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Though the earliest mention of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is by Frances Meres in 1598, it is believed by many to be Shakespeare’s first play, and therefore to have been written well before then. Theatres in London were closed from 1593 to 1594 because of the plague, which prompted Shakespeare to stop acting and start writing, so it is highly likely that it was written it during this period. It may be, however, that the play was written as early as 1587.

The story is usually attributed to a Spanish prose romance, Diana Enamorada. Shakespeare’s Julia and Proteus were called Felismena and Felix, and an English play named after them was acted in London by the Queen’s Men in 1585. This may have given Shakespeare a start, but he altered much, adding the character of Valentine and the treachery of Proteus.

The idealised relationship between Silvia and Valentine is influenced by the medieval tradition of courtly love, some of the details of the plot can be found in Arthur Brooke’s poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562), and much of Speed’s wit and Launce’s clowning has its roots in John Lyly’s early comedies.