There has been much debate about the sincerity of Proteus at the end of the show. I personally think that, to use an academic phrase, he is lying out of his ass. Now I'm not just saying that to be inflammatory, but because I have some textual back up. Throughout the play, Proteus has no trouble lying to everyone. He even comes up with some pretty elaborate cons for the Duke, but whenever he gets suddenly caught doing something he shouldn't, he can't think. His speech, which is usually flowing and chock full of metaphor, becomes clipped and to the point in lying. In Act 1, Scene 3 (Manchester 0), he is caught reading the letter that Julia gave him. When his dad asks him what it is, he responds with a very straightforward lie. He doesn't have the time to concoct a flowery trick, so he says the first thing he can think of (which we use for comedic effect). When his dad asks him to show him the letter, he starts, again rather clipped but builds into a more elaborate lie, which could be argued is the inciting event of the play. Likewise, in Act 5, Scene 4 (Liverpool 2), when he is caught assaulting Silvia, the first thing he says is "Valentine!" and that's all he can manage. Not flowery or in any way intelligent, but after Valentine has spoken, he comes back with a line that starts clipped but (like in 1.3) builds to a more elaborate apology. Only after Julia is revealed and he is now completely caught in his deceit that he comes up with his "were man but constant..." line. At that point he is supposedly reformed, but he seems to be going back to his old ways of verbal gymnastics. It reminds me of the end of A Clockwork Orange, how Alex (supposedly reformed) gives that one last wink to the camera that he is back to his old ways.
Let the discussion begin!
Hmm... So I think that this is definitely a valid way to read and perform Proteus. His name is further "textual" back up for your argument that lying comes so naturally to him. All I can offer is what an awful awful human being he is then and what idiots are Valentine and Julia if he is so evil. Reading him in this light only further reflects on the stupidity of these other two characters. Valentine is a trusting dupe and Julia is an abuse victim. I love problem plays, but man this is becoming horrible.
ReplyDeleteI might offer that Proteus is sincere in his ending, and while I have much textual argumentation for moments of Protean sincerety (what a wonderfully complicated phrase...) I will only point to one crux: His line after Valentine's rebuke. He begins, "My shame and guild confounds me." Not a shared line. Not a full pentameter line either. So how do you play the pause? If he's lying you can I guess build up to the line and have him go into it and not be contrite at all. But it's really a nice moment to show sincerety if you immediately jump on that line then Pause. After realizing this about shame and guilt he needs a moment to put it all together. To think it through and say the right thing here. I also have written much about this in my journal but I've become increasingly interested in "My shame and guilt" as his response. Why shame? What is shame? Remember we are in the woods and talking about men and women... there's something Biblical going on here. Valentine forces his friend to a moment of self-knowledge, forces him to feel shame after he was about to give license to his instincts. He gives him knowledge of good and evil and therefore Proteus feels shame. He also subsequently speaks of flying through all the sins and inconstancy FALLing off. Anyway, this has a more comedic resolution, and makes Valentine and Julia especially look better if Proteus is sincere.
Play him as you list, but I must disagree.
Well, here's one Valentine's pennythought. I wouldn't quite go to the sociopathic evil level, but I think that Proteus operates in a slightly different moral and emotional ground than the other characters. It goes back to the conversations we had about the basis of the friendship between V&P - Val as the jock-ish somewhat doofy guy and Proteus as the nerdy, bookish guy that Val cheats off of. Proteus seems to take less easily to being "in love" than Valentine, as opposed to being "a lover". I've said I think Val bases his "lover" on Proteus, but transitions to a point of being "in love" quickly and smoothly, as opposed to Proteus, who shows signs of desiring freedom even before leaving Verona.
ReplyDeleteLong way to get to this - Proteus is confused about his emotions...so much so that he threatens rape (whether or not he would actually have gone through with it...), the way I see Valentine forgiving him is with a hopeful but cautious eye. If he thought that you were that sociopathic character, I don't think that reconciliation happens so smoothly. Or, Val really is a giant idiot.