Act V, SceneS 1 - 3

Sir Eglamour assists Silvia in making her escape from Milan and the attentions of Thurio. In the forest, Silvia is abducted by the three bandits, who lead her off stage to take her to their Captain. She has no way of knowing that their leader is Valentine. Her ironic last line is addressed to her banished beloved, who she thinks she may never see again: "O Valentine, this I endure for thee."

In Milan, the Duke tells Proteus that Silvia has fled to search for Valentine. The Duke makes arrangement for a party to pursue and find his daughter. Proteus immediately leaves to search for Silvia in Mantua, tracing her steps to the forest. His faithful page Sebastian (Julia) accompanies him on the trip.

While the bandits are conveying Silvia to their general, Proteus spies the party and rescues her. The irony is that Silvia and Valentine are about to be re-united when the treacherous Proteus snatches her away.

Shakespeare accelerates the action on stage by the quick succession of these three scenes, the total of which comprise about seventy lines. The first begins in an abbey in Milan, from where Silvia and Sir Eglamour depart for Mantua. The second is set in the Duke's Palace, where everyone learns of Silvia's flight to the forest. The third is set on the frontiers of Mantua, where Silvia is captured by the bandits and rescued by Proteus.

The rapid pace gives little time for detail as the play rushes forward to the contrived climax and ending found in the next and last scene of the play.

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