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The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Act 5, scene 4
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The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Act 5, scene 4Act 5, scene 4
Scene 4
Synopsis:
As Valentine watches from hiding, Sylvia is brought in by Proteus, who has taken her from the outlaws. Proteus pleads for Sylvia’s love, and when she refuses him he tries to rape her. Valentine prevents the rape, listens to Proteus’ speech of repentance, and, as a gesture of his friendship, offers his rights in Sylvia to Proteus. Julia faints. On recovering, she reveals herself and accuses Proteus of inconstancy. He again repents, and Julia accepts his protestations of love. The outlaws bring in the Duke and Thurio. When Thurio refuses to fight for Sylvia, the Duke accepts Valentine as a son-in-law.
Enter Valentine.VALENTINE
2125 How use doth breed a habit in a man!
2126 This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,
2127 I better brook than flourishing peopled towns;
2128 Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
2129 5 And to the nightingale’s complaining notes
2130 Tune my distresses and record my woes.
2131 O thou that dost inhabit in my breast,
2132 Leave not the mansion so long tenantless
2133 Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall
2134 10 And leave no memory of what it was.
2135 Repair me with thy presence, Sylvia;
2136 Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain.
⌜Shouting and sounds of fighting.⌝
2137 What hallowing and what stir is this today?
2138 These are my mates, that make their wills their law,
2139 15 Have some unhappy passenger in chase.
2140 They love me well, yet I have much to do
2141 To keep them from uncivil outrages.
2142 Withdraw thee, Valentine. Who’s this comes here?
⌜He steps aside.⌝
⌜Enter⌝ Proteus, Sylvia, ⌜and⌝ Julia, ⌜disguised as
Sebastian.⌝
PROTEUS
2143 Madam, this service I have done for you—
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2144
20 Though you respect not aught your servant doth—2145 To hazard life, and rescue you from him
2146 That would have forced your honor and your love.
2147 Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look;
2148 A smaller boon than this I cannot beg,
2149 25 And less than this I am sure you cannot give.
VALENTINE, ⌜aside⌝
2150 How like a dream is this I see and hear!
2151 Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile.
SYLVIA
2152 O miserable, unhappy that I am!
PROTEUS
2153 Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came,
2154 30 But by my coming, I have made you happy.
SYLVIA
2155 By thy approach thou mak’st me most unhappy.
JULIA, ⌜aside⌝
2156 And me, when he approacheth to your presence.
SYLVIA
2157 Had I been seizèd by a hungry lion,
2158 I would have been a breakfast to the beast
2159 35 Rather than have false Proteus rescue me.
2160 O heaven, be judge how I love Valentine,
2161 Whose life’s as tender to me as my soul;
2162 And full as much, for more there cannot be,
2163 I do detest false perjured Proteus.
2164 40 Therefore begone; solicit me no more.
PROTEUS
2165 What dangerous action, stood it next to death,
2166 Would I not undergo for one calm look!
2167 O, ’tis the curse in love, and still approved,
2168 When women cannot love where they’re beloved.
SYLVIA
2169 45 When Proteus cannot love where he’s beloved.
2170 Read over Julia’s heart, thy first best love,
2171 For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith
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2172
Into a thousand oaths; and all those oaths2173 Descended into perjury to love me.
2174 50 Thou hast no faith left now unless thou ’dst two,
2175 And that’s far worse than none; better have none
2176 Than plural faith, which is too much by one.
2177 Thou counterfeit to thy true friend!
PROTEUS 2178 In love
2179 55 Who respects friend?
SYLVIA 2180 All men but Proteus.
PROTEUS
2181 Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words
2182 Can no way change you to a milder form,
2183 I’ll woo you like a soldier, at arms’ end,
2184 60 And love you ’gainst the nature of love—force you.
⌜He seizes her.⌝
SYLVIA
2185 O, heaven!
PROTEUS 2186 I’ll force thee yield to my desire.
VALENTINE, ⌜advancing⌝
2187 Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch,
2188 Thou friend of an ill fashion.
PROTEUS 2189 65 Valentine!
VALENTINE
2190 Thou common friend, that’s without faith or love,
2191 For such is a friend now. Treacherous man,
2192 Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye
2193 Could have persuaded me. Now I dare not say
2194 70 I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me.
2195 Who should be trusted when one’s right hand
2196 Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,
2197 I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
2198 But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
2199 75 The private wound is deepest. O, time most
2200 accursed,
2201 ’Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!
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PROTEUS
2202
My shame and guilt confounds me.2203 Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow
2204 80 Be a sufficient ransom for offense,
2205 I tender ’t here. I do as truly suffer
2206 As e’er I did commit.
VALENTINE 2207 Then I am paid,
2208 And once again I do receive thee honest.
2209 85 Who by repentance is not satisfied
2210 Is nor of heaven nor Earth, for these are pleased;
2211 By penitence th’ Eternal’s wrath’s appeased.
2212 And that my love may appear plain and free,
2213 All that was mine in Sylvia I give thee.
JULIA, ⌜aside⌝
2214 90 O me unhappy!⌜She swoons.⌝
PROTEUS 2215 Look to the boy.
VALENTINE 2216 Why, boy!
2217 Why, wag, how now? What’s the matter? Look up.
2218 Speak.
JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ 2219 95O, good sir, my master charged
2220 me to deliver a ring to Madam Sylvia, which out of
2221 my neglect was never done.
PROTEUS 2222 Where is that ring, boy?
JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝ 2223 Here ’tis; this is it.
⌜She rises, and hands him a ring.⌝
PROTEUS 2224 100How, let me see.
2225 Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia.
JULIA, ⌜as Sebastian⌝
2226 O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook.
2227 This is the ring you sent to Sylvia.
⌜She offers another ring.⌝
PROTEUS
2228 But how cam’st thou by this ring? At my depart
2229 105 I gave this unto Julia.
JULIA
2230 And Julia herself did give it me,
2231 And Julia herself hath brought it hither.
⌜She reveals herself.⌝
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183
PROTEUS
2232
How? Julia!JULIA
2233 Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths
2234 110 And entertained ’em deeply in her heart.
2235 How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root!
2236 O, Proteus, let this habit make thee blush.
2237 Be thou ashamed that I have took upon me
2238 Such an immodest raiment, if shame live
2239 115 In a disguise of love.
2240 It is the lesser blot, modesty finds,
2241 Women to change their shapes than men their minds.
PROTEUS
2242 “Than men their minds”? ’Tis true. O heaven, were
2243 man
2244 120 But constant, he were perfect; that one error
2245 Fills him with faults, makes him run through all th’
2246 sins;
2247 Inconstancy falls off ere it begins.
2248 What is in Sylvia’s face but I may spy
2249 125 More fresh in Julia’s, with a constant eye?
VALENTINE, ⌜to Julia and Proteus⌝ 2250 Come, come, a
2251 hand from either.
2252 Let me be blest to make this happy close.
2253 ’Twere pity two such friends should be long foes.
⌜Valentine joins the hands of Julia and Proteus.⌝
PROTEUS
2254 130 Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish forever.
JULIA
2255 And I mine.
⌜Enter⌝ Thurio, Duke, ⌜and⌝ Outlaws.
OUTLAWS 2256 A prize, a prize, a prize!
VALENTINE
2257 Forbear, forbear, I say. It is my lord the Duke.
⌜The Outlaws release the Duke and Thurio.⌝
2258 Your Grace is welcome to a man disgraced,
2259 135 Banished Valentine.
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DUKE 2260 Sir Valentine?
THURIO 2261 Yonder is Sylvia, and Sylvia’s mine.
VALENTINE
2262 Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death;
2263 Come not within the measure of my wrath.
2264 140 Do not name Sylvia thine; if once again,
2265 Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands;
2266 Take but possession of her with a touch—
2267 I dare thee but to breathe upon my love!
THURIO
2268 Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I.
2269 145 I hold him but a fool that will endanger
2270 His body for a girl that loves him not.
2271 I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.
DUKE
2272 The more degenerate and base art thou
2273 To make such means for her as thou hast done,
2274 150 And leave her on such slight conditions.—
2275 Now, by the honor of my ancestry,
2276 I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,
2277 And think thee worthy of an empress’ love.
2278 Know, then, I here forget all former griefs,
2279 155 Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
2280 Plead a new state in thy unrivaled merit,
2281 To which I thus subscribe: Sir Valentine,
2282 Thou art a gentleman, and well derived;
2283 Take thou thy Sylvia, for thou hast deserved her.
VALENTINE
2284 160 I thank your Grace, the gift hath made me happy.
2285 I now beseech you, for your daughter’s sake,
2286 To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.
DUKE
2287 I grant it for thine own, whate’er it be.
VALENTINE
2288 These banished men, that I have kept withal,
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2289
165 Are men endued with worthy qualities.2290 Forgive them what they have committed here,
2291 And let them be recalled from their exile;
2292 They are reformèd, civil, full of good,
2293 And fit for great employment, worthy lord.
DUKE
2294 170 Thou hast prevailed; I pardon them and thee.
2295 Dispose of them as thou know’st their deserts.
2296 Come, let us go; we will include all jars
2297 With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity.
VALENTINE
2298 And as we walk along, I dare be bold
2299 175 With our discourse to make your Grace to smile.
2300 ⌜Pointing to Julia.⌝ What think you of this page, my
2301 lord?
DUKE
2302 I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes.
VALENTINE
2303 I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy.
DUKE 2304 180What mean you by that saying?
VALENTINE
2305 Please you, I’ll tell you as we pass along,
2306 That you will wonder what hath fortunèd.—
2307 Come, Proteus, ’tis your penance but to hear
2308 The story of your loves discoverèd.
2309 185 That done, our day of marriage shall be yours,
2310 One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.
They exit.