THURIO          Yonder is Silvia, and Silvia’s mine.

VALENTINE    Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death.

Come not within the measure of my wrath.

Do not name Silvia thine. If once again,

Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands.

Take but possession of her with a touch –

I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.

THURIO Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I.

I hold him but a fool that will endanger

His body for a girl that loves him not.

I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.            (5.4.123-133)

Thurio’s like a grabby child, pushing in, full of aggression and grievance: yonder is Silvia, and Silvia’s mine! She’s mine, gimme gimme! Does he lunge, make a movement towards her? Valentine is smoothly in charge (and the outlaws perhaps growl too): Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death. You touch her, you die. Come not within the measure of my wrath; you really don’t want to make me angry. Or get too close. Do not name Silvia thine; don’t even say it. Thurio perhaps starts to splutter and protest, but Valentine’s in control: if once again—if you say another word, make another false move—Verona shall not hold thee. (He means Milan, logically, but, whatever, the sense is clear: this town’s not big enough for the both of us. Back off!) Here she stands; look, there she is. Take but possession of her with a touch—touch her in any way at all to indicate possession or familiarity—I dare thee but to breathe upon my love. In fact don’t even breathe on her, let alone touch her. Don’t you so much as come near her.

And like a child, Thurio decides that he didn’t want it in the first place. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I. Don’t like her anyway! (Or there could be genuine panic, at least initially.) Then a bit bolder and at once more petulant, and or rueful: I hold him but a fool that will endanger his body for a girl that loves him not. I’m not stupid enough to get into a fight over a girl who clearly loves someone else. I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. I’m giving up all my possible interest here—you can have her.

Does anyone ask Silvia what she thinks? No of course not. But there’s scope for business, not least with Julia. SPEAKING LOOKS.