The Two Gentlemen of Verona Violence Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Act.Scene.Line). Line numbers correspond to the Norton edition.

Quote #1

LUCETTA
But in what habit will you go along?
JULIA
Not like a woman, for I would prevent
The loose encounters of lascivious men.
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds
As may beseem some well-reputed page. (2.7.39-43)

Julia dons a disguise while she travels to Milan in order to ward off "lascivious" men who might attack a woman travelling alone.

Quote #2

THIRD OUTLAW
Know, then, that some of us are gentlemen,
Such as the fury of ungoverned youth
Thrust from the company of awful men.
Myself was from Verona banishèd
For practicing to steal away a lady,
An heir, and near allied unto the Duke. (4.1.44-49)

The Third Outlaw reveals something peculiar when he explains to Valentine why he was banished from the court – he got kicked out for trying to "steal away a lady." There are a couple of ways to read this. On the one hand, we can assume that the outlaw was planning on eloping with a woman (like Valentine was planning to elope with Silvia). On the other hand, we could read the phrase "to steal away a lady" as a confession of an attempted assault.

Quote #3

VALENTINE
I take your offer and will live with you,
Provided that you do no outrages
On silly women or poor passengers. (4.1.70-72)

Valentine agrees to be the outlaws' leader, on the condition that that they "do no outrages" on women. What kind of "outrages" is he afraid they'll commit, exactly? Robbery? Rape? Something else? No wonder Julia was so afraid to travel alone.