THEMES

Major Theme

The dominant theme of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is constancy vs. betrayal. Proteus betrays the trust of almost all the characters that depend on him, especially the trust of his best friend Valentine. As a result, he is viewed as a villain. In total contrast to Proteus, Valentine is a true and constant friend. Even after he learns of Proteus' evil intentions towards his beloved Silvia, he forgives his friend and offers to let Proteus pursue Silvia. As a result, he is viewed as a hero and wins the admiration of the Duke and Silvia's hand in marriage. The major theme, therefore, points out that constancy is a value that should be pursued and that will be rewarded.

Closely related to the main theme is the theme of appearance vs reality. Throughout the play, Proteus appears to be something that he is not. He betrays Valentine's plans to the Duke while appearing to be Valentine's best friend. He betrays Julia for Silvia, while pretending to be Julia's constant lover. He attempts to assault Silvia while appearing to be a noble and educated gentleman. When he is caught in the act of his villainy, Proteus' reality is uncovered; he can no longer hide behind the appearance of respectability and friendship. Fortunately the truly noble Valentine mercifully forgives Proteus

MOOD

The mood of the play varies greatly from the serious to the light and comic. The bantering clown figures lend humor throughout the play. The scenes in which Launce conducts comic repartees with his dog Crab are also comic. The metamorphosis of Valentine and Proteus creates an essentially light mood; but in some of the situations the characters have tragic leanings, such as the occasion when Proteus has evil intentions on Silvia.

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