Gentlemen Of Valentine

Commentary on The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a play by William Shakespeare where the main focus is on friendship and love. The play starts in the streets of Verona where Valentine is leaving for Milan to experience life outside of Verona and to improve on his life. Valentine must say good-bye to his best friend Proteus, who stays behind in Verona because Proteus is madly in love with Julia. Proteus is so blinded by his love for Julia, that he admits that he has gave way to his friends, his studies, and all rational thinking. A tearful good-bye occurs between Valentine and Proteus, and then Valentine is gone. Later, Antonio, Proteus’ father, sends Proteus to the Duke’s court in Milan because he feels that Proteus too needs to become more gentlemanly outside of Verona. This decision by Antonio does not sit well with both Proteus and Julia. Devoted to each other, they exchange rings as a promise of their love and commitment. In Milan, Valentine has fallen in love with the Duke’s daughter, …show more content…
Valentine then offers up Silvia to Proteus as a symbol of their deep friendship. Questions that come to mind regarding what just took place are, “what kind of person, that you call your best friend, would try to rape your true love”? Next, “what kind of person are YOU, that after accepting your best friends apology, you then offer your true love to the man that just tried to rape her because it’s a sign of how true your friendship is”? I can concede to the notion that perhaps Proteus may be mean, crazy, evil, or all three. However, I cannot rationalize the actions, or thought process, of Valentine in offering up Silvia to Proteus as a token of their friendship after what Proteus did. I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, no apology would be accepted and certainly the friendship would no longer exist after such a horrific