Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Hope is a lover's staff; walk hence with that And manage it against despairing thoughts.”
- Date
- c. 1590–1594
- Local voice
- Fictional character · Proteus
Meaning of “Hope is a lover's staff; walk hence with…”
Proteus describes hope as a walking staff for a lover who has been forced away from the person he loves: it offers something to lean on while facing separation. His advice is complicated by his own disloyalty to Valentine.
Where does it come from?
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, Scene 1: Proteus speaks to Valentine after the Duke banishes him. Although the words sound encouraging in isolation, Proteus has secretly betrayed Valentine’s plan. The MIT play transcription supplies the displayed public-domain wording and scene; this is fictional dialogue rather than Shakespeare’s personal confession.
Why the local voice matters
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, Scene 1; Proteus urges the banished Valentine to use hope against despair, even though Proteus himself arranged his betrayal.
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