a) Background of the Play : a comedy written in 1590 - the main source : the story of Felix and Felismena in the Diana of Jorge de Montemayor - thought to be Shakespeare's first play - themes: love versus friendship, fidelity in love and friendship, the foolish behaviors of lovers.
b) Summary of the Play :
Valentine and Proteus are the two gentlemen of Verona, though the latter is a gentleman only in the beginning and end of the play and rest of the time, the villain. The play begins with the farewell scene in which Proteus sends his close friend Valentine off to Milan. Proteus doesn't want to go because his ladylove Julia is in Verona. Valentine condemns love before leaving but he falls in love with Silvia, Duke's daughter in Milan. After sometime, Antonio, Proteus' father too sends him to Milan to seek his fortunes there. Proteus is a prisoner of his own whims and fancies. He falls in love with Silvia at first sight and totally forgets Julia. He is unfaithful to his friend as well. He goes to the extent of betraying his friend by revealing his plot of eloping with Silvia to the Duke. The Duke who is moneyminded wants his daughter's marriage with the rich but foolish lord Thurio and so he banishes Valentine who, winning the favors of outlaws in the forest becomes their gang leader.
Julia who deeply loves Proteus comes to Milan in the disguise of a page named Sebastian and gets vexed to see Proteus courting Silvia. She is much downhearted when she is sent by Proteus to gift Silvia the ring that she had presented him at his departure. But Silvia who condemns Proteus for his betrayal of his friends and his infidelity to Julia escapes from the court to the woods seeking Valentine. Eglamour is her chaperone but he is a coward. He flees while she is captured by the outlaws who bring her to their leader Valentine. But Proteus saves her from outlaws and, being unable to win her favor, tries to rape her. While Valentine angrily jumps out from the bushes, Proteus seeks forgiveness for all his wrongs and Valentine immediately forgives him and he is even ready to gift Silvia to him. Now Julia(Sebastian) reveals her identity and Proteus is ashamed of all his whims. He,with changed mind, is now ready to marry Julia. Thurio the weakminded gets back in his pursuit being threatened by Valentine and the Duke is also awakened from madness after money. The play ends with ringing of marriage bells for both the couples.
C) Critical views of the play :
In his play, Shakespeare has to satisfy the working class audience that is why the protagonists depend on their servants for wisdom and counselling, just as Antonio and Julia do here on Panthino and Lucetta respectively. The play present situations which are touchstones for true love. In Act IV, Proteus gives Julia (a page in the disguise of Sebastian) to deliver a ring to his new lover Silvia - the ring that was gifted as a token of love by her at his departure to Milan. This utter infidelity of Proteus is contrasted with fidelity and love of Proteus' servant Launce to his master and to his dog Crab. Launce is ready to sacrifice his dog at the cost of his faithfulness to his master who has ordered him to gift that to Silvia. He even accepts beating by the Duke's men for the urination of his dog on the floor that he claims as if he did it. Shakespeare shows that humans like Proteus don't have the love that even servants like Launce had it for the dog. However, the play is immature especially at the ending that is ubrupt. Sudden change of Proteus into a new leaf, Valentine being ready to offer even his own Silvia to his friend Proteus and withdrawal of Duke's intention of marriage between Thurio and Silvia are all unconvincing and remain the serious flaws of the play. Speed, the clownish servant of Valentine disappears from the play at a great speed. Other interesting characters of the play like Luceta, Antonio and Panthino all stay away from the plot very soon. Neither Valentine who hates love nor Proteus who is sick in love is stable in their attitude and nature just as everyone in real life is.
Quotes from the play:
1. "They do not love that do not show their love."
(Julia, Act 1 Scene 2)
2. "I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a pastime of each weary step,
Till the last step have brought me to my love,
And there I'll rest, as after much turmoil,
A blessed soul doth in Elysium."
(Julia, Act 2 Scene 7)
And make a pastime of each weary step,
Till the last step have brought me to my love,
And there I'll rest, as after much turmoil,
A blessed soul doth in Elysium."
(Julia, Act 2 Scene 7)
3. "Love is like a child
That longs for every thing that he can come by."
(Duke, Act 3 Scene 1)
That longs for every thing that he can come by."
(Duke, Act 3 Scene 1)
4. "That man that hath a tongue, I say is no man,
If with his tongue he cannot win a woman."
(Valentine, Act 3 Scene 1)
If with his tongue he cannot win a woman."
(Valentine, Act 3 Scene 1)
5. "And why not death, rather than living torment?
To die is to be banished from myself;
And Silvia is myself: banished from her,
Is self from self. A deadly banishment:
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?"
(Valentine, Act 3 Scene 1)
To die is to be banished from myself;
And Silvia is myself: banished from her,
Is self from self. A deadly banishment:
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?"
(Valentine, Act 3 Scene 1)
6. "She dreams on him that has forgot her love,
You dote on her that cares not for your love.
'Tis pity love should be so contrary:
And thinking on it makes me cry 'Alas'."
(Julia, Act 4 Scene 4)
7. "O heaven, were man
But constant, he were perfect."
(Proteus, Act 5 Scene 4)
You dote on her that cares not for your love.
'Tis pity love should be so contrary:
And thinking on it makes me cry 'Alas'."
(Julia, Act 4 Scene 4)
7. "O heaven, were man
But constant, he were perfect."
(Proteus, Act 5 Scene 4)
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