Two Gentlemen of Verona: ‘O Heaven, Were Men but Constant.’

Episode 137:

The dating of the play

Printing in the First Folio

The sources for the play and the nature of the text

A brief synopsis of the play

The major themes of the play

How the status and youth of Valentine and Proteus helps to understand their actions in the play

The role of Speed and how the play features the embryo of Shakespearean wordplay

The role and values of Lance, and Crab the dog, as a comparison to Proteus

Some well-regarded verse from the play

Different readings of the theme of love

The problematic rape and forgiveness scene

The play as a courtly romance

The play as a parody of past cultural norms

Is the text more corrupt than is generally thought?

How our understanding of male relationships at the time might affect our view of the play

The performance history of the play

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