The First Folio is the sole authority for this play. The print house copy appears to have been Ralph Crane’s transcript either of Shakespeare’s foul papers or a theatrical manuscript.
The chronology of Shakespeare’s plays, especially regarding his early works, is difficult to assess accurately.
• Alfred Harbage in his PELICAN SHAKESPEARE (1969), for instance, placed ERRORS first (1590) followed by the three HENRY VI plays (1590–2), RICHARD III (1593), SHREW (1593), TITUS (1594), then TWO GENTLEMEN (1594), KING JOHN (1594), DREAM (1595), RICHARD II (1595) and LOVE’S LABOURS (1596).
• G. Blakemore Evans & J.J.M. Tobin in the RIVERSIDE SHAKESPEARE (1974/1997) rather place the three HENRY VI first (1589–91 / part 1 rev. 1594–5), followed by RICHARD III (1592–3), ERRORS (1592–4), EDWARD III (1592–5), TITUS (1593–4), SHREW (1593–4), then TWO GENTS (1594) and LOVE’S LABOURS (1594–5 / rev. 1597).
• Stanley Wells’ & Gary Taylor’s TEXTUAL COMPANION (1987) substantially alters these dates yet again placing TWO GENTS first (1590–1) and the TAMING OF THE SHREW second (1590–1), followed by 2 & 3 HENRY VI (1591), then 1 HENRY VI (1592), TITUS (1592), RICHARD III (1592–3), ERRORS (1594), and LOVE’S LABOURS (1594–5). Wells & Taylor did not include EDWARD III in their OXFORD edition of the Works (though they freely admit that any reinvestigation of the early canon would begin with this play). But they would probably tend to date EDWARD III around 1589–90, which is to say, even earlier than the recognized canon plays.
Be that as it may, the OXFORD chronology is — in terms of THE TWO GENTS, at least — compelling. And even the RIVERSIDE’s comedies’ editor, Anne Barton, lends some credence to it:
“Thirteen of [TWO GENTS] twenty scenes are realized entirely in terms of these three relatively uncomplicated dramatic techniques [soliloquy, duologue, and the aside as comment]. (…) The contrasted failure of THE TWO GENTS to make a success out of anything more extended than the duet seems to suggest that it was the work of a man still more at home with narrative or lyrical verse than with drama: a man who might well have turned subsequently to the discipline of Roman comedy [i.e. COMEDY OF ERRORS] in order to acquire certain formal theatrical skills he was conscious that he lacked. It is entirely possible that THE TWO GENTS was Shakespeare’s first professional play” (Riverside, p.178)
As most editors point out, Shakespeare is certainly tentative. He initially appears uncertain if his DUKE is indeed a “duke” or, rather, an “emperor” (1.3.41 & 58) and he is somewhat undecided as to the play’s actual location: Speed welcome’s Launce to Padua, (2.5.2/TLN 873), the Duke refers to a woman “here in Verona” (3.1.81/TLN 1150), and Valentine threatens Thurio that “Verona shall not hold thee” (5.4.129/TLN 2254) when the town in question is almost certainly MILANO.
The plays sudden resolution certainly stretches the bounds of either plausibility or necessity but TWO GENTS shows the early sketches of many of Shakespeare’s idiosyncratic themes (such as the Rivalry between lovers, Disguise and Dissemblance).
ACTS & SCENES are those of the FOLIO.
•1.1: line 1 (reads “Act 1 scene 1 begins at line 1″)
•1.2: line 152
•1.3: line 300
•2.1: line 395
•2.2: line 566
•2.3: line 591
•2.4: line 653
•2.5: line 871
•2.6: line 928
•2.7: line 974
•3.1: line 1067
•3.2: line 1444
•4.1: line 1543
•4.2: line 1621
•4.3: line 1765
•4.4: line 1818
•5.1: line 2024
•5.2: line 2038
•5.3: line 2099
•5.4: line 2117
_______________
Entrances & exits of Characters
According to their order of appearance.
• (2,66) reads “enters at line 2, exits at line 66″.
• DIGUISED as “Sebastian” (1649,2225)
is inserted at the end of JULIA’s list to indicate “duration” of her being disguised as Sebastian.
• (2118 [withdraws 2137,2181] 2298)
reads “character enters at line 2118, withdraws (or “hides”) from line 2137 to line 2181 (at which point he “reveals himself”), and exits at line 2298”.
• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
VALENTINE (a gentleman of Verona, friend of Proteus)
(2,66) (396,565) (654,845) (1120,1329) (1545,1620) (2118 [withdraws 2137,2181] 2298)
PROTEUS (a gentleman of Verona, friend of Valentine)
(2,151) (345,394) (567,590) (749,870) (929,973) (1068,1119) (1257,1324) (1455,1542) (1622,1757) (1857,1908) (2039,2096) (2138,2298)
SPEED (clown, servant to valentine)
(73,148) (396,565) (654,845) (872,927) (1345,1440) (1545,1620)
JULIA (beloved of Proteus)
(153,299) (567,584) (975,1066) (1649,1764) (1857,2023) (2039,2098) (2138,2298) / DIGUISED as “Sebastian” (1649,2225)
Lucetta (Julia’s waiting-woman)
(153,203) (221,263) (290,299) (975,1066)
ANTONIO (father of Proteus)
(301,379)
PANTHINO (servant to Antonio)
(301,379) (390,394) (587,590) (626,652)
SILVIA (daughter of the Duke, beloved of Valentine)
(485,525) (654,771) (1706,1755) (1771,1817) (1926,1996) (2025,2037) (2100,2116) (2138,2298)
LAUNCE & his dog Crab (clown, servant to Proteus)
(592,652) (872,927) (1247,1443) (1819,1879)
THURIO (betrothed to Silvia, foolish rival of Valentine)
(654,749) (1066,1071) (1445,1542) (1637,1705) (2039,2094) (2245,2298)
DUKE of Milano (father of Silvia)
(696,736) (767,771) (1068,1238) (1445,1542) (2068,2090) (2245,2298)
Outlaws (with Valentine)
(1545,1620) (2100,2116) (2245,2298)
Musicians
(1637,1707)
Host (where Julia lodges)
(1649,1764)
Eglamour (friend of Silvia)
(1766,1817) (2025,2037)
Ursula (attendant to Silvia)
(1926,1936) (1937,1996)
___________
JULIA: DIGUISED as “Sebastian” (1649,2225). Conscious (yellow)