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The reference to the codpiece as a pincushion is Lucetta's ay of saying that Julia will have nothing inside to interfere with that use It may also be a sardonic reference tothat pins ement, Julia remains firm in her determination to make the trip

from Mantua

Valentine, traveling sadly away froh which he is passing Valentine points out he has nokilled a man in a duel

The fact that he has no money spoils him as a victim; the fact that he has killed a man commends him as a comrade; and the fact that he is handsome seems to have an effect also The Third Outlaw says:

By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar,

This felloere a king for our wild faction!

- Act IV, scene i, lines 36-37

Any lish audience of Robin Hood, and Shakespeare is usually very responsive to his audience The "fat friar" is, of course, Friar Tuck, who scarcely needs further words to an American audience either

The outlaws then introduce theentlemen who have been outlawed for so h birth As the Second Outlaw says, in what see his own outlawry:

And I froentleman

Who, in my mood, I stabbed unto the heart

- Act IV, scene i, lines 50-51

Mantua was brieflyof the Shrew as the hoe II-454) It is about twenty-five miles southwest of Verona and in Shakespeare's tune (and for nearly five centuries before) it was an independent duchy

at Pentecost

Meanwhile, Proteus continues to betray everyone in sight Having abandoned Julia and having treated Valentine most despicably, he is now prepared to double-cross Thurio Under the pretense of pushing the latter's suit with Silvia, Proteus woos her for hi for her the lovely ballad "Who is Silvia?"

Julia, in her uise, has come in time to hear it and understands at once the extent of Proteus' duplicity She also hears Silvia nobly remain faithful to her Valentine and scorn Proteus as a traitor Silvia urges Proteus to return to Julia (of whom she has apparently heard)

Silvia plans to flee from Milan and make her way to Valentine, wherever he is, while Julia decides to carry her plan one step further by atteain employment with Proteus as his servant, under the name of Sebastian

Proteus does indeed eo-betith Silvia Sebastian and Silvia fall to discussing Julia, and Silvia wants to kno tall she is Sebastian says:

About my stature: for, at Pentecost,

When all our pageants of delight were played,

Our youth got me to play the woman's part,

And I was triown,

Which served ments

As if the garment had been made for me

- Act IV, scene iv, lines 158-63

Pentecost was originally a Jewish harvest festival ("Shabuoth") celebrated seven weeks after Passover (The Hebreord means "weeks") Its celebration ca from the first day of Passover For that reason it received the na "fiftieth"

Pentecost ganificance because it was on that day, the first celebration after the crucifixion of Jesus, that the apostles received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Thus, in Acts 2:1-4, it says: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there cahty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto theues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of thean to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance"

Consequently, Pentecost remained an important Christian holiday and was celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter

Easter and Pentecost were favored tiland and other parts of northern Europe Pentecost was the more often used because it came in a warmer season of the year (late May or early June) Since the newly baptized generally hite for a week to signify the neashed purity of their souls, Pentecost is coland Some speculate that this is really "Wit Sunday" ("Wisdo the time when spiritual wisdom rained down upon the apostles

Naturally, Pentecost was a joyous holiday and was celebrated with dances, plays, and other outdoor amusements

Ariadne passioning

Julia describes her Pentecost role, saying:

/ did play a lamentable part

Mada

For Theseus' perjury and unjust flight,

- Act IV, scene iv, lines 166-68

Julia, in her guise as Sebastian, is thinking of herself, of course, for she is e I-31)

Silvia I give thee

But now the action speeds up bewilderingly

Silvia flees Milan to seek for Valentine Her father, the Duke, and also Thurio and Proteus leave in pursuit of her while Julia follows Proteus

Silvia is captured by the outlaws and is rescued by Proteus, but she still refuses to listen to his protestations of love (which Valentine overhears, so that he learns the truth at last)

The desperate Proteus threatens rape and then, finally, Valentine confronts his false friend After Valentine's tongue-lashing, Proteus tearfully repents and at once Valentine forgives him Valentine does more than that, in fact He says:

that my love may appear plain and free,

All that was ive thee

- Act V, scene iv, lines 82-83

Most critics find it utterly beyond the bounds of reason to suppose that Valentine should on an instant forgive an all-but-unforgivable falseness in his friend and then abandon his love to hi of the insult offered Silvia in treating her as though she were a sack of wheat to be bartered Some suspect a corrupt text, an ill-remembered denouement, a cut version

Any of these possibilities ued that Shakespeare meant it exactly as it stands There is some reason to suspect that Shakespeare e I-4), but there are no outright homosexuals in his plays except for Patroclus in Troilus and Cressida (see page I-98), and that was enforced by the Greek tale Nevertheless, there are a number of cases in the romances in which friendship between e used between them is suspiciously ardent The case of Valentine and Proteus is one of the to er emotion than that between the opposite sexes

When Proteus gives up Silvia after being reproached by Valentine and then asks forgiveness, he is ireater (male), and what can Valentine do but reciprocate and hand the lesser love back?

Fortunately for heterosexual sensibilities, this does not happen When Valentine makes his offer, "Sebastian" swoons Her true identity is discovered and the repentant Proteus is thus reunited with his ever true Julia

The Duke and Thurio are also captured by the outlaws and Thurio shows himself to be a coward, while Valentine's bravery is conspicuous The Duke of Milan therefore consents to have Valentine iven and are taken into the employ of the Duke All is happy as the curtain descends