|
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by Shakespeare from early in his career. It is dismissively regarded by most critics as a "problem play," and seldom performed. The highlight of the play is frequently considered to be the comic servingman Launce and his dog Crab.
The two gentlemen of the title are Valentine and Proteus. Valentine leaves Verona to visit Padua (or possibly Milan, the context is often unclear), where he soon finds his lustful affections engaged by an aristocratic lady who is not at all averse to his favors. Proteus, joining him several scenes later, falls for the same high-born lady. The classical triangle is sent spinning when Proteus' lady love puts on man's attire to pay an unexpected visit. Even Launce finds romance, whereupon he devises a comic resume of the attributes of a lower-class girl "whose faults exceed her hairs."
Galt MacDermot, John Guare and Mel Shapiro adapted the show into a musical that opened on December 1, 1971 and closed May 20, 1973.
External link
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
|
