PROTEUS

one of the two title characters in Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The fickle Proteus forsakes his longtime love, Julia, and betrays his friend Valentine in the hope of gaining Silvia's heart. Despite Proteus' attempted rape of Silvia, Valentine forgives him as does Julia. in Greek mythology, the prophetic old man of the sea and shepherd of the sea's flocks (e.g., seals). He was subject to the sea god Poseidon, and his dwelling place was either the island of Pharos, near the mouth of the Nile River, or the island of Carpathus, between Crete and Rhodes. He knew all thingspast, present, and futurebut disliked telling what he knew. Those who wished to consult him had first to surprise and bind him during his noonday slumber. Even when caught he would try to escape by assuming all sorts of shapes. But if his captor held him fast, the god at last returned to his proper shape, gave the wished-for answer, and plunged into the sea. From his power of assuming whatever shape he pleased, Proteus came to be regarded by some as a symbol of the original matter from which the world was created.