Twelfth Night

[Dramatis PersonaeOrsino, Duke (sometimes called Count) of IllyriaValentine, gentleman attending on Orsino Curio, gentleman attending on OrsinoViola, a shipwrecked lady, later disguised as CesarioSebastian, twin brother of ViolaAntonio, a sea captain, friend to Sebastiancaptain of the shipwrecked vesselOlivia, a rich countess of IllyriaMaria, gentlewoman in Olivia's householdsir Toby belch, Olivia's unclesir Andrew Aguecheek, a companion of Sir TobyMalvolio, steward of Olivia's householdFabian, a member of Olivia's householdFeste, a clown, also called fool, Olivia's jestera priestfirst officer second officerLords, Sailors, Musicians, and other Attendantsscene: Illyria]1.1 Location: Orsino's court.0.1 Illyria Nominally on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea, but with a suggestion also of "illusion" and "delirium."4 fall cadence9 quick and fresh keen and hungry12 validity value.   pitch superiority. (Literally the highest point of a falcon's flight.)13 abatement depreciation. (The lover's brain entertains innumerable fantasies but soon tires of them all.)14 shapes imagined forms.   fancy love15 it . . . fantastical it surpasses everything else in imaginative power.17 the noblest . . . have i.e., my noblest part, my heart. (Punning on hart.)21 fell fierce22 pursue me (Alludes to the story in Ovid of Actaeon, who, having seen Diana bathing, was transformed into a stag and killed by his own hounds.)1.1  A  Enter Orsino Duke of Illyria, Curio, and otherlords [with musicians].OrsinoIf music be the food of love, play on;Give me excess of it, that surfeiting,The appetite may sicken and so die.That strain again! It had a dying fall; 4Oh, it came o'er my ear like the sweet soundThat breathes upon a bank of violets,Stealing and giving odor. Enough, no more.'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou, 9That, notwithstanding thy capacityReceiveth as the sea, naught enters there,Of what validity and pitch Soe'er, 12But falls into abatement and low price 13Even in a minute! So full of shapes is fancy 14That it alone is high fantastical. 15curioWill you go hunt, my lord?Orsino What, Curio?curio The hart.OrsinoWhy, so I do, the noblest that I have. 17Oh, when mine eyes did see Olivia first,Methought she purged the air of pestilence.That instant was I turned into a hart,And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, 21E'er since pursue me.Enter Valentine. How now, what news from her? 2225 element sky.   seven years' heat seven summers27 Cloistress nun secluded in a religious community29 season keep fresh. (Playing on the idea of the salt in her tears.)30 A brother's dead love her love for her dead brother and the memory of his love for her32 frame construction34 golden shaft Cupid's golden-tipped arrow, causing love. (His lead-tipped arrow causes aversion.)35 affections else other feelings36-8 when . . . king i.e., when passion, thought, and feeling all sit in majesty in their proper thrones (liver, brain, and heart), and her sweet perfections are brought to completion by her union with a single lord and husband.1.2 Location: The seacoast.4 Elysium classical abode of the blessed dead.5-6 Perchance . . . perchance Perhaps . . . by mere chancevalentineSo please my lord, I might not be admitted,But from her handmaid do return this answer:The element itself, till seven years' heat, 25Shall not behold her face at ample view;But like a cloistress she will veiled walk, 27And water once a day her chamber roundWith eye-offending brine–all this to season 29A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh 30And lasting in her sad remembrance.OrsinoOh, she that hath a heart of that fine frame 32To pay this debt of love but to a brother,How will she love, when the rich golden shaft 34Hath killed the flock of all affections else 35That live in her; when liver, brain, and heart, 36These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and filled 37Her sweet perfections, with one self king! 38Away before me to sweet beds of flowers.Love-thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers.Exeunt.1.2  A  Enter Viola, a Captain, and sailors.Viola  What country, friends, is this?captain  This is Illyria, lady.ViolaAnd what should I do in Illyria?My brother he is in Elysium. 4Perchance he is not drowned. What think you, sailors? 5captainIt is perchance that you yourself were saved. 6ViolaOh, my poor brother! And so perchance may he be.8 chance i.e., what one may hope that chance will bring about11 driving drifting, driven by the seas14 lived i.e., kept afloat15 Arion a Greek poet who so charmed the dolphins with his lyre that they saved him when he leaped into the sea to escape murderous sailors19-21 unfoldeth . . . him offers a hopeful example that he may have escaped similarily, to which hope your speech provides support.30 late lately32 murmur rumor33 less social inferiorscaptainTrue, madam, and to comfort you with chance, 8Assure yourself, after our ship did split,When you and those poor number saved with youHung on our driving boat, I saw your brother, 11Most provident in peril, bind himself,Courage and hope both teaching him the practice,To a strong mast that lived upon the sea; 14Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back, 15I saw him hold acquaintance with the wavesSo long as I could see.viola  For saying so, there's gold. [She gives money.]Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope, 19Whereto thy speech serves for authority, 20The like of him. Know'st thou this country? 21captainAy, madam, well, for I was bred and bornNot three hours' travel from this very place.viola  Who governs here?captain  A noble duke, in nature as in name.viola  What is his name?captain  Orsino.violaOrsino! I have heard my father name him.He was a bachelor then.captainAnd so is now, or was so very late; 30For but a month ago I went from hence,And then 'twas fresh in murmur–as, you know, 32What great ones do the less will prattle of– 33That he did seek the love of fair Olivia.viola  What's she?captainA virtuous maid, the daughter of a count42 delivered revealed, made known. (With suggestion of "born.")43 Till . . . mellow until the time is ripe for my purpose44 estate social rank.   compass encompass, bring about46 not not even48 though that though51 character face or features as indicating moral qualities.54-5 as haply . . . intent as may suit the nature of my purpose.56 eunuch castrato, high-voiced singer59 allow prove61 wit plan, invention.62 mute silent attendant. (Sometimes used of nonspeaking actors.)That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving herIn the protection of his son, her brother,Who shortly also died; for whose dear love,They say, she hath abjured the sightAnd company of men.viola Oh, that I served that lady,And might not be delivered to the world 42Till I had made mine own occasion mellow, 43What my estate is!captain That were hard to compass, 44Because she will admit no kind of suit,No, not the Duke's. 46violaThere is a fair behavior in thee, Captain,And though that nature with a beauteous wall 48Doth oft close in pollution, yet of theeI will believe thou hast a mind that suitsWith this thy fair and outward character. 51I prithee, and I'll pay thee bounteously,Conceal me what I am, and be my aidFor such disguise as haply shall become 54The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke. 55Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him. 56It may be worth thy pains, for I can singAnd speak to him in many sorts of musicThat will allow me very worth his service. 59What else may hap, to time I will commit;Only shape thou thy silence to my wit. 61captainBe you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be; 62When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see.viola  I thank thee. Lead me on. Exeunt.1.3 Location: Olivia's house.5 cousin kinswoman7 let . . . excepted i.e., let her take exception to my conduct all she wants; I don't care. (Plays on the legal phrase exceptis excipiendis, "with the exceptions before named.")9 modest moderate10 I'll . . . finer (1) I'll constrain myself no more rigorously (2) I'll dress myself no more finely12 An If20 tall brave. (But Maria pretends to take the word in the common sense.)22 ducats coins worth about four or five shillings23 he'll . . . ducats he'll spend all his money within a year.25-6 viol-de-gamboys viola da gamba, leg-viol, bass viol27 without book by heart29 natural (With a play on the sense "born idiot.")31 gift natural ability. (But shifted to mean "present" in line 33.)   allay the gust moderate the taste1.3  A  Enter Sir Toby [Belch] and Maria.sir Toby  What a plague means my niece to take thedeath of her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemyto life.Maria  By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earliero'nights. Your cousin, my lady, takes great exceptions  5to your ill hours.sir Toby  Why, let her except before excepted. 7Maria  Ay, but you must confine yourself within themodest limits of order. 9sir Toby  Confine? I'll confine myself no finer than I am.  10These clothes are good enough to drink in, and so bethese boots too. An they be not, let them hang them-  12selves in their own straps.Maria  That quaffing and drinking will undo you. Iheard my lady talk of it yesterday, and of a foolishknight that you brought in one night here to be herwooer.sir Toby  Who, Sir Andrew Aguecheek?Maria  Ay, he.sir Toby  He's as tall a man as any's in Illyria. 20Maria  What's that to the purpose?sir Toby  Why, he has three thousand ducats a year. 22Maria  Ay, but he'll have but a year in all these ducats.  23He's a very fool and a prodigal.sir Toby  Fie, that you'll say so! He plays o'th' viol-de-  25gamboys, and speaks three or four languages word  26for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of  27nature.Maria  He hath indeed, almost natural, for, besides that  29he's a fool, he's a great quarreler, and but that he haththe gift of a coward to allay the gust he hath in quar-  3134-5 substractors detractors40 coistrel horsegroom, base fellow42 parish top a large top provided by the parish to be spun by whipping, apparently for exercise.   Castiliano vulgo! (Of uncertain meaning. Possibly Sir Toby is saying "Speak of the devil!" Castiliano is the name adopted by a devil in Haughton's Grim the Collier of Croydon.)43 Agueface (Like Aguecheek, this name betokens the thin, pale countenance of one suffering from an ague or fever.)46 shrew i.e., diminutive creature. (But with probably unintended suggestion of shrewishness.)48 Accost Go alongside (a nautical term), i.e., greet her, address her50 chambermaid lady-in-waiting (a gentlewoman, not one who would do menial tasks).55 front confront, come alongside56 board greet, approach (as though preparing to board in a naval encounter)57 undertake have to do with. (Here with unintended sexual suggestion, to which Maria mirthfully replies with her jokes about dry jests, barren, and buttery-bar.)60 An . . . part If you let her leavereling, 'tis thought among the prudent he wouldquickly have the gift of a grave.sir Toby  By this hand, they are scoundrels and sub-  34stractors that say so of him. Who are they? 35Maria  They that add, moreover, he's drunk nightly inyour company.sir Toby  With drinking healths to my niece. I'll drinkto her as long as there is a passage in my throat anddrink in Illyria. He's a coward and a coistrel that will  40not drink to my niece till his brains turn o'th' toe likea parish top. What, wench? Castiliano vulgo! For here  42comes Sir Andrew Agueface. 43Enter Sir Andrew [Aguecheek].sir Andrew  Sir Toby Belch! How now, Sir Toby Belch?sir Toby  Sweet Sir Andrew!sir Andrew [to Maria]  Bless you, fair shrew. 46Maria  And you too, sir.sir Toby  Accost, Sir Andrew, accost. 48sir Andrew  What's that?sir Toby  My niece's chambermaid. 50sir Andrew  Good Mistress Accost, I desire betteracquaintance.Maria  My name is Mary, sir.sir Andrew  Good Mistress Mary Accost–sir Toby  You mistake, knight. "Accost" is front her,  55board her, woo her, assail her. 56sir Andrew  By my troth, I would not undertake her in  57this company. Is that the meaning of "accost"?Maria  Fare you well, gentlemen. [Going.]sir Toby  An thou let part so, Sir Andrew, would thou  60mightst never draw sword again.sir Andrew  An you part so, mistress, I would I might64 have . . . hand i.e., have to deal with fools. (But Maria puns on the literal sense.)66 Marry i.e., Indeed. (Originally, "By the Virgin Mary.")68 thought is free i.e., I may think what I like. (Proverbial; replying to do you think . . . in hand, above.)69 buttery-bar ledge on top of the half-door to the buttery or the wine cellar. (Maria's language is sexually suggestive, though Sir Andrew seems oblivious to that.)72 dry thirsty; also dried up, a sign of age and sexual debility75 dry (1) ironic (2) dull, barren. (Referring to Sir Andrew.)77 at my fingers' ends (1) at the ready (2) by the hand.78 barren i.e., empty of jests and of Sir Andrew's hand.79 thou . . . canary i.e., you look as if you need a drink. (Canary is a sweet wine from the Canary Islands.)82 put me down (1) baffle my wits (2) lay me out flat.89 Pourquoi Why91 tongues languages. (Sir Toby then puns on "tongs," curling irons.)92 bearbaiting the sport of setting dogs on a chained bear.93 the arts the liberal arts, learning. (But Sir Toby plays on the phrase as meaning "artifice," the antithesis of nature.)never draw sword again. Fair lady, do you think youhave fools in hand?  64Maria  Sir, I have not you by the hand.sir Andrew  Marry, but you shall have, and here's my  66hand. [He gives her his hand.]Maria  Now, sir, thought is free. I pray you, bring your  68hand to th' buttery-bar, and let it drink. 69sir Andrew  Wherefore, sweetheart? What's yourmetaphor?Maria  It's dry, sir. 72sir Andrew  Why, I think so. I am not such an ass butI can keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?Maria  A dry jest, sir. 75sir Andrew  Are you full of them?Maria  Ay, sir, I have them at my fingers' ends. Marry,  77now I let go your hand, I am barren. 78[She lets go his hand.] Exit Maria.sir Toby  Oh, knight, thou lack'st a cup of canary! When  79did I see thee so put down?