THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA: A METAMORPHIC PLAY
Open Access
- Author:
- Meehan, Celia Jean
- Area of Honors:
- Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Stephen Wheeler, Thesis Supervisor
Stephen Wheeler, Thesis Supervisor
Mary Lou Zimmerman Munn, Thesis Honors Advisor
Dr. Paul B Harvey Jr, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Ovid
Shakespeare
Metamorphoses
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
metamorphosis - Abstract:
- This thesis, The Two Gentlemen of Verona: a Metamorphic Play, investigates the influence that the Roman poet Ovid had on Shakespeare in the writing of his comedy. Shakespeare’s knowledge of Ovid is examined, providing evidence for allusions to the Metamorphoses and Heroides within The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare was particularly interested in the metamorphoses witnessed in the Metamorphoses. The thesis treats two types of metamorphoses: physical metamorphosis, the hallmark of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and the emotional, psychological metamorphosis which interested Shakespeare. The latter type of metamorphosis is analyzed in the main characters of the play, leading to their categorization as metamorphic. These analyses are also used categorize the play as a “metamorphic” work. Special attention is paid to the main character, Proteus. The sources for his name and his nature are investigated in classical texts, such as the Odyssey and the Metamorphoses, with the conclusion that his name and actions reflect his roots in mythology. Proteus’ continual, shape-shifting metamorphoses are different from the one-way metamorphosis of each of the other main characters, who are transformed by love. Consequently, the thesis investigates the different types of metamorphoses contained in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. By examining the allusions and parallels to physical and emotional metamorphoses of characters found within Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the play is also categorized as metamorphic.