke reads Valentine’s poem to Silvia. He is furious, banishes Valentine, and departs.