The Two Gentlemen of Verona Read Online Free PDF

tells him that they plan to escape via a rope ladder that Valentine has gone to fetch and that if he stays there he can “intercept” him. He begs that the Duke will keep his part in betraying his friend’s secret, though, and the Duke willingly agrees. Proteus leaves as he sees Valentine coming.
    Lines 51–170: Valentine enters and the Duke asks him where he’s going so fast. Valentine says just to send letters to a friend and the Duke says in that case he can stay to listen to his problems. The Duke tells him that he wants Silvia to marry Turio but she’s being stubborn and disobedient so that he doesn’t love her anymore and that he’s decided to remarry in his old age. He then concocts a story about having fallen in love with a woman whose family want her to marry someone else and asks Valentine’s advice about wooing her. Valentine suggests sending presents and visiting her by night, and finally suggests that the Duke needs a rope ladder, which he can get for him. He will need a cloak to conceal the ladder. The Duke asks what sort of cloak and suggests one such as Valentine’s. He removes it, finds the rope ladder and a letter addressed “To Silvia.” The Duke reads Valentine’s poem to Silvia. He is furious, banishes Valentine, and departs.
    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.
ACT 3 SCENE 2
    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. Proteusrecommends that Turio write her poetry and play music under Silvia’s window. Turio decides to take his advice and to go that night.
ACT 4 SCENE 1
    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.
ACT 4 SCENE 2
    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