The Two Gentlemen of Verona Analysis

Literary Devices in The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

When Valentine gets kicked out of Milan for trying to elope with the Duke's daughter, he bums around a forest, where he finds a sense of peace bemoaning his sadness in harmony with the mournful sou...

Setting

Verona to MilanThe setting of Two Gentlemen can be a bit confusing because, in the 1623 folio edition (the only early copy of the play we have), there are several inconsistencies about geographic l...

Genre

We've said this before but it's important to say it again here – as Shakespeare's very first "comedy" (probably his very first play), Two Gentlemen of Verona is a template for all of the Shak...

Writing Style

Reading any one of Shakespeare's plays can feel like reading a really lengthy poem and that's because they're written in a combination of verse (poetry) and prose (how we talk every day). We break...

What's Up With the Ending?

The ending of Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of the most bizarre and disturbing endings that we've ever read. After Valentine puts a stop to Proteus's attempted rape of Silvia, Valentine does somet...

Tough-o-Meter

Compared to some of Shakespeare's other comedies (with all the plot twists and turns and the multiple character disguises), Two Gentlemen is relatively easy to follow. There's a lot of deception at...

Trivia

Two Gentlemen of Verona is very likely Shakespeare's first play. (source: Jean E. Howard, Introduction to the Norton Shakespeare edition of Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2008)If Two Gentlemen is Shakesp...

Steaminess Rating

We're giving this play an "R" rating because Proteus comes pretty close to raping Silvia in Act 5, Scene 4. In fact, the threat of rape is a running theme throughout the play, which you can read mo...

Allusions

Jorge de Montemay, or Diana Enamorada (published in English 1598)Anonymous, The History of Felix and Philomela (a lost play)Thomas Elyot, Book 2, Chapter 12 of The Book Named the Governor (1531)Joh...