Two Gentlemen of Verona

Proteus acknowledges his continued betrayal: In addition to Valentine, he’s also betraying Thurio by attempting to seduce Silvia when he’s supposed to be encouraging her to accept Thurio’s suit. Silvia, however, doesn’t give into Proteus’s advances: Every time he professes his love, she reminds him of his betrothal to Julia and his friendship with Valentine. Despite her disgust with him, Proteus is more in love with Silvia than ever. For his part, Thurio seems to be aware of Proteus’s true feelings.

The man hosting Proteus in Milan enters, leading Julia disguised as a pageboy. The Host identifies Proteus as the man Julia was asking for. As musicians play, Proteus sings a song celebrating Silvia’s kindness, beauty, and virtue. Julia is visibly upset by Proteus’s display of affection, confusing the Host, who thinks that she doesn’t like the music. The Host confirms that Proteus often visits Silvia, and that he is rumored to be deeply in love with her. As the musicians leave, the Host and Julia move out of sight.

Thinking they are alone, Proteus calls out to Silvia, who is annoyed at his presence. When Proteus says he’ll do anything Silvia asks, she insults his character and tells him to leave and never return. When Silvia accuses him of being disloyal, Proteus admits that he was betrothed, but claims that the lady is dead. Julia, listening in the shadows, is hurt by this callous comment. Silvia reminds Proteus that she is betrothed to Valentine, and that he is also betraying his friend. Proteus claims that Valentine is also dead, and Silvia says that if that is the case then she also wants to die. Proteus asks for a painting of Silvia, since she won’t agree to be his love, and she reluctantly agrees. Julia is devastated by the conversation, and follows the Host back to his home.

An old, widowed knight named Sir Eglamour visits Silvia’s tower in the early morning at her request. Silvia tells Eglamour that she still loves Valentine, and that her heart will not allow her to accept Thurio as a husband. She appeals to Eglamour because she knows he is a romantic: He often says that his greatest heartbreak was his wife’s death, and vowed never to be with another women again. Silvia asks Eglamour to help her travel safely to Mantua, where she has heard Valentine is hiding. She urges Eglamour not to think of her father’s anger, but to focus on her grief, and the injustice of forcing a lady into a marriage which she considers unholy. Sir Eglamour agrees to help, and the pair arranges to meet that night when Silvia goes to her evening confession.

Lance returns from a disastrous errand: Proteus had sent him to give his dog, Crab, as a gift to Silvia. Lance, who raised Crab from a puppy and loves him dearly, had been heartbroken by the order. He tells the audience how, on arrival in Silvia’s chamber, Crab immediately crawled under a table and urinated. To save Crab’s reputation, Lance claimed responsibility for the accident, and both were thrown out. Lance explains that this is not the first time he’s taken the blame for Crab’s bad behavior.

Proteus enters with Julia, who is still disguised as a pageboy and going by the name Sebastian. He is dismayed to hear that Silvia rejected the gift, and asks where his dog is. It is revealed that Lance lost Proteus’s dog (the intended gift) in the marketplace, and brought Crab to Silvia as a replacement. Proteus orders Lance to find his dog. As Lance leaves, Proteus explains to Julia that he needs a reliable and discreet servant to help conduct his business, and that Julia’s face seems trustworthy. He asks Julia to bring another gift to Silvia: The ring that Julia had given him before he left Verona. Julia expresses pity for the woman who gave him the ring, but Proteus dismisses her concerns. He gives her a letter for Silvia and reminds her to get the painting Silvia promised.

Alone, Julia pities Proteus for his foolishness in giving her the letter, then chastises herself for pitying a man who doesn’t care about her. She admits that her love for him overpowers her feelings of hurt, and decides to do as he has asked. Silvia enters with the painting, but rejects both the letter and the ring, which she knows came from Julia. Julia (still in disguise as Sebastian) thanks her, and tells Silvia that Julia still loves Proteus. Silvia asks what Julia looks like, and Julia replies that she was roughly the same height as herself. Silvia gives Julia a purse of money for her loyalty to the lady, then leaves. Alone, Julia studies the picture and wonders why Proteus prefers Silvia. She admits that she would have scratched Silvia’s eyes out if she hadn’t been so kind.