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"If you turn not, you will return the sooner."
Julia, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, II.ii

In contrast to the sexually driven Proteus and Julia, Launce, of the older generation, finds sexual desire of negligible importance. His mistress has "more hair that wit, more faults that hairs, and more wealth than thoughts ", but he is happy to take her because money is more important to him than sex. His attitude to sex is coarse in the extreme.

The older generation have a strong hold over the youth of the play. Proteus' fear of his father prevents him from telling Antonio that he would rather stay in Verona with Julia than go to Milan. If Proteus had been given the freedom to express his wishes it is highly probable that he would have stayed with Julia.

In Milan, the parental control is even greater. Like Launce, the Duke has a practical attitude to marriage and wants his daughter to marry for wealth rather than love. Like Rapunzel, in the well- known fairy-tale, Sylvia is locked in a tower to forbid access from suitors. The Duke's power over Sylvia and lack of concern for her wishes means that she must live unhappily or behave unchastely. The harsh punishment she and Valentine receive for their planned elopement proves, arguably, that they were right to conduct their love affair in secret. Sylvia, unlike Proteus, has the bravery to challenge her father's wishes.