Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love you
Now Valentine is banished from her sight.
Thurio, don't worry—she will love you now that Valentine has been sent away from her.
Thurio, relax—she'll fall for you now that Valentine's gone.
she'll like you once valentine's gone
Since his exile she hath despised me most,
Forsworn my company and railed at me,
That I am desperate of obtaining her.
Since he was exiled, she has despised me most, refused my company, and criticized me, so I've lost all hope of winning her.
Since Valentine left, she's been totally disgusted by me, won't hang out with me, and keeps talking trash about me, so I'm pretty hopeless.
she hates me, won't see me, talks trash about me
This weak impress of love is as a figure
Trenched in ice, which with an hour’s heat
Dissolves to water and doth lose his form.
A little time will melt her frozen thoughts,
And worthless Valentine shall be forgot.
This weak sign of love is like a figure carved in ice, which dissolves into water with an hour of heat, losing its shape. A little time will melt her frozen feelings, and Valentine, who isn't worth it, will be forgotten.
Her love for him is so weak, it's like a picture carved in ice that just melts and disappears after a little heat. Give it time and her cold feelings will warm up, and Valentine—who's not even worth it—will be totally forgotten.
her love melts like ice in heat time will make her forget him
How now, Sir Proteus? Is your countryman,
According to our proclamation, gone?
Well, Sir Proteus? Has your countryman left, as my proclamation required?
So Proteus, your friend from back home—he's gone, right? Like I ordered?
proteus ur countryman gone like i ordered
Gone, my good lord.
He's gone, my lord.
He's left, sir.
he's gone
My daughter takes his going grievously.
My daughter is taking his departure very hard.
My daughter is really upset about him leaving.
my daughter's taking it hard
A little time, my lord, will kill that grief.
A little time, my lord, will end that sadness.
Time will fix that sadness, sir.
time will heal that pain
So I believe, but Thurio thinks not so.
Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee,
For thou hast shown some sign of good desert,
Makes me the better to confer with thee.
I believe so, but Thurio doesn't think that way. Proteus, I think highly of you—because you've shown some signs of merit—which makes me more comfortable talking with you.
I think you're right, but Thurio's not so sure. Proteus, I have a good opinion of you since you've shown some real promise, and that makes me feel better about confiding in you.
you've shown promise, so i trust you
Longer than I prove loyal to your Grace
Let me not live to look upon your Grace.
May I stop living if I'm ever less than completely loyal to you.
I'd rather be dead than betray your trust.
i'd rather die than be disloyal
Thou know’st how willingly I would effect
The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter?
You know how much I want to arrange a marriage between Thurio and my daughter?
You know I really want to set up a match between Thurio and my daughter?
you know i want them married?
I do, my lord.
I understand completely, my lord.
Yes, sir.
yeah i know
And also, I think, thou art not ignorant
How she opposes her against my will?
And I think you also know how she refuses to go along with my wishes?
And you know she keeps refusing to do what I want?
and you know she won't listen
She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.
She was, my lord, while Valentine was present.
Yes sir, especially when Valentine was around.
yeah, when valentine was here
Ay, and perversely she persevers so.
What might we do to make the girl forget
The love of Valentine, and love Sir Thurio?
Yes, and stubbornly she continues to do so. What could we do to make my daughter forget her love for Valentine and fall for Thurio instead?
Yeah, and she keeps being stubborn about it. How can we get my daughter to stop loving Valentine and start loving Thurio?
how do we make her forget valentine and like thurio?
The best way is to slander Valentine
With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent,
Three things that women highly hold in hate.
The best way is to attack Valentine with lies, accusing him of cowardice and low birth—three things women really hate.
Best bet is to trash Valentine with false stories about him being a coward and coming from nothing—three things women hate.
trash valentine with lies about cowardice, low birth
Ay, but she’ll think that it is spoke in hate.
Yes, but she'll think you're saying it out of hatred.
But she'll think you're just doing that out of spite.
she'll think you're doing it out of hate
Ay, if his enemy deliver it;
Therefore it must with circumstance be spoken
By one whom she esteemeth as his friend.
Yes, if his enemy delivers the message; so it must be done carefully and by someone she respects as his friend.
Yeah, if his enemy says it. So it needs to be someone she thinks is his friend telling her.
gotta come from someone she thinks is his friend
Then you must undertake to slander him.
Then you must be the one to attack his character.
Then you're the one who needs to trash him.
you gotta do the trashing
And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do.
’Tis an ill office for a gentleman,
Especially against his very friend.
And I really don't want to do that. It's a dishonorable job for a gentleman, especially against someone who's supposed to be his friend.
And I really hate doing this. It's not what a gentleman should do, especially to someone he's supposed to be friends with.
i don't want to. it's dishonorable, he's my friend
Where your good word cannot advantage him,
Your slander never can endamage him;
Therefore the office is indifferent,
Being entreated to it by your friend.
If your good words can't help him, then your bad words can't hurt him; so the task is neutral, especially since your friend is asking you to do it.
Look, if your praise doesn't help him, then your criticism doesn't hurt him, right? So it's harmless, especially since your friend is asking you to.
if praise doesn't help, criticism doesn't hurt. it's fine
You have prevailed, my lord. If I can do it
By aught that I can speak in his dispraise,
She shall not long continue love to him.
But say this weed her love from Valentine,
It follows not that she will love Sir Thurio.
You've persuaded me, my lord. If I can criticize him in any way that makes a difference, she won't stay in love with him long. But even if I succeed in breaking her love away from Valentine, it doesn't mean she'll fall in love with Thurio.
You got me, sir. If I can say anything bad about him that'll work, she'll stop loving him. But just because I break them up doesn't mean she'll automatically love Thurio.
ok i'll trash him. but breaking them up doesn't mean she'll like thurio
Therefore, as you unwind her love from him,
Lest it should ravel and be good to none,
You must provide to bottom it on me,
Which must be done by praising me as much
As you in worth dispraise Sir Valentine.
So as you untangle her love from him—or it might tangle up badly and be worthless—you need to make sure it lands on me, which means you have to praise me just as much as you criticize Valentine.
So while you're breaking her love for him—before it just becomes a tangled mess—you gotta make sure she falls for me by praising me as much as you trash Valentine.
unwind her love from him & tie it to me—praise me as much as you trash him
And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind
Because we know, on Valentine’s report,
You are already Love’s firm votary
And cannot soon revolt and change your mind.
Upon this warrant shall you have access
Where you with Silvia may confer at large—
For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy,
And, for your friend’s sake, will be glad of you—
Where you may temper her by your persuasion
To hate young Valentine and love my friend.
And Proteus, I can trust you with this because I know—based on Valentine's account—that you're already a committed follower of Love and won't easily change your mind. On this assurance, you'll be allowed access to where you and Silvia can talk freely—for she's sad, heavy-hearted, and melancholy, and out of respect for your friend, she'll be glad to see you—where you can persuade her through conversation to hate young Valentine and love my friend.
And Proteus, I can trust you with this because Valentine told me you're a real believer in Love and don't change your mind easily. With this promise, I'll give you access to talk with Silvia alone—she's been sad and gloomy, but out of respect for Valentine, she'll be happy to see you—and you can talk her into hating Valentine and loving Thurio instead.
valentine vouches for you. silvia will see you. convince her to hate valentine & love thurio
As much as I can do I will effect.
But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough.
You must lay lime to tangle her desires
By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes
Should be full-fraught with serviceable vows.
I'll do everything I can. But you, Thurio, aren't being clever enough. You need to capture her heart with sad love poems, whose carefully crafted rhymes should be full of devoted promises.
I'll do my best. But Thurio, you're not being sharp enough. You gotta use sad poems to win her over, with rhymes packed full of romantic promises.
do my best. thurio, you need sad love poems
Ay, much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.
Poetry has huge power, born from heaven itself.
Yeah, poetry is incredibly powerful.
poetry is powerful
Say that upon the altar of her beauty
You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart.
Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears
Moist it again, and frame some feeling line
That may discover such integrity.
For Orpheus’ lute was strung with poets’ sinews,
Whose golden touch could soften steel and stones,
Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans
Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands.
After your dire-lamenting elegies,
Visit by night your lady’s chamber-window
With some sweet consort; to their instruments
Tune a deploring dump; the night’s dead silence
Will well become such sweet-complaining grievance.
This, or else nothing, will inherit her.
Say that on the altar of her beauty you sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart. Write until your ink runs dry, and use your tears to moisten it again, and compose some moving lines that show your sincerity. For Orpheus' lute was strung with the sinews of poets, whose magical touch could soften steel and stone, make tigers tame, and cause massive sea creatures to leave the depths and dance on the shore. After your heart-wrenching sad poems, visit her bedroom window at night with some sweet music; to the instruments, play a mournful tune; the dead silence of night will make such sweet, sorrowful words even more beautiful. This—or nothing—is what will win her.
Tell her that on the altar of her beauty you're offering your tears, your sighs, your heart. Write until your pen runs out, then wet the ink again with your tears and write some real, honest lines. Look at Orpheus—his lute was strung with poets' power, and that magic touch could soften steel and stone, tame tigers, and bring sea monsters out of the deep to dance on shore. After you've written sad poems, go sing outside her window at night with some musicians; play mournful music; the quiet night will make it all more touching. That—or nothing else—will make her yours.
write poems, offer tears & sighs, serenade at night with music that's how you win her
This discipline shows thou hast been in love.
This advice shows you've been in love before.
You clearly know what you're talking about—you've been in love.
you've been in love, huh
And thy advice this night I’ll put in practice.
Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver,
Let us into the city presently
To sort some gentlemen well skilled in music.
I have a sonnet that will serve the turn
To give the onset to thy good advice.
And I'll put your advice into practice tonight. Therefore, dear Proteus, my guide in this, let's go into the city right now to find some musicians who know their craft. I have a poem that will work well to kick off your advice.
And I'm gonna do what you said tonight. So Proteus, since you're my guide here, let's head into the city right now to find some good musicians. I've got a poem ready to go with your plan.
i'll do it tonight. let's find musicians. got a poem ready
About it, gentlemen!
About it, gentlemen!
about it, gentlemen!
about it, gentlemen!
We’ll wait upon your Grace till after supper,
And afterward determine our proceedings.
We'll wait on your orders until after dinner, and then we'll plan our next steps.
We'll be at your service till after dinner, then we figure out what to do next.
we'll wait for you after dinner, then plan next steps
Even now about it! I will pardon you.
Go on with it right now! You're excused from waiting.
Get going now! No need to wait for me.
get going now, don't wait
The Reckoning
Proteus gets official permission to betray his best friend, and in the same move gets private access to the woman he wants. He is the one who proposes slander, but he makes a show of calling it 'an ill office' and lets the Duke talk him into it. The Duke trusts him only because Valentine has vouched that Proteus is firmly devoted to Julia. That irony runs through the whole scene. Notice how Proteus steers everything: Thurio leaves thinking he has a loyal adviser, the Duke thinks he has a loyal servant, and the audience knows both are wrong. His long speech about Orpheus and midnight serenades is lovely poetry offered for a cynical purpose.
If this happened today…
Your manager and a coworker are trying to get a client to drop her favourite vendor, who just got blacklisted, and move to the coworker's firm. You say the smartest move is to quietly bad-mouth the old vendor, and it should come from someone she sees as his friend. They look at you. You sigh that it feels a bit unethical, then agree. You get unlimited one-on-one meetings with the client and hand your coworker a pitch-deck checklist to keep him busy. Everyone thanks you. Nobody has realised you want the account yourself.