Read The Two Gentlemen of Verona Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
Two Gentlemen of Verona
, directed by Don Taylor for the BBC Television Shakespeare Series (1983, DVD 2005). Entertaining version with Tyler Butterworth as Proteus, Joanna Pearce as Silvia, Tessa Peake-Jones as Julia, John Hudson as Valentine, and Paul Daneman as the Duke of Milan.
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24.
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25.
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27.
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28.
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29.
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30.
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31.
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32.
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33.
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34.
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35.
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36.
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Preparation of “
The Two Gentlemen
in Performance” was assisted by a generous grant from the CAPITAL Centre (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning) of the University of Warwick for research in the RSC archive at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Thanks as always to our indefatigable and eagle-eyed copy editor Tracey Day and to Ray Addicott for overseeing the production process with rigor and calmness.
Picture research by Michelle Morton. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.
Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s official archive. It is open to the public free of charge.
For more information see
www.shakespeare.org.uk
.
1.
Ada Rehan as Julia (1896–97). Reproduced by permission of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
2.
Directed by Ben Iden Payne (1938). Ernest Daniels © Royal Shakespeare Company
3.
Directed by Peter Hall (1960). Tom Holte © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
4.
Directed by John Barton (1981). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
5.
Directed by Fiona Buffini (2004). Manuel Harlan © Royal Shakespeare Company
6.
Directed by Robin Phillips (1970). Tom Holte © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
7.
Directed by David Thacker (1991). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
8.
Directed by Edward Hall (1998). Malcolm Davies © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
9.
Reconstructed Elizabethan Playhouse © Charcoalblue
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clownish servant
actually a quick-witted page boy
the like
actually older than Speed and more foolish—the role for the company clown
Act 1 Scene 1
1.1
Location: Verona
1.1
Valentine
his name signifies a lover (from the patron saint of lovers)
1.1
Proteus
from the Greek god known for his ability to change shape at will; a name often used to suggest deceit
2
homely
simple/dull
3
affection
love/sexual desire
3
tender
youthful
7
sluggardized
in a state of idleness
8
shapeless
purposeless
9
still
constantly
12
haply
by chance
15
hap
chance
16
environ
surround
17
Commend thy grievance
entrust your unhappiness
18
beadsman
person paid to pray for others
19
love-book
courtship manual or tale of love
22
Leander … Hellespont
in classical mythology Leander regularly swam across the Hellespont to see his lover Hero, until one night he drowned
24
over-shoes in love
shoe-deep/immersed in love
27
give … boots
don’t make a fool of me
28
boots
profits
31
Coy
disdainful
32
watchful
wakeful
33
hapless
unlucky
34
If … won
if the lover fails to win his lady then all that he will have gained is sorrow and effort
35
However
whatever the outcome
35
but
merely
35
a folly
foolishness