The Two Gentlemen of Verona
by
William Shakespeare
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a play about two young friends from Verona named Valentine and Proteus. The play starts with Valentine leaving Verona to go to Milan. Proteus decides to stay in Verona to be with his girlfriend, Julia. However, Proteus's father decides that he should also go to Milan to learn about the ways of the world.
In Milan, Valentine falls in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan. However, the Duke wants Silvia to marry another man named Thurio. Proteus also falls in love with Silvia and decides to betray his friend Valentine by telling the Duke about Valentine's plan to elope with Silvia. The Duke banishes Valentine from Milan, and Proteus continues to pursue Silvia.
In the meantime, Julia disguises herself as a boy and goes to Milan to find Proteus. When she finds him, she sees that he is in love with Silvia and becomes jealous. Proteus tricks Julia into giving him her ring, which he then gives to Silvia as a sign of his love. Julia is heartbroken and decides to return to Verona.
Valentine, who has been living in the forest, rescues Silvia from bandits who try to kidnap her. Silvia tells Valentine that she loves him and they plan to elope. Proteus arrives and tries to stop them, but he is confronted by Julia, who reveals her true identity and tells Proteus that she still loves him. Proteus realizes his mistake and apologizes to Valentine, and they are reconciled.
The play ends with everyone happily paired off: Valentine and Silvia, Proteus and Julia, and even Thurio with the Duke's other daughter. The play explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the pitfalls of love.
Act I
Act 1 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona introduces us to the two main characters, Valentine and Proteus, who are close friends from Verona. Valentine has decided to leave Verona and travel to Milan in pursuit of adventure and fortune. Proteus, on the other hand, has decided to stay in Verona to pursue his love interest, Julia.
Before Valentine leaves, Proteus confesses his love for Julia to him. Valentine encourages Proteus to pursue his love and promises to help him win her over. However, Proteus soon learns that his father has arranged for him to travel to Milan as well, to join Valentine. Proteus is torn between his love for Julia and his loyalty to his friend, but ultimately decides to join Valentine in Milan.
Once in Milan, Valentine falls in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan. However, Silvia is already promised to Thurio, a wealthy suitor chosen by her father. Proteus also falls in love with Silvia and becomes jealous of Valentine's affection for her. Proteus decides to betray his friend by revealing Valentine's plans to elope with Silvia to the Duke.
Valentine is banished from Milan as a result of Proteus' betrayal and flees to the forest. In the forest, he meets a group of outlaws who take him in and make him their leader. Meanwhile, Proteus continues to pursue Silvia and even attempts to force himself upon her. However, Valentine arrives just in time to save Silvia from Proteus' advances.
The act ends with Silvia expressing her love for Valentine and Proteus realizing the error of his ways and asking for forgiveness from his friend.
SCENE I. Verona. An open place.
Scene 1 of Act 1 begins with two close friends, Valentine and Proteus, bidding each other farewell as Valentine sets off for Milan. Proteus decides to stay behind in Verona because he is in love with Julia, a woman from the city. As they part ways, Proteus confesses to Valentine that he is torn between his love for Julia and his desire to see the world. After Valentine departs, Proteus is visited by his servant, Launce, who has come to say goodbye before leaving to work for Valentine. Launce also brings news that Proteus's father has arranged for him to go to Milan to join Valentine. Proteus is excited by this news and decides to go, despite his love for Julia. Before leaving, Proteus meets with Julia and they exchange vows of love and fidelity. Julia gives Proteus a ring as a token of her love and he promises to wear it always. However, as soon as Proteus arrives in Milan, he is smitten by a beautiful woman named Silvia and forgets all about Julia. He becomes obsessed with Silvia and begins plotting to win her heart, even though she is already engaged to another man. Meanwhile, Valentine has also fallen in love with Silvia and is trying to woo her. When Proteus learns of this, he becomes jealous and vows to win Silvia at any cost. Thus, the stage is set for a love triangle that will test the bonds of friendship and loyalty.
Enter VALENTINE and PROTEUS
Exit
Enter SPEED
Exit
SCENE II. The same. Garden of JULIA's house.
Scene 2 of Act 1 begins with a conversation between the Duke of Milan and his daughter, who is unhappy with her father's decision to send her to a convent. The Duke tries to explain his reasoning, but his daughter is not satisfied. Meanwhile, two gentlemen from Verona, Valentine and Proteus, arrive in Milan. Proteus is in love with his girlfriend Julia, but he quickly falls for the Duke's daughter when he meets her. Valentine, on the other hand, is more interested in adventure and decides to explore the city. He meets a group of outlaws who offer to take him in as their leader. Valentine accepts their offer and decides to stay with them for a while. Proteus, still infatuated with the Duke's daughter, decides to stay in Milan and try to win her over. He sends a letter to Julia, breaking up with her and declaring his love for the Duke's daughter. The scene ends with Proteus and the Duke's daughter discussing their feelings for each other. She is hesitant to reciprocate his love, but he persists, promising to do anything for her.
Enter JULlA and LUCETTA
Exit
Re-enter LUCETTA
Exit
Re-enter LUCETTA
Exeunt
SCENE III. The same. ANTONIO's house.
Scene 3 of Act 1 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with the entrance of Proteus, the play's lead character. He is having a conversation with his servant, Launce, about his love for Julia. Proteus is conflicted because his father wants him to marry someone else, but he is determined to be with Julia. Launce is a comedic character who provides some light-hearted moments throughout the scene. He is talking about his own love life and his relationship with his girlfriend, who he believes is cheating on him. Proteus and Launce are interrupted by the entrance of Proteus's friend, Valentine. Valentine is leaving Verona to go to Milan, and Proteus is sad to see him go. However, he is also excited at the prospect of being able to pursue Julia without Valentine around. The scene ends with Proteus declaring his love for Julia and promising to follow her to the ends of the earth if necessary. Launce provides some comic relief by joking about Proteus's love-sick behavior.
Enter ANTONIO and PANTHINO
Enter PROTEUS
Exeunt ANTONIO and PANTHINO
Re-enter PANTHINO
Exeunt
Act II
Act 2 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with the introduction of Proteus' love for Julia. He confides in his servant, Launce, about his feelings and sends him to deliver a letter to Julia. However, Launce is more concerned with his own love life and spends most of his time talking about his quarrels with his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Valentine leaves Verona for Milan, where he falls in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke. However, Silvia is already promised to Thurio, a wealthy but foolish suitor. Proteus soon follows Valentine to Milan and also falls in love with Silvia upon seeing her.
Proteus decides to betray his friend by revealing Valentine's plans to elope with Silvia to the Duke. In return for his loyalty, the Duke promises to help Proteus win Silvia's heart. However, Silvia rejects Proteus' advances and remains loyal to Valentine.
Valentine and Silvia plan to elope, but are caught by the Duke's men. Valentine is banished from Milan and forced to flee to the forest. Proteus, now regretting his actions, follows Valentine to the forest and begs for forgiveness. The play ends with the two friends reconciling and Proteus promising to help Valentine win back Silvia's love.
SCENE I. Milan. The DUKE's palace.
Scene 1 of Act 2 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona takes place in a forest. Two of the main characters, Valentine and Proteus, are discussing their love lives. Valentine tells Proteus that he plans to leave for Milan to seek his fortune, but Proteus reveals that he plans to stay behind in Verona because he is in love with Julia. Valentine urges Proteus to come with him to Milan, but Proteus is hesitant to leave Julia. Valentine then tells Proteus that he too was once in love, but he had to leave his beloved due to circumstances beyond his control. Proteus still seems unsure, but Valentine convinces him to come to Milan with him. As they continue their conversation, they hear a group of outlaws approaching. Valentine tells Proteus to run and save himself while he stays behind to face the outlaws. Proteus reluctantly agrees and flees the scene. Valentine is then confronted by the outlaws, who demand his money and threaten to kill him. However, Valentine is able to charm his way out of the situation by telling the outlaws that he is on his way to Milan to become a great man and that they should join him on his journey. The outlaws are impressed by Valentine's confidence and agree to follow him to Milan. The scene ends with Valentine and the outlaws setting off on their journey, while Proteus is left behind in Verona, still uncertain about his future.
Enter VALENTINE and SPEED
Enter SILVIA
Exit
Exeunt
SCENE II. Verona. JULIA'S house.
Scene 2 of Act 2 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with the entrance of Proteus and Julia. Proteus confesses his love to Julia and offers her a ring as a symbol of his commitment. Julia, in turn, promises to remain faithful to Proteus and reminds him of her love for him. However, their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Proteus' servant, Speed. Speed brings a letter from Proteus' father, instructing him to come to Milan to join the Duke's court. Proteus is torn between his love for Julia and his duty to his father and decides to leave Verona for Milan. Julia is heartbroken at Proteus' departure and vows to follow him to Milan. She gives him a letter to deliver to her cousin in Milan, which Proteus promises to deliver. Before he leaves, Proteus gives Julia his ring as a symbol of his love and asks her to keep it safe until his return. As Proteus exits, Julia reflects on her love for him and decides to disguise herself as a pageboy and follow him to Milan. She hopes to win back his love and loyalty by proving herself to be a faithful and devoted companion.
Enter PROTEUS and JULIA
Giving a ring
Enter PANTHINO
Exeunt
SCENE III. The same. A street.
In Scene 3 of Act 2, two young gentlemen named Proteus and Valentine are discussing their love lives. Proteus confesses to Valentine that he has fallen in love with his girlfriend, Julia, and plans to pursue her despite his loyalty to Valentine. Valentine warns Proteus of the dangers of betraying a friend for love, but Proteus is determined to follow his heart. Later, Julia receives a letter from Proteus declaring his love for her. She is overjoyed and eagerly awaits his arrival. However, her servant, Lucetta, warns her that Proteus may not be trustworthy and advises her to consider other suitors. Meanwhile, Valentine is preparing to depart for Milan. Proteus decides to stay behind in Verona to pursue Julia. As Valentine is leaving, he entrusts Proteus with a letter to deliver to Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, whom Valentine plans to woo. Proteus sees this as an opportunity to win Silvia's favor and decides to follow Valentine to Milan. He leaves Julia behind, promising to return to her once he has won the heart of Silvia.
Enter LAUNCE, leading a dog
Enter PANTHINO
Exeunt
SCENE IV. Milan. The DUKE's palace.
Scene 4 of Act 2 takes place in a forest where two outlaws, Valentine and Speed, are conversing. Valentine tells Speed that he is in love with Sylvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, who is engaged to another man. Speed advises Valentine to forget about Sylvia and find someone else to love. Valentine, however, is determined to win Sylvia's heart and plans to write her a letter expressing his feelings. As they are talking, Proteus, Valentine's best friend, enters the scene. Proteus tells Valentine that he has fallen in love with Julia, a woman from Verona, and plans to travel there to win her heart. Valentine is happy for Proteus, but reminds him of the importance of friendship and urges him not to forget about their bond. Proteus promises to always remain loyal to Valentine. After Proteus leaves, Valentine writes his letter to Sylvia and gives it to Speed to deliver to her. As Speed leaves, he is confronted by Proteus who asks him where he is going. Speed lies and tells Proteus that he is going to visit a woman, but Proteus sees through his lies and demands to know who the woman is. Speed eventually reveals that he is delivering a letter from Valentine to Sylvia. Proteus is shocked and angry that his best friend is trying to win the heart of the woman he loves. The scene ends with Proteus deciding to travel to Milan and win Sylvia's heart for himself, even if it means betraying his best friend.
Enter SILVIA, VALENTINE, THURIO, and SPEED
Exit
Enter DUKE
Exit
Exit THURIO
Enter PROTEUS
Re-enter THURIO
Exeunt SILVIA and THURIO
Exit
SCENE V. The same. A street.
Scene 5 of Act 2 takes place in a garden where two women, Julia and Lucetta, are discussing love. Julia is in love with a man named Proteus, who is also the best friend of her other love interest, Valentine. Lucetta tries to convince Julia to forget about Proteus and focus on Valentine instead, but Julia refuses to give up on her love for Proteus. As they continue talking, Proteus enters and Julia becomes nervous. Lucetta leaves to give them privacy and Julia confesses her love to Proteus. Proteus is taken aback by her declaration and tells Julia that he cannot return her feelings because he is in love with someone else. Julia is heartbroken and decides to leave Verona to escape her pain. Before she leaves, Julia gives Proteus a ring and asks him to keep it as a token of her love. Proteus promises to keep it safe, but as soon as Julia leaves, he gives the ring to his servant, Launce, and tells him to take it to his other love interest, Silvia. Proteus is determined to win Silvia's heart, even if it means betraying his best friend and the woman who loves him.
Enter SPEED and LAUNCE severally
Exeunt
SCENE VI. The same. The DUKE'S palace.
Scene 6 of Act 2 takes place in a forest, where two outlaws named Valentine and Speed discuss their plans. Valentine reveals that he is in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan. Speed warns him that the Duke will never allow them to be together, but Valentine remains determined. Just then, Proteus, Valentine's best friend, enters the scene. He has come to the forest to find Valentine, but he is also in love with Silvia. Proteus confesses his feelings to Valentine, who is shocked and hurt by his friend's betrayal. Valentine angrily tells Proteus to leave, and Proteus reluctantly does so. Once Proteus is gone, Valentine expresses his sadness and anger about the situation to himself. He is torn between his love for Silvia and his loyalty to his friend. Meanwhile, Proteus meets with a group of bandits and offers to help them capture Valentine in exchange for their assistance in winning Silvia's heart. The scene ends with Valentine alone on stage, singing a sad song about his love for Silvia. He is unaware of the danger that awaits him in the form of his former friend and the band of outlaws who seek to capture him.
Enter PROTEUS
Exit
SCENE VII. Verona. JULIA'S house.
In Scene 7 of Act 2, the two gentlemen of Verona, Valentine and Proteus, have a conversation about love. Proteus admits to Valentine that he has fallen in love with his girlfriend, Julia. Valentine is happy for his friend but warns him about the dangers of love, telling him that it can make a man weak and foolish. Proteus, however, is determined to pursue his love for Julia and asks Valentine for his help in wooing her. Valentine agrees to help his friend, but also warns him to be careful as Julia is a virtuous woman and will not be won over easily. Proteus promises to be respectful and honorable in his pursuit of Julia and the two friends exit the scene, with Proteus eager to begin his courtship of Julia. The scene highlights the themes of love and friendship, as well as the idea that love can be both beautiful and dangerous. It also sets the stage for future conflicts in the play, as Proteus' pursuit of Julia will ultimately lead to betrayal and heartbreak.
Enter JULIA and LUCETTA
Exeunt
Act III
Act 3 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with Valentine and Proteus discussing their love lives. Valentine tells Proteus that he plans to leave Verona to pursue adventure and love. Proteus, on the other hand, decides to stay in Verona to be with his love, Julia.
Meanwhile, Julia disguises herself as a man and follows Proteus to Milan to be with him. There, she witnesses Proteus' betrayal of Valentine by informing the Duke of Milan of Valentine's plan to elope with Silvia, the Duke's daughter. As a result, Valentine is banished from Milan.
Proteus then pursues Silvia, despite her love for Valentine. He attempts to rape her, but Valentine intervenes and saves her. Silvia forgives Proteus, but Valentine decides to leave Milan and give Silvia to Proteus as a sign of their friendship.
Overall, Act 3 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is filled with betrayal, love triangles, and forgiveness. It shows the lengths people will go to for love and the importance of friendship and forgiveness.
SCENE I. Milan. The DUKE's palace.
In Scene 1 of Act 3, two young men named Valentine and Proteus are discussing their lives and their love interests. Valentine is in love with a woman named Silvia, who is the daughter of the Duke of Milan. Proteus, on the other hand, is in love with a woman named Julia, who is back in their hometown of Verona. Proteus is planning to leave Verona to go to Milan to see Silvia, but Valentine warns him that the Duke is very protective of his daughter and that he should be careful. Proteus, undeterred, declares that he will go to Milan anyway and try to win Silvia's love. Valentine is disappointed in his friend's lack of loyalty to Julia, but Proteus insists that he cannot help his feelings for Silvia. Proteus then departs for Milan, leaving Valentine behind. As Proteus arrives in Milan, he immediately becomes infatuated with Silvia and begins to plot ways to win her over. He even becomes jealous of Valentine, who he believes is also in love with Silvia. Meanwhile, Valentine has joined a band of outlaws and is living in the forest outside of Milan. Later in the scene, Silvia's father, the Duke, tells her that he has arranged for her to marry a wealthy man named Thurio. Silvia is unhappy about this and pleads with her father to let her marry someone she loves. The Duke refuses, and Silvia decides to run away with Valentine instead. Proteus, who has been spying on Silvia and Valentine, sees them together and becomes enraged with jealousy. He decides to betray his former friend by telling the Duke where Valentine is hiding in the forest. The scene ends with Proteus planning to capture Silvia for himself once Valentine is out of the way.
Enter DUKE, THURIO, and PROTEUS
Exit
Enter VALENTINE
Exit
Enter PROTEUS and LAUNCE
Exeunt VALENTINE and PROTEUS
Enter SPEED
Exit
Exit
SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace.
Scene 2 of Act 3 takes place in a garden where two friends, Proteus and Julia, are having a conversation. Proteus is conflicted about his love for Julia and his newfound love for his best friend Valentine's girlfriend, Silvia. Julia tries to convince Proteus to remain faithful to her, but he is too preoccupied with his desire for Silvia. Valentine enters the garden and tells Proteus that he is leaving for Milan. Proteus sees this as an opportunity to pursue Silvia without his friend's interference. Valentine, unaware of Proteus's feelings for Silvia, asks him to be his messenger to her. Proteus agrees, but secretly plans to win Silvia's heart for himself. As Valentine leaves, Julia reveals herself to Proteus, disguised as a boy. She gives him a ring to remember her by and tells him to be true to his heart. Proteus, caught between his love for Julia and his desire for Silvia, is torn and confused. Silvia enters the garden and Proteus declares his love for her. She rejects him, stating that she is already in love with Valentine. Proteus becomes angry and attempts to force himself on Silvia, but is stopped by Valentine, who has returned to the garden. Proteus apologizes for his behavior and Valentine forgives him, not realizing the extent of his friend's betrayal. The scene ends with Proteus still conflicted and Julia watching from afar, heartbroken.
Enter DUKE and THURIO
Exeunt
Act IV
The fourth act of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with Proteus, who is in love with Julia, deciding to pursue Silvia, who is already engaged to Valentine, his best friend. He sends a letter to Silvia declaring his love, but she rejects him, causing Proteus to try to rape her. Valentine arrives in time to stop him and they fight, but are interrupted by the Duke, who arrests them both. Silvia then speaks to the Duke, pleading for Valentine's life, and the Duke agrees to spare him if Silvia agrees to marry him. She refuses, and the Duke threatens to have her killed unless she relents.
Valentine escapes from prison and arrives at Silvia's house, where he overhears her father planning to have her marry the Duke. He disguises himself as a servant and offers to help Silvia escape with him. She agrees, but they are caught by Proteus, who has followed them. Proteus apologizes for his actions and offers to help them escape, but Valentine rejects him. Proteus then decides to sacrifice himself to save Valentine and Silvia, and he tells the Duke that they are all dead. The Duke is moved by Proteus's sacrifice and pardons Valentine, who is reunited with Silvia.
The fourth act of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a complex and dramatic sequence of events that involves love, loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice. The characters are tested in various ways, and their true natures are revealed as they struggle to navigate the challenges that confront them. Ultimately, the play explores the themes of friendship, love, and honor, and the importance of staying true to one's values even in the face of adversity.
SCENE I. The frontiers of Mantua. A forest.
In Scene 1 of Act 4, two men are discussing a plan to win over a woman's heart. Their plan involves one of them pretending to be the other's servant and delivering love letters to the woman. They hope that this will make the woman fall in love with the man who wrote the letters. However, there is a problem. The woman's father is very protective and does not want her to marry anyone. He has even threatened to disinherit her if she marries without his permission. The men are worried that their plan will be discovered and that they will be punished. Despite these concerns, they decide to go ahead with their plan. The man who wrote the love letters disguises himself as a servant and delivers the letters to the woman. She is initially hesitant but eventually falls in love with him. As the scene ends, the woman's father discovers the plan and is furious. He banishes the man who wrote the letters and threatens to punish the other man as well. The two men are left to deal with the consequences of their actions.
Enter certain Outlaws
Enter VALENTINE and SPEED
Exeunt
SCENE II. Milan. Outside the DUKE's palace, under SILVIA's chamber.
Scene 2 of Act 4 of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" involves the character Proteus confessing his love for his best friend Valentine's love interest, Silvia. Proteus had previously betrayed Valentine by attempting to pursue Silvia himself and turning Valentine in to the Duke, who banished him. In this scene, Proteus approaches Silvia and declares his love for her, telling her that he will do anything to prove his devotion. Silvia is appalled by Proteus' actions, reminding him of his friendship with Valentine and calling him a "false, perjured, and disloyal man." She tells him that she would rather die than be with someone who would betray their friend in such a way. Proteus continues to plead his case, but Silvia remains steadfast in her rejection of him. Just as he is about to force himself upon her, Valentine arrives and stops him. Valentine challenges Proteus to a duel, but Silvia steps in between them and begs them to stop fighting. She tells them that she will choose who she wants to be with and that they should not ruin their friendship over her. The scene ends with Silvia leaving with Valentine, while Proteus is left alone to contemplate his actions and the consequences of his betrayal.
Enter PROTEUS
Enter THURIO and Musicians
Enter, at a distance, Host, and JULIA in boy's clothes
Music plays
Exeunt THURIO and Musicians
Enter SILVIA above
Exeunt PROTEUS and SILVIA severally
Exeunt
SCENE III. The same.
Scene 3 of Act 4 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins with Proteus, who is now in love with Silvia, the woman his friend Valentine is also in love with. Proteus has just betrayed his friend by informing the Duke of Milan about Valentine's plan to elope with Silvia. Now, he is waiting for Silvia to arrive so he can profess his love to her. When Silvia arrives, Proteus tries to woo her by telling her how much he loves her. However, Silvia is shocked and disgusted by Proteus's behavior, especially since she knows he was once Valentine's friend. She rejects his advances and tells him that he should be ashamed of himself for betraying his friend. Proteus, desperate to win Silvia over, then threatens her, saying that he will kill himself if she does not love him. Silvia is frightened by his behavior and tries to leave, but Proteus stops her and continues to pressure her. Just then, Valentine arrives and sees his friend's betrayal firsthand. He is furious with Proteus and tells him that he is no longer his friend. Silvia, relieved to see Valentine, turns to him for protection. Proteus, realizing the error of his ways, begs forgiveness from both Valentine and Silvia. Valentine, being the better man, forgives him and even offers to help him win back Julia, the woman he had originally been in love with. Silvia, however, is still angry with Proteus and tells him that she will never love him. The scene ends with Proteus feeling remorseful for his actions and promising to redeem himself.
Enter EGLAMOUR
Enter SILVIA above
Exeunt severally
SCENE IV. The same.
In Scene 4 of Act 4, the character of Julia is disguised as a boy named Sebastian and working as a page for the Duke of Milan. She encounters her lover, Proteus, who is now in love with the Duke's daughter, Silvia. Proteus attempts to court Silvia, even though she is already in love with Valentine, Proteus' former best friend. Julia, disguised as Sebastian, is tasked with delivering a letter from Silvia to Valentine. Proteus convinces Julia to give him the letter instead, promising to deliver it to Valentine himself. Julia, who is still in love with Proteus, agrees. However, Proteus reads the letter and decides to use it as a way to win over Silvia by revealing to her that Valentine plans to elope with another woman. Silvia is devastated and runs away. Valentine arrives, and Proteus confesses his love for Silvia and his betrayal of their friendship. Valentine forgives him, and they both go in search of Silvia. Meanwhile, Silvia has been captured by the Duke's servant, Thurio, who also desires her. Proteus and Valentine arrive just in time to rescue Silvia and defeat Thurio. In the end, Proteus realizes the error of his ways and offers to give up Silvia for Valentine. Silvia, however, chooses Valentine, and Proteus is left to reflect on his actions and the consequences of his jealousy and betrayal.
Enter LAUNCE, with his his Dog
Enter PROTEUS and JULIA
Exit
Exit SILVIA, with attendants
Exit
Act V
In Act 5 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the two gentlemen, Valentine and Proteus, have reunited in Milan after a long period of separation. Valentine is in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, and plans to elope with her. However, Proteus has also fallen in love with Silvia and has betrayed his friend by revealing Valentine's plan to the Duke.
Valentine is captured and sentenced to death, but Silvia pleads with her father to spare his life. Proteus tries to convince Silvia to marry him instead of Valentine, but she rejects him. Proteus then attempts to force himself upon Silvia, but Valentine intervenes and saves her. The Duke is impressed by Valentine's bravery and agrees to let him marry Silvia.
Meanwhile, Julia, Proteus's former love interest, arrives in Milan disguised as a man. She meets Proteus, who does not recognize her, and he asks her to help him win back Silvia. Julia agrees, but eventually reveals her true identity to Proteus. Proteus is ashamed of his previous behavior and asks for Julia's forgiveness. The play ends with all the characters reconciled and happy.
SCENE I. Milan. An abbey.
The scene opens with a group of outlaws discussing the arrival of Valentine, one of the two gentlemen of Verona, who has been banished. They plan to capture him and hold him for ransom. However, their leader, the Duke of Milan, wants to show mercy to Valentine and release him without a ransom. Valentine arrives and is immediately captured by the outlaws. The Duke intervenes and reveals his true identity, explaining that he has come to pardon Valentine and offer him a position in his army. Valentine accepts and expresses his gratitude to the Duke. Meanwhile, Proteus, the other gentleman of Verona who had betrayed Valentine earlier in the play, arrives with his love interest Julia. Proteus is remorseful for his actions and hopes to make amends with Valentine. He reveals his presence to the Duke and requests forgiveness from Valentine. Valentine initially rejects Proteus' apology, but is eventually convinced to forgive him after Julia pleads on his behalf. The Duke, impressed by Valentine's generosity, offers to host a banquet to celebrate their reconciliation. The scene ends with the group heading off to the feast.
Enter EGLAMOUR
Exeunt
SCENE II. The same. The DUKE's palace.
Act 5, Scene 2 starts with Proteus asking the Duke of Milan to pardon him for his actions towards Valentine and Sylvia. The Duke, who is Sylvia's father, is not easily convinced and Proteus must plead his case further. He explains that his love for Sylvia caused him to act irrationally towards his friend Valentine and that he is truly sorry for his behavior. Valentine then enters, and the Duke asks him if he forgives Proteus. Valentine says that he cannot forgive Proteus for betraying him and stealing his beloved Sylvia. However, Sylvia intervenes and tells Valentine that she has forgiven Proteus and that he should do the same. Valentine is initially hesitant, but after Sylvia tells him that Proteus saved her from being raped by the outlaw, he agrees to forgive his friend. Proteus is overjoyed and thanks Valentine for his forgiveness. However, the Duke is still not convinced and orders Proteus to leave Milan immediately. He also informs Valentine that he must leave and that he is not allowed to marry Sylvia. The Duke says that he will find a suitable husband for Sylvia and that Valentine must leave without causing any further drama. Valentine and Proteus say their goodbyes, and Proteus promises to make amends for his past actions. The play ends with Valentine leaving Milan, heartbroken that he cannot be with Sylvia, but grateful for his friend's redemption.
Enter THURIO, PROTEUS, and JULIA
Enter DUKE
Exit
Exit
Exit
Exit
SCENE III. The frontiers of Mantua. The forest.
In Scene 3 of Act 5 of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, two friends, Proteus and Valentine, finally reconcile after a long period of misunderstanding and conflict. Proteus had betrayed Valentine by trying to woo his lover, Silvia, but had eventually realized his mistake and begged for forgiveness. In this scene, Valentine forgives Proteus and even offers him Silvia's hand in marriage. The two friends embrace and vow to never let their friendship be shattered again. Silvia, on the other hand, is not pleased with this turn of events. She had always loved Valentine and was not interested in being with Proteus, despite his newfound repentance. Valentine assures Silvia that he will always love her and they share a tender moment. Meanwhile, the Duke of Milan, Silvia's father, arrives with his attendants and demands to know what is going on. Valentine explains the situation and the Duke is pleased to see that his daughter's honor has been defended. He gives his blessing for Valentine and Silvia to be together and also pardons Proteus for his past transgressions. The scene ends with the four characters happily reconciled and looking forward to a bright future together. The play ends with a sense of closure and resolution, with all conflicts resolved and all characters at peace with each other.
Enter Outlaws with SILVIA
Exeunt
SCENE IV. Another part of the forest.
Scene 4 of Act 5 begins with a conversation between Julia and Lucetta. Julia is dressed as a boy and is looking for Proteus, who has fallen in love with Silvia and has betrayed Julia. Lucetta tries to convince Julia to give up on Proteus and find someone else. Proteus enters and sees Julia, not recognizing her in her disguise. He asks her what she is doing in Verona and she tells him that she is looking for work. Proteus offers to help her find a job and invites her to come with him to see Silvia. When they arrive, Silvia is not happy to see Proteus and tells him to leave. Proteus tries to convince Silvia to love him instead of Valentine, but she refuses. Proteus then attempts to force himself on Silvia, but she is saved by Valentine, who enters and stops Proteus. Valentine is angry at Proteus for his betrayal and attempts to fight him, but Silvia intervenes and stops the fight. Valentine forgives Proteus and even offers him Silvia's hand in marriage, which Proteus accepts. As the scene ends, Julia reveals her true identity to Proteus, who is shocked and ashamed of his behavior. The play concludes with all of the characters reconciled and happy.
Enter VALENTINE
Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA
Swoons
Enter Outlaws, with DUKE and THURIO
Exeunt