The Two Gentlemen of Verona (16 page)

Lines 171–365:
Valentine says he would prefer death to banishment but now must flee for his life. Proteus and Lance come to find him. His banishment has been proclaimed publicly. Valentine wants to know if Silvia has heard and Proteus describes her tearful reaction, but that despite her tears and pleas her father has refused to relent. He advises him to be positive and promises to deliver his letters to Silvia. Valentine asks Lance to send Speed to him and leaves with Proteus. Lance says that he may be a fool but he thinks Proteus a “kind of a knave” (villain). He then goes on to say that no one can say he’s in love and yet he is, recounting all the “qualities” of his beloved. Speed arrives and after a prolonged discussion of Lance’s lady and whether Speed can read, he finally tells him that Valentine is waiting for him.

The Duke reassures Turio that now that Valentine has gone she will love him in time. Proteus enters and confirms that Valentine has left. The Duke asks him how to make Silvia forget Valentine and love Turio. Proteus suggests slandering him and undertakes to do it to promote a match between Silvia and Turio. The Duke says they can trust Proteus because they know he already loves another. Proteus
recommends that Turio write her poetry and play music under Silvia’s window. Turio decides to take his advice and to go that night.

Valentine and Speed are ambushed by Outlaws. Valentine tells them that he has no money and has been banished from Milan for killing a man. They like the look of him and ask him to join them and become their “captain.” He agrees, provided they “do no outrages” on defenseless women or travelers.

Lines 1–84:
Proteus confesses that he has already been false to Valentine and is now deceiving Turio since under cover of helping him woo Silvia, he is advancing his own suit, but she continually spurns his advances and accuses him of disloyalty to Valentine and Julia. The more she spurns him, though, the more he desires her. Turio arrives with the musicians to play under Silvia’s window. Julia, disguised as a boy, enters at a distance with the Host who asks her why she is sad. He says he’ll bring her to the young gentleman she’s seeking and she’ll hear music. They listen to the song addressed to Silvia. This makes Julia even more sad and when it’s ended she asks if Proteus often visits Silvia. The Host says that according to Lance, he’s in love with her. They stand aside and Proteus tells Turio that he will plead for him.

Lines 85–142:
When Turio and the Musicians depart and Silvia comes to her window, Proteus attempts to woo her for himself. But Silvia is resolute, calling him “subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man” and telling him that she despises him. Proteus claims that Julia is dead but Silvia says, even so, Valentine is alive. Proteus says he hears that he’s dead too, in which case Silvia says, so is she, since her love is buried with him. Proteus begs for a picture of her at least and she says that since he worships “shadows,” she’ll send him her picture in the morning. When they’ve both departed, Julia calls the Host to go
and asks where Proteus lodges. The Host confirms that he lodges at his house, saying that it’s almost day, but Julia replies that it’s been the “longest night” she’s ever known.

Eglamour arrives at Silvia’s window as requested. He says he is her “servant” and her friend. She explains her situation and tells him she plans to run away to find Valentine and begs him to accompany her. He agrees to help and they arrange to meet that evening at Friar Patrick’s cell.

Lines 1–55:
Lance says he was sent to make a gift of Crab to Silvia. Unfortunately Crab misbehaved, and Lance goes on to recount further examples of his misbehavior, complaining all the while of the dog’s ingratitude and how he has saved him in the past from whipping and worse. Proteus arrives with Julia, still disguised as a boy, giving her name as Sebastian. Proteus says he likes him/her and will employ him. When he sees Lance, he asks him if Silvia liked the “little jewel” of a dog he sent as a gift. Lance says she refused it and he’s brought the dog back again, indicating Crab. Proteus is puzzled but Lance explains that the “other squirrel” was stolen from him so he offered her his own dog instead. Proteus is furious and sends Lance off to find his dog.

Lines 56–103:
Proteus asks Sebastian (Julia) to deliver a ring from him to Silvia, saying that she who gave it to him “loved me well.” Julia says he can’t have loved her to give it away, and suggests she may be dead. When Proteus says he doesn’t think so, she cries “Alas!” and when he asks her why, she replies because she who gave him the ring must have loved him as much as he loves Silvia. It was pity that made her cry. He points out Silvia’s chamber and tells her to give her the ring anyway and to remind her that she’s promised to give him her picture. She is to return to him afterward. Now alone, Julia considers her situation, feeling pity for Proteus because she truly loves
him. She says she will woo Silvia for him, but “coldly,” since she doesn’t want his suit to her to succeed.

Lines 104–174:
Sebastian/Julia asks to speak to Silvia, who thinks s/he’s come for the picture. As she hands it over she says to tell Proteus he would better hang a picture of Julia in his chamber. Sebastian/Julia asks her to read her master’s letter, but Silvia refuses and tears it up. S/he then gives her the ring, which Silvia refuses, recognizing it as the ring given him by Julia. Sebastian/Julia thanks her and when Silvia asks why, s/he says for her care for Julia. Silvia asks if s/he knows Julia and s/he replies “Almost as well as I do know myself.” Silvia asks her to describe Julia and s/he describes herself as she was. S/he says she knows they are the same size since Sebastian borrowed a gown from Julia for a pageant, in which he played a woman, a “lamentable part,” the deserted Ariadne of classical mythology “passioning / For Theseus’ perjury and unjust flight.” S/he describes her performance, which was “so lively acted” that it made Julia weep. Silvia pities her and condemns Proteus’ treatment. She gives Sebastian/Julia a purse and leaves.

Lines 175–201:
Now alone, Julia reflects on Silvia and her honesty and kindness, hoping that Proteus will not succeed with her. Looking at her picture, she concludes that Silvia is no prettier than herself and tries to understand why Proteus should now prefer her. She reflects on the blindness and contrariness of love, confessing that, although she’s jealous of the kisses and adoration that the picture will receive, she’ll treat it kindly for Silvia’s sake, otherwise she’d have scratched out the “unseeing eyes” so that Proteus would fall out of love with her image.

Eglamour and Silvia meet at Friar Patrick’s and set off for the forest.

Turio and Proteus are discussing the progress of Turio’s courtship of Silvia. Proteus gives flattering, ambiguous responses to each of
Turio’s questions, while Julia, as Sebastian, is standing by offering ironic asides. The Duke arrives, asking whether they have seen Silvia recently. When they say they haven’t, he realizes she’s fled with Eglamour to find Valentine. They each decide to follow for different reasons.

Silvia has been captured by the Outlaws who are going to take her to their “captain’s cave.”

Lines 1–62:
Valentine, alone, reflects on the peace and tranquillity he enjoys in the forest. He hears a commotion and, recognizing his fellow Outlaws, stands aside to observe events. Proteus enters with Silvia and Julia (still disguised as Sebastian). Proteus says he has rescued her from dishonor and deserves at least a kind look from her. Valentine can’t believe what he’s hearing. Silvia says how “miserable” and “unhappy” she is, but Proteus says she was unhappy until he came and now she should be happy. Silvia responds that his approach makes her “most unhappy.” In an aside, Julia says it makes her unhappy too. Silvia says she’d rather be eaten by a lion than rescued by Proteus. She loves Valentine and detests “false perjured Proteus.” She accuses him of betraying both Julia and his friend. Proteus replies that friendship doesn’t count in love and since she will not be wooed by words, he’ll woo her like a soldier and force her.

Lines 63–89:
Valentine steps forward and orders Proteus to let her go. Proteus is shocked. Valentine says that only the evidence of his own eyes could have convinced him of Proteus’ treachery and villainy. He is full of sorrow but they must be enemies from now on. Proteus says he is overcome with “shame and guilt” and truly sorry for his actions. He begs forgiveness. Valentine at once forgives him, saying he is satisfied and to prove his love for his friend, he will give up Silvia to Proteus: “All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.” Still
standing aside, the disguised Julia exclaims “O, me unhappy!” and faints.

Lines 90–125:
Valentine asks Sebastian/Julia what the matter is and s/he says she was supposed to deliver a ring to Silvia. When Proteus asks for the ring she produces the ring he had originally given her as a keepsake when they parted. When asked how she came by it she finally reveals herself. He is surprised but Julia tells him not to be, it’s a lesser evil for women to change their appearance than men their minds. He is stung by her words, and seeing Julia in front of him, cannot understand why he should have preferred Silvia. The four are reconciled and take hands, when the Outlaws enter having captured the Duke and Turio.

Lines 126–179:
Valentine tells the Outlaws to let them go and welcomes the Duke. The Duke is astonished, but seeing Silvia, Turio claims her. Valentine threatens to kill him and Turio gives her up at once: “I hold him but a fool that will endanger / His body for a girl that loves him not.” The Duke is disgusted by his cowardliness and admires Valentine’s courageous determination, which proves in the Duke’s mind that he is “a gentleman” and fit to marry his daughter. Valentine thanks him and asks one more favor—that he will pardon the Outlaws, who are now reformed, and find them employment. The Duke agrees and as they all set out to return home, Valentine promises to explain everything to him, including the “blushes” of the “page.” That done they will marry and all live happily.

The best way to understand a Shakespeare play is to see it or ideally to participate in it. By examining a range of productions, we may gain a sense of the extraordinary variety of approaches and interpretations that are possible—a variety that gives Shakespeare his unique capacity to be reinvented and made “our contemporary” four centuries after his death.

We begin with a brief overview of the play’s theatrical and cinematic life, offering historical perspectives on how it has been performed. We then analyze in more detail a series of productions staged over the last half-century by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The sense of dialogue between productions that can only occur when a company is dedicated to the revival and investigation of the Shakespeare canon over a long period, together with the uniquely comprehensive archival resource of promptbooks, program notes, reviews, and interviews held on behalf of the RSC at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, allows an “RSC stage history” to become a crucible in which the chemistry of the play can be explored.

Finally, we go to the horse’s mouth. Modern theater is dominated by the figure of the director, who must hold together the whole play, whereas the actor must concentrate on his or her part. The director’s viewpoint is therefore especially valuable. Shakespeare’s plasticity is wonderfully revealed when we hear directors of highly successful productions answering the same questions in very different ways.

One of the least regularly performed of Shakespeare’s comedies,
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
is perhaps most familiar to modern audiences
from John Madden’s film
Shakespeare in Love
. In the banqueting hall at Whitehall, Judi Dench’s Queen Elizabeth nods off, bored, as Henry Condell delivers Valentine’s earnest soliloquy, “What light is light …,” and laughs uproariously as Will Kempe (Patrick Barlow) clowns with his dog as Lance. Backstage, Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) turns to Shakespeare and sums up: “Love and a bit with a dog, that’s what they like.”
¹
The responses of Elizabeth and Henslowe are characteristic of modern expectations of the play in performance: a light entertainment, with only the Lance/Crab comic scenes and the problematic ending usually worthy of notice. Yet the relative obscurity of the play has also been found to work in the play’s favor, as it retains the ability in the hands of strong companies to excite and surprise, as well as lending itself to weightier issues.

There are no recorded performances of the play until 1762 at London’s Drury Lane, where David Garrick directed an adaptation by Benjamin Victor. Victor prefaced the published version thus:

The most significant of the “weeds” was Valentine’s “gift” of Silvia to Proteus in the play’s final scene, an act too unconscionable for the sentimental eighteenth-century stage. The cutting of this moment in order to soften the play’s darker edges was still practiced well into the twentieth century. In Victor’s version, Valentine admonishes Proteus and claims Silvia unreservedly for himself: