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THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE by William Shakespeare
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
DUKE OF MILAN father to Silvia
VALENTINE one of the two gentlemen
PROTEUS one of the two gentlemen
ANTONIO father to Proteus
THURIO a foolish rival to Valentine
EGLAMOUR agent for Silvia in her escape
SPEED a clownish servant to Valentine
LAUNCE the like to Proteus
PANTHINO servant to Antonio
HOST where Julia lodges in Milan
OUTLAWS with Valentine
JULIA a lady of Verona beloved of Proteus
SILVIA beloved of Valentine
LUCETTA waiting-woman to Julia
SERVANTS MUSICIANS
SCENE: Verona; Milan; the frontiers of Mantua
ACT 1.
SCENE I. Verona. An open place
[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 honour'd love
I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad
Than living dully sluggardiz'd at home
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.
But since thou lov'st love still and thrive therein
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
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 headsman Valentine.
VALENTINE.
And on a love-book pray for my success?
PROTEUS.
Upon some book I love I'll pray for thee.
VALENTINE.
That's on some shallow story of deep love
How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont.
PROTEUS.
That's a deep story of a deeper love;
For he was more than over shoes in love.
VALENTINE.
'Tis true; for you are over boots in love
And yet you never swum 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.
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;
If lost why then a grievous labour won:
However but a folly bought with wit
Or else a wit by folly vanquished.
PROTEUS.
So by your circumstance you call me fool.
VALENTINE.
So by your circumstance I fear you'll prove.
PROTEUS.
'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.
VALENTINE.
Love is your master for he masters you;
And he that is so yoked by a fool
Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.
PROTEUS.
Yet writers say as in the sweetest bud
The eating canker dwells so eating love
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
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 the
That art a votary to fond desire?
Once more adieu! my father at the road
Expects my coming there to see me shipp'd.
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
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!
[Exit.]
PROTEUS.
He after honour 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 metamorphos'd me;--
Made me neglect my studies lose my time
War with good counsel set the world at nought;
Made wit with musing weak heart sick with thought.
[Enter SPEED.]
SPEED.
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 shipp'd already
And I have play'd the sheep in losing him.
PROTEUS.
Indeed a sheep doth very often stray
An if the shepherd be a while away.
SPEED.
You conclude that my master is a shepherd then and
I a sheep?
PROTEUS.
I 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.
True; 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 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.
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