Category: Elica’s Works

🎭 Eglamour:  where shall I meet you?  

Silvia:  At friar Patrick’s cell, where I intend holy confession.

— Eglamour & Silvia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-3

[ACTING TIPS]

Two people secretly meet at Friar’s cell.  She wants to escape from her house, and the man (Sir Eglamour) is helping her.

The context is different from Romeo & Juliet, who meet at Friar’s cell to get married, but I am amazed the similar situation Shakespeare uses.  “For holy confession” is also suggested by Nurse:  “Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?” 

Perhaps Shakespeare liked the idea of secret meeting at a Friar’s cell; perhaps he himself met his future wife Ann Hathaway at a Friar’s cell; or perhaps a Friar’s cell was the only safe place for young unmarried couple to exchange their love, at that era.

To play Eglamour here, I would be much worried, but wants to help her seriously.

To play Silvia here, I would be very excited and believe my own idea to meet at the Friar’s cell is the very good idea.

#shakespeare #english #actingtips #silvia  #eglamour #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

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🎭 Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good morrow.
— Silvia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-3

[ACTING TIPS]

Just a note on the words “a thousand times good tomorrow”

It reminds me of Juliet saying “a thousand times good night”.

Juliet wanted to prolong the time so that she can stay with Romeo longer.

But Sylvia says it because she has been waiting for this man’s arrival so bad.

Similar words, different context.  Interesting.

#shakespeare #english #actingtips #silvia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

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🎭 If ‘twere a substance you would sure deceive it 
And make it but a shadow, as I am.

— Julia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

[ACTING TIPS]

It is said after hearing Proteus saying: 
　I am but a shadow, And to your shadow will I make true love.

How heartbreaking!  Feeling that you are but a shadow.

Thinking of which, the self being a shadow appears again at one of the latest plays of Shakespeare, King Lear.  Lear asks his Fool what he is and Fool answers “Lear’s shadow.” 

Do you think Shakespeare remembers the line of Julia here, when he writes Lear?

#shakespeare #english #actingtips #julia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

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🎭 I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady, 
But she is dead.

— Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

[ACTING TIPS]

Proteus says this to Silvia the princess of Milan, that his former girlfriend (Julia) is dead, therefore, he can be in love without any obstacle.

This is heard by Julia herself, just arrived from Verona, disguised as a boy.

O, boy!

I would say this, to persuade Silvia that it is absolutely OK that I fall in love with you, pity me that my former lady is dead.

#shakespeare #english #actingtips #proteus  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

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🎭 By this pale queen of night I swear
— Silvia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

[ACTING TIPS]

Silvia swears by the moon that she will never change her heart toward Proteus.

When a character refers to ”night” or “moon”, the 16th century audience, in broad daylight of the open air theatre, immediately believed that it was happening at night.

“Pale queen of night” means the silver-blue moon.  The moon is pale with sorrow, also shows she is cold-hearted.

I think all these references are still popularly used in songs, poems, words in theatre or films, so we actors/directors need to know the symbolism.

This phrase also reminds me of Romeo, swearing his love to the moon and Juliet implores never do that for the moon changes its shape.

#shakespeare #english #actingtips #silvia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono