THE STORY OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
Valentine is off to Milan to improve himself, while his best friend Proteus stays at home in Verona, because of his love for Julia. After Valentine leaves, his servant, Speed, enters. Proteus inquires whether Speed delivered his letter to Julia who, meanwhile, asks her maid, Lucetta, which man she should fall in love with. Lucetta recommends Proteus and admits that she has a letter from him. Julia tears up the letter, only to regret it an instant later.
Fed up with his time wasting, Antonio and Panthina decide to send Proteus to the Duke's court in Milan, together with his manservant Lance and his dog Crab. Neither Proteus nor Julia is particularly happy at being parted and they exchange rings and promises of eternal love.
In Milan, Valentine has fallen in love with Silvia, the Dukes daughter, whom the Duke wants to marry off to the rich but elderly and boring Turio. When Proteus arrives at court, he too falls in love with Silvia and after Valentine tells him that he and Silvia intend to elope, Proteus does the dirty on them both and notifies the Duke of their plans, thus getting Valentine banished and Silvia locked away in her room.
Back in Verona, Julia disguises herself as Sebastian, a page, so that she can go to Milan to be reunited with Proteus. Unfortunately, when she gets there, she witnesses both Proteus and Turio wooing Silvia.
The banished Valentine, together with his man Speed, are caught by a group of outlaws who demand that he becomes their leader and he accepts.
Proteus has now met and employed ‘Sebastian’ and she and Silvia meet when Julia delivers to her, on behalf of Proteus, the ring he had originally given her. Silvia then asks the old knight Sir Eglamour to help her find Valentine and escape from her father, Turio and Proteus. The Duke and the others learn of this and decide to follow.
However, while Silvia and Eglamour are travelling through the forest, the outlaws capture them. Proteus has followed with ‘Sebastian’ and rescues Silvia watched unseen by Valentine.
Silvia dislikes Proteus so he tries to rape her for her resistance. Valentine stops him and when Proteus apologizes Valentine offers him Silvia as a token of their friendship. He then changes his mind and decides to hang him instead. At this moment, ‘Sebastian’ faints and his/her true identity becomes clear. Proteus suddenly decides that he loves Julia more than Silvia, and takes her instead.
The Duke and everyone else arrive, having also been caught by the outlaws. Finally realising that Turio is an idiot the Duke lets Valentine marry Silvia. Valentine asks for clemency for the outlaws, and asks that his marriage to Silvia and Proteus' marriage to Julia should take place on the same day.
