Biography

The fictional male protagonist from William Shakespeare's play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Valentine travels to Milan in order to woo Silvia, the daughter of a wealthy Duke. Valentine's friend Proteus follows him to Milan and also falls for Silvia despite his commitment to a woman named Julia. Like Proteus, Julia also travels to Milan but dressed as a page boy to see the reason for his abrupt departure. Love entanglements lead to further trouble as Proteus tries to force himself on Silvia and Valentine becomes leader to a band of bandits. By the end of the story, Silvia's honor is saved by Valentine and Proteus and Julia resolve their differences; the couples marry.