- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Arden Shakespeare; 3rd Revised edition edition (11 Mar 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 190343694X
- ISBN-13: 978-1903436943
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,318,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare's first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross - dressing and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.William Carroll's engaging Introduction focuses on the traditions and sources that stand behind the play and explores Shakespeare's unique and bold treatment of them. Special attention is given to the strong female figure of Julia and the controversial final scene.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
LIST OF ROLES This list appears at the end of the text in F; as argued on p. 118-9, it was probably compiled by the scrivener Ralph Crane. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
LIST OF ROLES This list appears at the end of the text in F; as argued on p. 118-9, it was probably compiled by the scrivener Ralph Crane. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although few would claim that Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, it is well worth listening to in order to serve as a reference for the best of his romantic comedies. In essence, Two Gentlemen of Verona gives you a measuring stick to see the brilliance in the best works.
The play has the first of Shakespeare's many brave, resourceful and cross-dressing heroines, Julia.
Shakespeare always used his fools and clowns well to make serious statements about life and love, and to expose the folly of the nobles. Two Gentlemen of Verona has two very fine comic scenes featuring Launce. In one, he lists the qualities of a milk maid he has fallen in love with and helps us to see that love is blind and relative. In another, he describes the difficulties he has delivering a pet dog to Silvia on his master, Proteus', behalf in a way that will keep you merry on many a cold winter's evening.
The story also has one of the fastest plot resolutions you will ever find in a play. Blink, and the play is over. This nifty sleight of hand is Shakespeare's way of showing that when you get noble emotions and character flowing together, things go smoothly and naturally.
The overall theme of the play develops around the relative conflicts that lust, love, friendship, and forgiveness can create and overcome. Proteus is a man who seems literally crazed by his attraction to Silvia so that he loses all of his finer qualities. Yet even he can be redeemed, after almost doing a most foul act. The play is very optimistic in that way.
I particularly enjoy the plot device of having Proteus and Julia (pretending to be a page) playing in the roles of false suitors for others to serve their own interests. Fans of Othello will enjoy these foreshadowings of Iago.
The words themselves can be a bit bare at times, requiring good direction and acting to bring out the full conflict and story. For that reason, I strongly urge you to see the play performed first. If that is not possible, do listen to an audio recording as you read along. That will help round out the full atmosphere that Shakespeare was developing here.
After you finish Two Gentlemen of Verona, think about where you would honor friendship above love, where equal to love, and where below love. Is friendship less important than love? Or is friendship merely less intense? Can you experience both with the same person?
Enjoy close ties of mutual commitment . . . with all those you feel close to!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Arden Is the best
12 May 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I always get the Arden editions of Shakespeare. They are very detailed and user friendly.
Being one of Shakespeare's early plays the plot is a little inconsistant. It seems in the last scene that shakespeare just wanted to finish the play and therefore everything happens in a few pages that makes it a little unrealistic.
The play does have some lovely speeches though, and is quite comical and an easy story to follow.
Being one of Shakespeare's early plays the plot is a little inconsistant. It seems in the last scene that shakespeare just wanted to finish the play and therefore everything happens in a few pages that makes it a little unrealistic.
The play does have some lovely speeches though, and is quite comical and an easy story to follow.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
An early romantic comedy
24 May 2007
Format:Paperback
This is one of Shakespeare's earlier plays, and so it is not as sophisticated or as polished as some of his later ones are. The play is about love, and the major cause of discord is the two differing varieties of love that are portrayed. This is one of Shakespeare's shorter plays, and certainly worth reading if only to see how far Shakespeare went from where he started.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
25 Oct 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I only had one problem which was with the delivery. It was delivered to my house when no one was at home and my dog decided to open the package before I arrived, she caused some damage to the book.
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