Synopsis:
Valentine, preparing to leave for Milan, says farewell to Proteus, who stays in Verona to be near Julia. Valentine’s servant, Speed, informs Proteus that he has given Proteus’ letter to Julia. Speed then leaves to join Valentine.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Act 1, scene 1
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Contents
Characters in the Play
Entire Play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona tells the story of two devoted friends, Valentine and Proteus. Valentine leaves their home city of…
Act 1, scene 1
Valentine, preparing to leave for Milan, says farewell to Proteus, who stays in Verona to be near Julia. Valentine’s servant,…
Act 1, scene 2
Julia receives Proteus’ letter and pretends to be very angry at his presumption.
Act 1, scene 3
Proteus, reading a letter from Julia, encounters his father, Antonio, and tells him that the letter is from Valentine, who…
Act 2, scene 1
Valentine learns (with Speed’s help) that the letter Sylvia had him write conveying her love to an admirer was intended…
Act 2, scene 2
Proteus takes his leave of Julia, promising to be faithful and sealing their love with a kind of “handfasting” or…
Act 2, scene 3
Lance grieves that he must part from his family to travel with Proteus, and he chastises his dog, Crab, for…
Act 2, scene 4
Proteus arrives and is greeted by Valentine and Sylvia. He immediately falls in love with Sylvia.
Act 2, scene 5
Lance describes for Speed the tender parting of Proteus from Julia and hears about Valentine’s love for Sylvia.
Act 2, scene 6
Proteus decides to betray Valentine’s elopement plans to Sylvia’s father as a step on the way to winning Sylvia for…
Act 2, scene 7
Julia decides to follow Proteus to Milan and asks Lucetta to help her disguise herself as a page.
Act 3, scene 1
Proteus betrays Valentine’s elopement plans to Sylvia’s father, who banishes Valentine. Proteus pretends to grieve with Valentine and, telling him…
Act 3, scene 2
The Duke enlists Proteus’ aid in making Sylvia fall in love with Thurio. Proteus offers to slander Valentine and to…
Act 4, scene 1
Valentine and Speed are captured by outlaws. Valentine agrees to become their captain.
Act 4, scene 2
Proteus serenades Sylvia, supposedly on Thurio’s behalf. As Julia watches, disguised as a page, Proteus sings his love song to…
Act 4, scene 3
Sylvia, determined to escape the pursuit of Thurio and Proteus, persuades Sir Eglamour to accompany her that evening on a…
Act 4, scene 4
Proteus learns to his horror that Lance has tried to present Crab to Sylvia as a gift. Proteus then sends…
Act 5, scene 1
Sylvia and Sir Eglamour set out on their journey.
Act 5, scene 2
The Duke informs Proteus and Thurio of Sylvia’s flight. They each decide to follow her.
Act 5, scene 3
Sylvia is captured by the outlaws, while Sir Eglamour flees.
Act 5, scene 4
As Valentine watches from hiding, Sylvia is brought in by Proteus, who has taken her from the outlaws. Proteus pleads…
Scene 1
⌜Enter⌝ Valentine ⌜and⌝ Proteus.VALENTINE
Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus.
Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits.
Were ’t not affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honored love,
5 I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad
Than, living dully sluggardized at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But since thou lov’st, love still and thrive therein,
10 Even as I would when I to love begin.
PROTEUS
Wilt thou be gone? Sweet Valentine, adieu.
Think on thy Proteus when thou haply seest
Some rare noteworthy object in thy travel.
Wish me partaker in thy happiness
15 When thou dost meet good hap; and in thy danger,
If ever danger do environ thee,
Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers,
For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine.
VALENTINE
And on a love-book pray for my success?
PROTEUS
20 Upon some book I love I’ll pray for thee.
9
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
ACT 1. SC. 1
That’s on some shallow story of deep love,
How young Leander crossed the Hellespont.
PROTEUS
That’s a deep story of a deeper love,
For he was more than over shoes in love.
VALENTINE
25 ’Tis true, for you are over boots in love,
And yet you never swam the Hellespont.
PROTEUS
Over the boots? Nay, give me not the boots.
VALENTINE
No, I will not, for it boots thee not.
PROTEUS What?
VALENTINE
30 To be in love, where scorn is bought with groans,
Coy looks with heart-sore sighs, one fading
moment’s mirth
With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights;
If haply won, perhaps a hapless gain;
35 If lost, why then a grievous labor won;
How ever, but a folly bought with wit,
Or else a wit by folly vanquishèd.
PROTEUS
So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.
VALENTINE
So, by your circumstance, I fear you’ll prove.
PROTEUS
40 ’Tis love you cavil at; I am not Love.
VALENTINE
Love is your master, for he masters you;
And he that is so yokèd by a fool
Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.
PROTEUS
Yet writers say: as in the sweetest bud
11
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
ACT 1. SC. 1
Inhabits in the finest wits of all.
VALENTINE
And writers say: as the most forward bud
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow,
Even so by love the young and tender wit
50 Is turned to folly, blasting in the bud,
Losing his verdure, even in the prime,
And all the fair effects of future hopes.
But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee
That art a votary to fond desire?
55 Once more adieu. My father at the road
Expects my coming, there to see me shipped.
PROTEUS
And thither will I bring thee, Valentine.
VALENTINE
Sweet Proteus, no. Now let us take our leave.
To Milan let me hear from thee by letters
60 Of thy success in love, and what news else
Betideth here in absence of thy friend.
And I likewise will visit thee with mine.
PROTEUS
All happiness bechance to thee in Milan.
VALENTINE
As much to you at home. And so farewell.He exits.
PROTEUS
65 He after honor hunts, I after love.
He leaves his friends, to dignify them more;
I ⌜leave⌝ myself, my friends, and all, for love.
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me,
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,
70 War with good counsel, set the world at nought;
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought.
⌜Enter⌝ Speed.
13
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
ACT 1. SC. 1
Sir Proteus, ’save you. Saw you my master?
PROTEUS
But now he parted hence to embark for Milan.
SPEED
Twenty to one, then, he is shipped already,
75 And I have played the sheep in losing him.
PROTEUS
Indeed a sheep doth very often stray,
An if the shepherd be awhile away.
SPEED You conclude that my master is a shepherd,
then, and I ⌜a⌝ sheep?
PROTEUS 80I do.
SPEED Why, then my horns are his horns, whether I
wake or sleep.
PROTEUS A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep.
SPEED This proves me still a sheep.
PROTEUS 85True, and thy master a shepherd.
SPEED Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.
PROTEUS It shall go hard but I’ll prove it by another.
SPEED The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the
sheep the shepherd; but I seek my master, and my
90 master seeks not me. Therefore I am no sheep.
PROTEUS The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd; the
shepherd for food follows not the sheep. Thou for
wages followest thy master; thy master for wages
follows not thee. Therefore thou art a sheep.
SPEED 95Such another proof will make me cry “baa.”
PROTEUS But dost thou hear? Gav’st thou my letter to
Julia?
SPEED Ay, sir. I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a
laced mutton, and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a
100 lost mutton, nothing for my labor.
PROTEUS Here’s too small a pasture for such store of
muttons.
15
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
ACT 1. SC. 1
stick her.
PROTEUS 105Nay, in that you are astray; ’twere best pound
you.
SPEED Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me for
carrying your letter.
PROTEUS You mistake; I mean the pound, a pinfold.
SPEED
110 From a pound to a pin? Fold it over and over,
’Tis threefold too little for carrying a letter to your
lover.
PROTEUS But what said she?
SPEED, ⌜nodding⌝ Ay.
PROTEUS 115Nod—“Ay.” Why, that’s “noddy.”
SPEED You mistook, sir. I say she did nod, and you ask
me if she did nod, and I say “ay.”
PROTEUS And that set together is “noddy.”
SPEED Now you have taken the pains to set it together,
120 take it for your pains.
PROTEUS No, no, you shall have it for bearing the letter.
SPEED Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear with you.
PROTEUS Why, sir, how do you bear with me?
SPEED Marry, sir, the letter, very orderly, having nothing
125 but the word “noddy” for my pains.
PROTEUS Beshrew me, but you have a quick wit.
SPEED And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse.
PROTEUS Come, come, open the matter in brief. What
said she?
SPEED 130Open your purse, that the money and the matter
may be both at once delivered.
PROTEUS, ⌜giving money⌝ Well, sir, here is for your
pains. What said she?
SPEED, ⌜looking at the money⌝ Truly, sir, I think you’ll
135 hardly win her.
PROTEUS Why? Couldst thou perceive so much from
her?
17
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
ACT 1. SC. 2
not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter.
140 And being so hard to me that brought your mind, I
fear she’ll prove as hard to you in telling your mind.
Give her no token but stones, for she’s as hard as
steel.
PROTEUS What said she? Nothing?
SPEED 145No, not so much as “Take this for thy pains.”
To testify your bounty, I thank you, you have
⌜testerned⌝ me. In requital whereof, henceforth
carry your letters yourself. And so, sir, I’ll commend
you to my master.
PROTEUS
150 Go, go, begone, to save your ship from wrack,
Which cannot perish having thee aboard,
Being destined to a drier death on shore.
⌜Speed exits.⌝
I must go send some better messenger.
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines,
155 Receiving them from such a worthless post.
He exits.
