Original: My gracious lord, that which I would discover
Modern: My honorable lord, what I’m about to tell you

Original: The law of friendship bids me to conceal;
Modern: The rules of friendship tell me I should keep secret;

Original: But when I call to mind your gracious favours
Modern: But when I remember all the kind things

Original: Done to me, undeserving as I am,
Modern: You’ve done for me, even though I don’t deserve them,

Original: My duty pricks me on to utter that
Modern: My sense of duty forces me to speak about something

Original: Which else no worldly good should draw from me.
Modern: That nothing else in the world could make me reveal.

Original: Know, worthy prince, Sir Valentine, my friend,
Modern: You should know, noble duke, that Sir Valentine, my friend,

Original: This night intends to steal away your daughter:
Modern: Plans to run away with your daughter tonight:

Original: Myself am one made privy to the plot.
Modern: I’m someone who knows about this secret plan.

Original: I know you have determined to bestow her
Modern: I know you’ve decided to give her in marriage

Original: On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates;
Modern: To Thurio, who your sweet daughter can’t stand;

Original: And should she thus be stol’n away from you,
Modern: And if she gets taken away from you like this,

Original: It would be much vexation to your age.
Modern: It would cause you terrible grief in your old age.

Original: Thus, for my duty’s sake, I rather chose
Modern: So, because of my duty to you, I’d rather choose

Original: To cross my friend in his intended drift
Modern: To work against my friend’s planned scheme

Original: Than, by concealing it, heap on your head
Modern: Than, by keeping it secret, pile on your head

Original: A pack of sorrows which would press you down,
Modern: A load of troubles that would crush you down,

Original: Being unprevented, to your timeless grave.
Modern: If left unchecked, straight to your early grave.

In Act III, Scene 1 of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” the Duke of Milan discovers that his daughter Silvia plans to elope with Valentine. Proteus, Valentine’s supposed friend, has betrayed Valentine’s confidence by revealing the elopement plot to the Duke. The Duke confronts Valentine and cleverly tricks him into revealing his plans by pretending he himself wishes to court a lady and needs advice on how to woo her and carry her away from her chamber window. Valentine innocently provides detailed instructions, even showing the Duke the rope ladder hidden beneath his cloak that he intended to use for Silvia’s escape.

Once the Duke examines the ladder and finds a letter from Silvia to Valentine hidden in his cloak, he angrily banishes Valentine from Milan, threatening him with death if he remains. Valentine is devastated by his sudden exile and by being separated from Silvia. After the Duke departs, Proteus and Launce arrive, with Proteus feigning sympathy for Valentine’s plight while privately pleased that his rival has been removed. Proteus urges Valentine to leave quickly to avoid the Duke’s wrath, and Speed arrives to report that Valentine must depart immediately. Valentine sorrowfully leaves Milan, lamenting his lost love and cursing Proteus’s treachery, though he does not yet realize the full extent of his friend’s betrayal.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona follows the friendship and romantic entanglements of Valentine and Proteus, two young gentlemen from Verona. The play opens with Valentine departing for Milan to experience court life, leaving behind his friend Proteus, who is deeply in love with Julia. Soon after, Proteus is also sent to Milan by his father, forcing him to leave Julia, though they secretly exchange rings as tokens of their love. Meanwhile, Julia decides to disguise herself as a young man named Sebastian and follow Proteus to Milan.

In Milan, Valentine has fallen in love with Silvia, the Duke’s daughter, and she returns his affection. However, when Proteus arrives and meets Silvia, he immediately forgets his love for Julia and becomes infatuated with his friend’s beloved. In an act of betrayal, Proteus reveals Valentine’s secret plan to elope with Silvia to her father, the Duke. As punishment, Valentine is banished from Milan and becomes the leader of a group of outlaws in the forest.

The climax unfolds in the forest where all the characters converge. Proteus pursues the disguised Julia (still dressed as Sebastian, who has become his page) and attempts to force his attentions on Silvia, who has fled to find Valentine. Valentine arrives just in time to stop the assault, and when Proteus expresses remorse, Valentine magnanimously offers to give up Silvia to restore their friendship. At this moment, Julia faints and reveals her true identity. The play concludes with the Duke’s arrival, his pardon of Valentine and the outlaws, and the restoration of proper romantic pairings: Valentine with Silvia and Proteus reunited with the forgiving Julia.