Act V, Scene 4 — Valentine's Soliloquy
from The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Written by William Shakespeare
Valentine, living in exile in the forest, reflects on how he has grown accustomed to solitude. He laments his separation from Silvia and expresses his deep melancholy before being interrupted by the arrival of others.
VALENTINE: How use doth breed a habit in a man!
This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods,
I better brook than flourishing peopled towns.
Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
And to the nightingale’s complaining notes
Tune my distresses, and record my woes.
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