In the story ‘Two gentlemen of Verona’, the two orphan boys Jacopo and Nicola work immensely and exhaustively. They shine shoes, sell newspapers, run errands and show tourists round the city. They take only figs and black tea as food. They save every penny for the medical treatment of their sister Lucia who is suffering from Tuberculosis of the spine. The narrator himself admits that their willingness to work impressed him. They demonstrate an unusual devotion to their work. The objective of their hard work and purpose behind their half-starved daily routine is not known to many in Verona. Anyone may polish shoes or hawk newspapers but it is the magnanimity of heart and nobleness of purpose that actually determines whether one is a real gentleman or a hypocrite. Hence the title ‘‘Two gentlemen of Verona” is justified.
