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Two Gentlemen of Verona

William Shakespeare

Book Overview: 

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is the earliest comedy written by Shakespeare (and possibly his first play). It focuses on two friends, Valentine and Proteus, whose friendship is disrupted by their mutual passion for the lovely Silvia. Proteus jilts Julia in order to pursue Silvia; she responds by enlisting the help of her maid Lucetta to dress as a boy and go after Proteus. The play also includes some wonderfully comic supporting characters, particularly Launce and his scene-stealing dog Crab.

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Book Excerpt: 
. . .I_3_49">To seal our happiness with their consents!

I. 3.
50 O heavenly Julia!

Ant. How now! what letter are you reading there?

Pro. May’t please your lordship, ’tis a word or two

Of commendations sent from Valentine,

Deliver’d by a friend that came from him.

55 Ant. Lend me the letter; let me see what news.

Pro. There is no news, my lord; but that he writes

How happily he lives, how well beloved,

And daily graced by the emperor;

Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune.

60 Ant. And how stand you affected to his wish?

Pro. As one relying on your lordship’s will,

And not depending on his friendly wish.

Ant. My will is something sorted with his wish.

Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed;

65 For what I will, I will, and there an end.

I am resolv. . . Read More

Community Reviews

Early in Two Gentlemen of Verona, a character refers to a "shallow tale of deep love," but the play he himself inhabits is something worse, at least where the affection of these two gentlemen are concerned: it is a shallow tale of shallow love.

Proteus shifts his love from one woman to another as qu

This one was promising when it started out. The premise is essentially: two overprivileged self-centered teenage boys (Valentine and Proteus) go on study abroad. They are of course polar opposite best friends, natch, with very silly personal servants to comment on their even sillier masters' actions

one star for each gent

2.5/Un relato muy pobre...more

Allegedly, Shakespeare’s first play, Two Gentleman of Verona is a farcical love story complete with a cross-dressing lover, à loquacious dog owner, and many humorous scenes. One must look past the two anti-Semitic references and the misogyny of the story and deign to appreciate the clever dialogues.

There is literally a whole monologue in which a guy complains about his dog pissing on everything.

The Two Cads of Verona

Will’s first tentative venture - and it tells a lot about the play that one of the reasons it is considered so is precisely because of the quality of the play! The critics just couldn’t imagine that Shakespeare would stumble and stoop and be so clumsy once he knew his way a

The ending on this one is strange indeed. That ending really makes the book hard to accept as a modern reader. I read some commentary and people were speaking of this being about friendship between men and how important that was, but it excuses rape. It really soured the book for me and I can't say

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