The Two Gentlemen of Verona

• 1. Origins And Sources

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  Shakespeare drew his plot from the Spanish prose romance The Seven Books of Diana by Jorge de Montemayor, published in 1559. In this source text, a character named Felismena disguises herself as a boy to follow her lover Felix, mirroring Julia's journey in Shakespeare's play. Felix sends Felismena away after falling for another woman, just as Proteus betrays Julia for Silvia. An English translation by Bartholomew Young appeared in 1598, though he claimed to have finished it sixteen years prior around 1582. Shakespeare may have read this manuscript or encountered the story through an anonymous play called The History of Felix and Philomena performed at Greenwich Palace on the 3rd of January 1585. That earlier play is now lost but likely influenced the structure of Two Gentlemen.

  Another major influence was Thomas Elyot's The Boke Named the Governour from 1531. This work tells the story of Titus and Gisippus, two inseparable friends until one falls in love with Sophronia. Titus vows to seduce her, but Gisippus arranges for them to switch places on their wedding night to preserve their friendship. Verbal similarities suggest Shakespeare used Elyot rather than Boccaccio's Decameron version of the same tale. John Lyly's Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit published in 1578 also shaped the play's technique. It features close friends torn apart by a woman, ending when one sacrifices his lover to save the bond. Lyly's Midas may have inspired the scene where Launce and Speed debate a milkmaid's virtues.

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• 2. Composition Date Debate

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  The exact date of composition remains unknown, though scholars place it between 1589 and 1593. Francis Meres listed the play in Palladis Tamia published in 1598 as evidence it existed by then. Clifford Leech argued for 1592 or 1593 while G. Blakemore Evans suggested 1590 through 1593. Gary Taylor proposed 1590 to 1591 and Kurt Schlueter posited the late 1580s. Roger Warren tentatively suggested 1587 but acknowledged 1590 or 1591 as more likely.

  Edmond Malone first suggested this was Shakespeare's earliest work in 1821 during the Third Variorum edition edited by James Boswell. He originally dated it 1591 before modifying his earlier 1595 estimate. The theory gained traction because critics like Norman Sanders writing in 1968 agreed on the play's immaturity. Stanley Wells noted the dramatic structure is comparatively unambitious with scenes involving four characters showing uncertainty of technique. Speed remains silent for almost all of Act 2 Scene 4 while Thurio, Silvia and Julia stay quiet for much of the final scene.

  Roger Warren hypothesized the play might predate Shakespeare's arrival in London around 1587 to 1591. He speculated it could have been written for comic actor Richard Tarlton who performed popular scenes with dogs before dying in September 1588. However, passages borrowing from John Lyly's Midas suggest a later date since that work appeared no earlier than late 1589. Most modern editors now place composition between 1590 and 1591.

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• 3. Critical Reception History

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  For decades the central controversy centered on Valentine giving Silvia to Proteus in Act 5 Scene 4. Hilary Spurling wrote in 1970 that this incident revealed inherent misogyny since Valentine offered his beloved to someone who had just attempted rape. Modern scholarship divides sharply over whether he truly gives her away or merely promises equal love to both men. Stanley Wells interprets the line All that was mine in Silvia I give thee as handing her over while Jeffrey Masten argues it means I will love you with as much love as I love Silvia.

  Critics like J. Dover Wilson and Arthur Quiller-Couch stated in 1921 that after hearing Valentine offer Silvia one feels there are no gentlemen left in Verona. H.B. Charlton argued in 1938 that Shakespeare's first romantic comedy succeeded only by making romance comic. Norman Sanders described the play as an anatomie showing-through version of Shakespeare's comic art due to its unsure dramatist handling many effects with tiro lack of expertise.

  Kurt Schlueter countered that critics have been too harsh because later plays overshadow early works. He suggested scholars should examine early pieces for intrinsic merits rather than holding them against later achievements. Some productions altered the controversial line entirely. Leon Rubin changed it to All my love to Silvia I also give to thee during a 1984 Stratford production. David Thacker's 1991 Swan Theatre staging kept the original text but emphasized friendship reconciliation through direction.

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• 4. Staging Traditions

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  No record exists of performances during Shakespeare's lifetime though inclusion in Meres' list confirms staging by 1598. The earliest known performance occurred at Drury Lane in 1762 using Benjamin Victor's rewritten version. This adaptation removed Valentine's gift of Silvia and increased Launce and Crab roles while switching emphasis toward fidelity. It ran six times initially yet remained staged until 1895.

  William Macready reintroduced the original lines in 1841 at Drury Lane after they had been cut since the mid-eighteenth century. Charles Kean produced at Haymarket Theatre in 1848 and Samuel Phelps at Sadler's Wells in 1857. Michael Langham's 1957 Old Vic production set the play in late nineteenth-century Italy with high Romanticism where Proteus threatened suicide prompting Valentine's offer.

  Peter Hall's 1960 Royal Shakespeare Theatre production starred Denholm Elliott as Valentine and Derek Godfrey as Proteus. Patrick Wymark delivered a much-lauded performance as Launce. Robin Phillips directed an RSC production in 1970 featuring Peter Egan Ian Richardson Helen Mirren Estelle Kohler and Patrick Stewart as Launce. This version concentrated on friendship treachery within decadent social elitism setting outlaws in animal skins.

  David Thacker used an on-stage band playing Cole Porter and George Gershwin music during his 1991 Swan Theatre run. Jack Shepherd directed modern dress at the National Theatre in 1996 while Edward Hall set his 1998 production in a grimy contemporary city. Fiona Buffini toured a swinging 1930s version in 2004 starring Alex Avery Laurence Mitchell Vanessa Ackerman and Rachel Pickup.

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• 5. Adaptations Across Media

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  Benjamin Victor rewrote the play for Drury Lane in 1762 removing Valentine's gift of Silvia and increasing Launce and Crab roles. He switched emphasis toward fidelity making Valentine near-flawless and Proteus traditional villain. John Philip Kemble staged his own production at Drury Lane in 1790 maintaining Victor's alterations while adding new ones. Richard Wroughton played Proteus and Elizabeth Satchell starred as Silvia.

  Frederic Reynolds created an operatic version in 1821 at Covent Garden with Henry Bishop composing music. Augustin Daly revived it in 1895 featuring Ada Rehan as Julia. Franz Schubert set Proteus's serenade to music in 1826 known as An Sylvia in German or Who is Sylvia? in English. Gerald Finzi included a setting in his 1942 song cycle Let Us Garlands Bring.

  Galt MacDermot John Guare and Mel Shapiro adapted the show into a rock musical opening the 1st of December 1971 at St. James Theatre. It ran 614 performances winning Best Musical and Best Book Tony Awards. Clifton Davis played Valentine Raul Julia Proteus Jonelle Allen Silvia and Diana Dávila Julia. The production moved to West End Phoenix Theatre in 1973 running 237 times before closing the 20th of May 1973.

  A 1931 Chinese silent film titled A Spray of Plum Blossoms loosely adapted the play. Bai Lede and Hu Luting portrayed friends turned rivals over love for sisters. Hu Zhuli and Shi Luohua represented Julia and Silvia roles. The film used English intertitles despite Mandarin dialogue. Two Gentlemen also appeared in Shakespeare in Love 1998 where Queen Elizabeth attended a fictional production enjoying Patrick Barlow's Crab performance.

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