Two Gentlemen of Verona

In the final two acts of the play, the forest outside of Milan emerges as a powerful symbol of both the advantages and restrictions of life in society. Valentine’s banishment from Milan is intended to punish him by not only removing his access to Silvia, but also removing the protection and patronage of life at the Duke’s court. In the first act of the play, Proteus’s father Antonio indicates that the court of Milan is a place where young men can “seek preferment” (1.3.7) and “try their fortune” (1.3.8). By banishing Valentine into the forest, the Duke removes the social advantages that come from being a part of an organized, hierarchical society. Although he is quickly elected King of the Outlaws in the forest, Valentine recognizes that their society is not bound by the same laws as Milan. His demand that the Outlaws “do no outrages on silly women or poor passengers” (4.1.68-69) suggests that he does not fully trust these men to act in a civil way. Even after spending time corralling the Outlaws, Valentine admits that he has “much to do to keep them from uncivil outrages” (5.4.16-17). The Outlaws represent the lawlessness of life outside of the boundaries of society, and suggest that life within the city walls is favorable.

Although he misses Silvia desperately, Valentine does find some comfort in the solitude of the forest: “here I can sit alone, unseen of any, and to the nightingale’s complaining notes tune my distresses and record my woes” (5.4.4-6). For Valentine, the forest is a place where he feels free to fully give into the emotional turmoil of being in love, free from the restrictions of society.