8 January 2024

PROTEUS       He after honour hunts, I after love.

He leaves his friends to dignify them more,

I leave myself, my friends, and all, for love.

Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me,

Made me neglect my studies, lose my time,

War with good counsel, set the world at naught;

Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought. (1.1.63-69)

A little moment of reflection from Proteus which is also a recap, and a little more exposition. So Valentine is off out into the big wide world to make a name for himself—he after honour hunts, I after love—but for me, love is my only occupation and preoccupation. It’s all I think about, my only pursuit. Valentine leaves his friends to dignify them more: he’s left home, left his family behind, in order to make them proud of him, to improve their fortunes and bring honour to his house. Me, though? I leave myself, my friends, and all, for love. I’m literally beside myself, a dead loss, letting everyone down. But it’s not my own fault! (Apparently.) Thou, Julia—ah, a name! she exists!—thou hast metamorphosed me. I have been transformed by a GIRL, who would have thought it, me, named after that shape-shifting ever-changing classical sea-god. But I’m in a bad way: she has made (‘made’) me neglect my studies (can’t concentrate, falling behind; also, confirms that Proteus and Valentine are very young), lose my time, staring into space, can’t keep track, no idea where the day goes and I haven’t achieved anything. And I war with good counsel—I can’t, or won’t, take any advice, I’m not listening to anyone who tries to help me—as just demonstrated in the conversation with Valentine. And I set the world at naught. Nothing matters, no business, no work, no society, no everyday concerns. Julia has made my wit with musing weak, and my heart sick with thought. I’m really in a bad way: slow on the uptake, dull, boring, because I keep daydreaming, dwelling, thinking about Her. I’m lovesick! I’m in a terrible state, and it’s all her fault!