Twelfth Night, Or what you will.

Transcription

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2 Twelfth Night, Or what you will. Configured as: Version 5.00 Castings for 08 to 11 players + Original Jacobean Casting Standard Script, Parts and Cues, or Highlit Text Table of contents Act One, Scene One. Scene Two. Scene Three. Scene Four. Scene Five. Act Two, Scene One. Scene Two. Scene Three. Scene Four. Scene Five. Act Three, Scene One. Scene Two. Scene Three. Scene Four. Act Four, Scene One. Scene Two. Scene Three. Act Five. Scene One. Twelfth Night, Or what you will.

3 Information about this book Title statement Twelfth Night or What You Will Shakespeare, William, ISBN No: Publication: Publisher and Distributor Players-Shakespeare.com, 4/1 Dundonald Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6RY Availability Distributed by Players-Shakespeare.com under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. See Source Derived from the OUP First Folio edition published under the same Creative Commons Licence. Players' Shakespeare in no way implies that the OUP endorse us or our use of their work. The OUP First Folio texts were originally prepared by Trevor Howard-Hill for use in his single colume concordances to Shakespeare (OUP, 1969f). They have since been reformatted to modern standards and carefully proofread by staff of Oxford University Press' Shakespeare Department for use in the new "Old Spelling" Oxford Shakespeare, under the general editorship of Dr Stanley Wells: The complete works / William Shakespeare; general editors, Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor; editors Stanley Wells... [et al.] ; with introductions by Stanley Wells. -- Oxford : Clarendon Press, (Oxford Shakespeare).

4 Front cover Olivia declares her love for Viola / Cesario _Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill.jpg Frederick_Richard_Pickersgill, 1859

5 New capabilities in MFFE Version With Version 5 we have upgraded what our edition can do. Earlier versions of Shakespeare's First Folio will be upgraded to Version 5 as soon as possible. The new capabilities are as follows: Different castings (e.g. the orignial and modified Elizabethan / Jacobean castings, and playreading castings (usuall for 6-12 readers) have been embedded into the play. The script can be displayed in one of three ways: standard script; parts and cues; highlit text A player from a chosen casting can be selected and the script for that player shown in parts and cues or highlit text format. This means that a set of players can have their own version of the script with their lines showing in the specified format on their own e-reader (or paper). Apps will be provided that support the selection of casting, player, text format (standard script, parts and cues, highlit text), and e- reader format (epub, azw3, mobi, pdf). 'Shared lines' have been implemented. Line nos have been implemented in the pdf version of the script for academic references. Editing Guidelines for this work. Peter Hall (in 'Shakespeare's Advice to the Players'), John Barton, (in 'Playing Shakespeare'), and Jonathan Bate (in 'The Case for the Folio'), all recommend that the First Folio should be used as the starting point for editing a script for a Shakespeare production. A key barrier to using the First Folio is that it is not widely available in modern electronic formats, and its C16 spelling slows down comprehension for many actors and directors. This edition of the First Folio is designed to overcome those difficulties, and that objective has driven the editing of this play, and others in the Edition. Editing guidelines to make the First Folio easily read by modern

6 English readers. Modernise the spelling of all words with a current equivalent Where a modern equivalent does not exist, leave the First Folio word, and highlight it as something which needs to be considered when editing the play for production. Change words which have changed meaning and spelling to their modern equivalent (e.g. each occurrence of 'then' has been changed to 'than' where that makes sense in the context). Modify First Folio punctuation to meet modern standards to ease reading Leave First Folio capitalization as it is Show 'shared lines' as follows: First part of shared line is left-aligned All other parts of shared line except last, are centre-aligned Last part of shared line, as right-aligned Add modern Act and Scene divisions, following Arden Add apostrophes to words where that aids comprehension Do not modernise words which are still well-understood (e.g. Hath is not changed to has) Replace '&' with 'and' Remove unnecessary hyphens in the middle of words Change 'I' to 'Ay' where appropriate Where necessary, shorten words with apostrophes to improve scansion. Move some parts of lines to improve scansion Some very obvious mistakes have been corrected (e.g. mis-allocation of lines) It should be clear that many of these guidelines require judgement and is by no means clear that the best decisions have always been made. This edition is being published under a Creative Commons licence, and it is hoped that, as well as being

7 free, this will encourage people to suggest changes to improve the text of all books in the edition, so that the edition continues to evolve. Support for e-book readers: This edition is designed to support a variety of electronic formats. In particular: ibook format (epub) on Apple ipads and iphones Google Play format (epub) format on Android Tablets and Smartphones. Kindle format (azw3 and mobi) format for Kindles and Kindle software on Apple and Android phones / tablets pdf format: In versions of the play configured for play-readings, pdf formats are available of Highlit Text and Parts and Cues, for anyone who prefers to view the script in pdf format. For the core version of the play (e.g. The Tempest, MFFE, Version 5.02 print), a pdf is provided of the whole script for printing (on Euopean A4and US letter sized paper). Note that these pdf versions include line nos for academic reference. A clear unambiguous reference consists of 'Players- Shakespeare.com, MFFE, {playname}, {version (e.g. Version n.nn)}, Line No.' from pdf. In addition, epubs, azw3s, mobi, and pdf formats are likely to be readable on most other electronic formats e.g. Mackintosh, Linux, Windows. With Version 5.00 of the MFFE we believe the edition is suitable for play-readings and performances. For organisations running play-readings or productions, it may be helpful to use Calibre ( to manage the different versions of each play required to support the members of the group, and to distribute the correct versions to play-readers. The version may well be readable on other e-readers (e.g. Nook, FBreader, Moon+, etc) but most have limitations (e.g. limited support for coloured text; limited support for left alignment, centre alignment, and right alignment, which makes the script harder to read. Some editing guidelines have been designed to make sure that the script are legible on the various formats. In particular:

8 Character names in the script are on a separate line, in caps and in bold, to provide clear identification of the speaker, and provide as much space as possible on the line to minimise word-wrap in text. Stage Directions are in blue, italicised, in bold, and centred to provide clear identification of Stage Directions. Note that not all e-book readers support colour. If the script is being viewed in 'Parts and Cues' mode, Cues are right-aligned, in bold. If the script is being viewed in 'Highlit text' mode, the text of selected parts are in bold, and colour If the script is edited, provision has been made for Director's notes to be shown in the script as Red and Bold, left-justified. Prose sections are provided in a single paragraph blocks to allow each e- book reader to wrap depending on its screen and the user-selected text size. Show 'shared lines' as follows: First part of shared line is left-aligned All other parts of shared line except last, are centre-aligned Last part of shared line, as right-aligned

9 Introduction: The Play: Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare s most popular Festive Comedies. The play revolves around a love-triangle between Orsino (a Duke), who loves Olivia (a Countess), loves Viola (a shipwrecked girl, disguised as a boy), who loves Orsino. The play explores three main topics: human sexuality and love in various forms; cruelty; and how things are often not what they seem. Of course, being a Festive Comedy, everything ends happily (mostly). Act One, is given over to the introduction of the characters (A1S1 Orsino; A1S2 Viola; A1S3 Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew; A1S4 Viola (disguised as a boy, Cesario) meets Orsino; A1S5 Olivia and Malvolio are introduced, and at last some action Cesario /Viola courts Olivia on behalf of Orsino, and Olivia falls in love with him / her). The start of Act Two continues the introductions. In A2S1 we meet Sebastian and Antonio, and in A2S2, Viola finds out that Olivia has fallen in love with her, and the love triangle is complete. From A2S3 onwards, the action is underway, and except for 2 scenes (A2S4 at Orsino s Palace and A3S3 -Antonio and Sebastian in town), the play takes place at Olivia s house. This makes Twelfth Night a play set in a country-house, like Downton Abbey or Gosford Park a country house narrative. The English country house narrative typically affords the opportunity for social commentary and the drama s interplay between multiple [social] spheres illustrates the complex relationships between the family and those in service. The Context: Twelfth Night, or What You Will was probably written in 1601 or It is known to have been performed on 2nd February, 1602 because there is a contemporary review by John Manningham, a fourth year law student, of a

10 performance at Middle Temple on that date. There is the usual scholarly debate as to when the first performance could have been, the earliest plausible date being the 6th January (Twelfth Night) 1601 at Queen Elizabeth s court with a Duke Orsini, Duke of Bracciano present, and a couple of other possible dates and locations between 6th January 1601 and 2nd February 1602, when Manningham saw the play. This date makes Twelfth Night contemporaneous with Hamlet and Troilus and Cressida. By 1600, Shakespeare had been a sharer in The Lord Chamberlain s Men since He was the first Elizabethan playwright to write his plays for his own Company, for known actors the other members of The Lord Chamberlain s men - and to act himself with the group. Of particular relevance to Twelfth Night, Robert Armin had replaced William Kemp as the chief comic actor of the group (and sharer) in Robert was a professional fool, very different from the clown Kemp. He was also a writer (e.g Fool upon Fool, and Quips upon Question) and a playwright (The Two Maids of More-Clacke). Fools in Armin s books are treated cruelly. They are fired at by cannon balls, drugged, whipped and burnt. And after Armin s arrival at The Lord Chamberlain s Men, as Bart Van Es says in Shakespeare in Company, p. 179, cruelty, insanity, and absurdist poetry would become an element in the drama that Shakespeare produced. The roles which Armin created make the point: Feste in Twelfth Night, Thersites in Troilus and Cressida, Lavatch in All s Well That Ends Well, and, amongst others, The Fool in King Lear. The character of Feste shows strong signs of Armin s influence. What the Play is about The play tells three or more stories: the story of identical twins (of different sexes?) separated by a storm, and re-united at the end of the play; the love triangle of Orsino, Olivia and Cesario / Viola; and the story of the fooling of Malvolio by Maria and Sir Toby. A case could be made for adding Sir Toby s sponging on Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and ultimate rejection of him, and Feste s confusion over Viola / Cesario / Sebastian. Before we explore these three stories, let s look at the title of the play. It s not Twelfth Night, but Twelfth Night or What You Will. It s the only play of Shakespeare s that has a double title, so it seems likely that has some significance. What might this double title have meant to an Elizabethan audience?

11 Twelfth Night is the Feast of Epiphany on 6th January (the twelfth day of Christmas), when the wise men visit the Christ child in the stable. But the word Epiphany has its own meaning it is an experience of sudden and striking realization. Is there a sudden or striking realization in the play? Twelfth Night would also have meant something else to Elizabethans. It s a day for a Feast of Fools when convention and social structures are turned upside down. There is a description of an Elizabethan Feast of Misrule in the Middle Temple in Anthony Arlidge s Shakespeare and the Prince of Love. This book proposes that Twelfth Night was commissioned by the Middle Temple for the Feast of Misrule in 1602 the performance which John Manningham reviewed. The Fool in Twelfth Night is called Feste Latin for a feast or festival. What you Will is also part of the title, and is more ambiguous in its meaning. It could mean make what you will of this play. Or, it could imply that the audience is self-consciously complicit in what goes on in the play. The audience laughs at Malvolio when he deceives himself into the fantasy that Olivia loves him, encouraged by Maria s cunning letter, but can become uncomfortable at his imprisonment in the dark prison. The joke goes too far. In some productions Malvolio s line: I ll be revenged on the whole pack of you is played to the audience. Will implies lust, sexual desire, and passion, and the play certainly shows the folly of people in love. And then, of course, the play s author is Will. Does Twelfth Night make social commentary? It seems so. We have multiple social spheres class distinctions and discernment - in the interplay between Orsino s court and Olivia s more relaxed country home. We have different social levels: Orsino the Duke [Olivia] will none o th Count. She ll not match above her degree : Olivia the Countess; and Cesario the Gentleman. Olivia only falls in love with Cesario after she has established his social status I am a gentleman. I ll be sworn thou art Thy tongue, thy face thy limbs, actions and spirit Do give thee fivefold blazon. Within the house there are different social levels: the Knights (Toby and Andrew); the high servants (Malvolio the steward, and Maria the lady s maid); and the low servants (Feste, the Fool, and Fabian the gardener). When Sir Toby s conflict with Malvolio is about to get underway, he says: Am not I consanguineous? Am I not of her blood? This illustrates the complex relationship between Malvolio, the high servant, trying to maintain order and Sir Toby, the blood relative, who is of the

12 house as well as being keen on his Cakes and Ale. The Folly of Love; Cruelty; and how things are not what they seem Most of the main characters in the play are in love, or rather are constrained by one thing or another, from being in love. Viola, a young woman shipwrecked on the shore of Illyria, decides to disguise herself as a boy and get work at the local Duke s court. She promptly falls in love with the Duke - Orsino, but is constrained from showing that love because she is a girl on her own in a strange country, and so at risk and disguised. Orsino thinks himself in love with Olivia, but he is really in love with love a type of self-love, perhaps, and this prevents him from loving anyone. Although he finds his new servant attractive, nearly the whole play unfolds before he realizes that Cesario / Viola is just the thing for him. Olivia is running her country house. Two deaths the death of her father and the death of her brother have brought about this unusual position for an Elizabethan woman. Like Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, she enjoys the power that comes with this independence. She uses the deaths of her father and brother to keep Orsino s courtship at bay, but Viola / Cesario s arrival upsets her plans when she falls helplessly in love with Cesario. Of course there s a homo-erotic component in both these relationships. Part of the attraction of Cesario to Orsino is the cross-dressed male / female and Olivia is probably attracted to the underlying female nature of the go-between. This homoeroticism is added to by the loving relationship between Antonio and Sebastian, two males. In the Elizabethan age, same-sex relationships provided an outlet for adolescent sexual drives, and realigning sexual orientation was one of the reasons festive comedies were needed to encourage marriage. Olivia is also courted by Malvolio. He is not in love with her, being absorbed in self-love. He wants to marry her for the power and status it will give him. Sir Toby and Maria have tricked him into thinking Olivia loves him by forging a letter from Olivia which plays to his fantasies and encourages him to interpret it as a love-

13 letter to him. His desire for power and status convinces him that the cryptic meaning of this nonsensical letter is obvious. Daylight and champaign discovers not more. This is open.. my lady loves me. The cruel humour of his subsequent appearance before Olivia, is not just in his cross-gartering or in his smiling, but in the open display of his secret fantasy to Olivia and the rest of the household. The cruelty will get worse, when he is locked in a dark room and treated as a madman. Sir Toby takes his revenge on Malvolio in this way, to punish him for superciliously interrupting his late-night partying with Sir Andrew. There seems very little love (except self-love expressed in the over-consumption of Cakes and Ale), in Sir Toby. He takes his revenge on Malvolio; he lives on Sir Andrew s money, amuses himself arranging duels between Sir Andrew and Cesario, and then dismisses Sir Andrew as An ass-head and a coxcomb and a knave. He does marry Maria, but it seems only as a reward. Maria writ the letter, at Sir Toby s great importance, In recompense whereof he hath married her. Maria is trapped as the lady s maid in Olivia s house. She doesn t get on with Malvolio, and she wants out. Her only possible escape is marriage, and Sir Toby is the only available option. This seems like a marriage of convenience. One hopes it worked out well. Of the lovers, this leaves Sebastian. He arrives at Olivia s house to find everyone intimately engaging with him: Feste thinks he knows him well; Sir Andrew starts to fight him unprovoked; and the lady of the house is deeply in love with him. He wonders if he is mad, but Olivia is an attractive option, and he is happy to go along with her desire. In this play, things are not what they seem. It is not only the identical twins which cause confusion, but most of the characters are deluded about some important aspect of their world. In A2S2, when Viola becomes aware that Olivia has fallen in love with Cesario, who is not what he seems, she says Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness, Wherein the pregnant enemy does much. Of course, Malvolio is the character who makes a major error in interpreting reality, by mistaking Maria s forged nonsensical letter as a love-letter from Olivia to himself. Thereafter he is taken for mad and in his determination to prove himself sane makes further mistakes.

14 Sebastian, too, mistaken for his identical twin Viola, disguised as Cesario, by Feste, Sir Andrew, and Sir Toby, wonders if he is mad: What relish is in this? How runs the stream? Or I am mad, or else is this a dream. Even Feste s sense of reality gets disturbed. When singing to Orsino, he sees Orsino and Cesario falling in love. Then it becomes clear that Olivia has fallen for Cesario, and finally Cesario (really Sebastian) denies that he knows Feste at all: No, I do not know you, nor I am not sent to you by my lady to bid you come speak with her, nor your name is not Cesario, nor this is not my nose neither. Nothing that is so is so. Feste, originally played by Robert Armin, is perhaps the most interesting character in the play. He is a solitary figure, but usually has something perceptive to say about the others. He mostly seems to want money. He begs it on every conceivable occasion. When he first appears in A1S5, it is clear that he has been absent without leave, and Olivia is cross with him, and likely to hang him or send him away. How does he recover her affections? By proving her a fool on a very sensitive issue the death of her brother. In A2S4, when Orsino pays him after he has sung to him, he makes fun of Orsino s melancholic pose and satirizes his inconstancy : Now the melancholy god protect thee, and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal. When Viola / Cesario suggests he might be a merry fellow who cares for nothing in A3S1, he pulls no punches: Not so sir, I do care for something, but in my conscience, sir, I do not care for you. Quite why Feste doesn t care for Cesario is not immediately clear and may be worthy of another essay. He is perceptive about her/him, and seems to have seen through her disguise: Now Jove in his next commodity of hair send thee a beard. And Viola is equally perceptive about him: This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, And to do that well craves a kind of wit. He is also content to cruelly tease the imprisoned Malvolio in A4S2, almost driving Malvolio mad when he plays Sir Topas, and only slightly kinder playing himself, when he brings Malvolio pen and paper. He seeks this revenge for Malvolio s scathing remark to Olivia Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal, an you smile not, he s gagged? Only once is he discomforted, and that is when he mistakes Sebastian for Cesario, as discussed above.

15 Of course, all becomes clear at the end of the fifth act when Viola and Sebastian are on stage together for the first time, and are re-united, their reunification the epiphany hinted at in the title. It is usually played as a rather magical moment, and Orsino and Olivia certainly seem to think it so: ORSINO: One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons: A natural perspective, that is and is not OLIVIA: Most wonderful!

16 1ST OFFICER An officer of the law, who captures Antonio 2ND OFFICER Another officer of the law, who captures Antonio ANTONIO A seaman who saves Sebastian from the shipwreck, and loves him CAPTAIN The captain of the ship which is shipwrecked, who saves Viola from the sea CESARIO Viola's name when disguised as a boy CURIO An attendant on Orsino FABIAN A servant of Olivia's household, often played as a gardener FESTE Olivia's father's Fool, who spends most of his time in Olivia's household, but can also be found at Orsino's court MALVOLIO Olivia's steward, in charge of her household MARIA Olivia's lady's maid OLIVIA A Countess, in charge of her household, following the death of her father and brother. She is mourning them as the play starts. ORSINO A Duke who thinks he's in love with Olivia PRIEST A member of Olivia's household who marries Olivia and Sebastian SEBASTIAN The identical twin (?) of Viola, shipwrecked and presumed drowned SERVANT A servant in Olivia's household SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK A friend of Sir Toby, invited by him to court Olivia. SIR TOBY Olivia's uncle who is staying at her house VALENTINE An attendant at Orsino's court VIOLA

17 Daughter of the Duke of Messaline, shipwrecked in a storm

18 Castings: A number of castings are included with this edition of the play. The main castings are as follows: The original Elizabethan casting (requires 21 players) A play-reading casting for 8 players A play-reading casting for 9 players A play-reading casting for 10 players A play-reading casting for 11 players Tables, one for each play-reading casting, showing the allocation of characters to players / readers follow: Original Elizabethan Casting: This casting is taken from T.J. King's 'Casting Shakespeare's Plays There are a couple of points of Interest: - The roles are ordered by main male roles; main boy roles; minor male roles; minor boy roles. - The roles of Antonio and Captain were originally doubled - Various other roles are doubled (they have the same player no.) - Characters present in a scene, but with no lines, are marked with "0" lines. Playreading Castings

19 The following playreading castings show the roles allocated to each player (reader) and the lines in each scene. Sometimes players have to talk to themselves in different roles. Where these occur, they are shown after the table of players and roles. Usually, as the number of players go up, the number of occassions where a player has to talk to themself goes down. This version of Twelfth Night (Players-Shakespeare.com's MFFE Version 5.00) provides versions of the e-book for each player in each of these castings in one of two formats: Parts and Cues - where the speeches for each role that a player has are shown, together with the 'Cue' that leads to their speeech. This is the format that parts were given to Elizabethan / Jacobean players. In addition, the complete script can be shown, with a particular player's roles in a different colour and in bold. Please note that the castings are kept as similar as possible, so that in a Parts and Cues reading, individual players can be allocated a main role to study, and mostly keep that role if there is a 'no-show' at the reading. Casting for 8 players: Note that Player 7 talks to themselves as Sebastian / Sir Andrew in A4S1 Also note that a casting of 8 is not ideal for a 'Parts and Cues' reading of Twelfth Night as two significant roles are doubled - Orsino and Maria. Casting for 9 players:

20 Note that Players 2 and 6 talk to themselves in the scenes outline above. Also note that a casting of 9 is workable for a 'Parts and Cues' reading of Twelfth Night though the roles of Orsino and Fabian are doubled. Casting for 10 players: No Players need to talk to themselves in this casting. Also note that a casting of 10 is workable for a 'Parts and Cues' reading of Twelfth Night though the roles of Antonio and Fabian are doubled. Casting for 11 players:

21 No Players need to talk to themselves in this casting. Also note that a casting of 11 is probably best for a 'Parts and Cues' reading of Twelfth Night with no major roles doubled.

22 Act One Scene One Enter Orsino Duke of Illyria, Curio, and other Lords. ORSINO. If 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: O, it came o'er my ear, like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of Violets; Stealing, and giving Odour. Enough, no more, 'Tis not so sweet now, as it was before. O spirit of Love, how quick and fresh art thou, That notwithstanding thy capacity, Receiveth as the Sea. Nought enters there, Of what validity, and pitch so ere, But falls into abatement, and low price Even in a minute; so full of shapes is fancy, That it alone, is high fantastical. CURIO. Will you go hunt my Lord? ORSINO. What Curio? CURIO. The Hart. ORSINO. Why so I do, the Noblest that I have: O 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, E'er since pursue me. How now what news from her? Enter Valentine. VALENTINE.

23 So please my Lord, I might not be admitted, But from her handmaid do return this answer: The Element itself, till seven years heat, Shall not behold her face at ample view: But like a Cloistress she will veiled walk, And water once a day her Chamber round With eye-offending brine: all this to season A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh And lasting, in her sad remembrance. ORSINO. O she that hath a heart of that fine frame To pay this debt of love but to a brother, How will she love, when the rich golden shaft Hath killed the flock of all affections else That live in her. When Liver, Brain, and Heart, These sovereign thrones, are all supplied and filled Her sweet perfections with one self king: Away before me, to sweet beds of Flowers, Love-thoughts lie rich, when canopied with bowers. Exeunt.

24 Act One Scene Two Enter Viola, a Captain, and Sailors. What Country (Friends) is this? CAPTAIN. This is Illyria Lady. And what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elizium, Perchance he is not drowned: What think you sailors? CAPTAIN. It is perchance that you yourself were saved. O my poor brother, and so perchance may he be. CAPTAIN. True Madam, and to comfort you with chance, Assure yourself, after our ship did split, When you, and those poor number saved with you, Hung on our driving boat: I saw your brother Most provident in peril, bind himself, (Courage and hope both teaching him the practice) To a strong Mast, that lived upon the sea: Where like Orion on the Dolphin's back, I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves, So long as I could see. For saying so, there's Gold: Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope, Whereto thy speech serves for authority The like of him. Know'st thou this Country? CAPTAIN. Ay Madam well, for I was bred and born Not three hours travel from this very place. Who governs here?

25 CAPTAIN. A noble Duke in nature, as in name. What is his name? CAPTAIN. Orsino. Orsino: I have heard my father name him. He was a Bachelor then. CAPTAIN. And so is now, or was so very late: For but a month ago I went from hence, And then 'twas fresh in murmur (as you know What great ones do, the less will prattle of,) That he did seek the love of fair Olivia. What's she? CAPTAIN. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a Count That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving her In the protection of his son, her brother, Who shortly also died: for whose dear love (They say) she hath abjured the sight And company of men. O that I served that Lady, And might not be delivered to the world Till I had made mine own occasion mellow What my estate is. CAPTAIN. That were hard to compass Because she will admit no kind of suit, No, not the Duke's. There is a fair behaviour in thee Captain, And though that nature, with a beauteous wall Doth oft close in pollution: yet of thee

26 I will Believe thou hast a mind that suits With this thy fair and outward charracter. I prithee (and I'll pay thee bounteously) Conceal me what I am, and be my aid, For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I'll serve this Duke, Thou shalt present me as an Eunuch to him, It may be worth thy pains: for I can sing, And speak to him in many sorts of Music, That will allow me very worth his service. What else may hap, to time I will commit, Only shape thou thy silence to my wit. CAPTAIN. Be you his Eunuch, and your Mute I'll be, When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see. I thank thee: Lead me on. Exeunt.

27 Act One Scene Three Enter Sir Toby, and Maria. What a plague means my Niece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemy to life. MARIA. By my troth sir Toby, you must come in earlier o'nights: your Cousin, my Lady, takes great exceptions to your ill hours. Why let her except, before excepted. MARIA. Ay, but you must confine yourself within the modest limits of order. Confine? I'll confine myself no finer than I am: these clothes are good enough to drink in, and so be these boots too: and they be not, let them hang themselves in their own straps. MARIA. That quaffing and drinking will undo you: I heard my Lady talk of it yesterday: and of a foolish knight that you brought in one night here, to be her wooer. Who, Sir Andrew Ague-cheek? MARIA. Ay he. He's as tall a man as any's in Illyria. MARIA. What's that to th' purpose? Why he has three thousand ducats a year. MARIA. Ay, but he'll have but a year in all these ducats: He's a very fool, and a prodigal.

28 Fie, that you'll say so: he plays o'th Viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages word for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of nature. MARIA. He hath indeed, almost natural: for besides that he's a fool, he's a great quarreller: and but that he hath the gift of a Coward, to allay the gust he hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent, he would quickly have the gift of a grave. By this hand they are scoundrels and substractors that say so of him. Who are they? MARIA. They that add moreover, he's drunk nightly in your company. With drinking healths to my Niece: I'll drink to her as long as there is a passage in my throat, and drink in Illyria: he's a Coward and a Coistrel that will not drink to my Niece, till his brains turn o'th toe, like a parish top. What wench? Castiliano vulgo: for here comes Sir Andrew Agueface. Enter Sir Andrew. Sir Toby Belch. How now Sir Toby Belch? Sweet Sir Andrew. Bless you fair Shrew. MARIA. And you too sir. Accost Sir Andrew, accost. What's that? My Niece's Chambermaid. Good Mistress Accost, I desire better acquaintance MARIA. My name is Mary sir.

29 Good mistress Mary Accost. You mistake knight: Accost, is front her, board her, woo her, assail her. By my troth I would not undertake her in this company. Is that the meaning of Accost? MARIA. Fare you well Gentlemen. And thou let part so Sir Andrew, would thou mightst never draw sword again. And you part so mistress, I would I might never draw sword again: Fair Lady, do you think you have fools in hand? MARIA. Sir, I have not you by th' hand. Marry but you shall have, and here's my hand. MARIA. Now sir, thought is free: I pray you bring your hand to th' Buttery bar, and let it drink. Wherefore (sweet-heart?) What's your Metaphor? MARIA. It's dry sir. Why I think so: I am not such an ass, but I can keep my hand dry. But what's your jest? MARIA. A dry jest Sir. Are you full of them? MARIA. Ay Sir, I have them at my fingers' ends: marry now I let go your hand, I am barren. Exit Maria.

30 O knight, thou lack'st a cup of Canary: when did I see thee so put down? Never in your life I think, unless you see Canary put me down: methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian, or an ordinary man has: but I am a great eater of beef, and I Believe that does harm to my wit. No question. And I thought that, I'd forswear it. I'll ride home to morrow Sir Toby. Pourquoi my dear knight? What is pourquoi? Do, or not do? I would I had bestowed that time in the tongues, that I have in fencing, dancing, and bearbaiting: O had I but followed the Arts. Then hadst thou had an excellent head of hair. Why, would that have mended my hair? Past question, for thou seest it will not cool my nature But it becomes me well enough,does't not Excellent, it hangs like flax on a distaff: and I hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs, and spin it off. Faith I'll home tomorrow Sir Toby, your niece will not be seen, or if she be it's four to one, she'll none of me: the Count himself here hard by, woos her.

31 She'll none o'th Count, she'll not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit: I have heard her swear't. Tut there's life in't man. I'll stay a month longer. I am a fellow o'th strangest mind i'th world: I delight in Masques and Revels sometimes altogether. Art thou good at these kickshawses Knight? As any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the degree of my betters, and yet I will not compare with an old man. What is thy excellence in a galliard, knight? Faith, I can cut a caper. And I can cut the Mutton to't. And I think I have the back-trick, simply as strong as any man in Illyria. Wherefore are these things hid? Wherefore have these gifts a Curtain before 'em? Are they like to take dust, like Mistress Mall's picture? Why dost thou not go to Church in a Galliard, and come home in a Carranto? My very walk should be a Jig: I would not so much as make water but in a cinquepace: What dost thou mean? Is it a world to hide virtues in? I did think by the excellent constitution of thy leg, it was formed under the star of a Galliard. Ay, 'tis strong, and it does indifferent well in a flame-coloured stock. Shall we set about some Revels? What shall we do else: were we not born under Taurus? Taurus? That sides and heart.

32 No sir, it is legs and thighs: let me see thee caper. Ha, higher: ha, ha, excellent. Exeunt

33 Act One Scene Four Enter Valentine, and Viola in man's attire as Cesario. VALENTINE. If the Duke continue these favours towards you Cesario, you are like to be much advanced, he hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger. You either fear his humour, or my negligence, that you call in question the continuance of his love. Is he inconstant sir, in his favours. VALENTINE. No Believe me. Enter Duke, Curio, and Attendants. I thank you: here comes the Count. ORSINO. Who saw Cesario hoa? On your attendance my Lord here. ORSINO. Stand you a-while aloof. Cesario, Thou knowst no less, but all: I have unclasped To thee the book even of my secret soul. Therefore good youth, address thy gait unto her, Be not denied access, stand at her doors, And tell them, there thy fixed foot shall grow Till thou have audience. Sure my Noble Lord, If she be so abandoned to her sorrow As it is spoke, she never will admit me. ORSINO. Be clamorous, and leap all civil bounds, Rather than make unprofited return.

34 Say I do speak with her (my Lord) what then? ORSINO. O then, unfold the passion of my love, Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith; It shall become thee well to act my woes: She will attend it better in thy youth, Then in a Nuncio's of more grave aspect. I think not so, my Lord. ORSINO. Dear Lad, Believe it; For they shall yet belie thy happy years, That say thou art a man: Diana's lip Is not more smooth, and rubious: thy small pipe Is as the maiden's organ, shrill, and sound, And all is semblative a woman's part. I know thy constellation is right apt For this affair: some four or five attend him, All if you will: for I myself am best When least in company: prosper well in this, And thou shalt live as freely as thy Lord, To call his fortunes thine. I'll do my best To woo your Lady: yet a barful strife, Who ere I woe, myself would be his wife. Exeunt.

35 Act One Scene Five Enter Maria, and Feste. MARIA. Nay, either tell me where thou hast been, or I will not open my lips so wide as a bristle may enter, in way of thy excuse: my Lady will hang thee for thy absence. Let her hang me: he that is well hanged in this world, needs to fear no colours. MARIA. Make that good. He shall see none to fear. MARIA. A good lenten answer: I can tell thee where that saying was born, of I fear no colours. Where good mistress Mary? MARIA. In the wars, and that may you be bold to say in your foolery. Well, God give them wisdom that have it: and those that are fools, let them use their talents. MARIA. Yet you will be hanged for being so long absent, or to be turned away: is not that as good as a hanging to you? Many a good hanging, prevents a bad marriage: and for turning away, let summer bear it out. MARIA. You are resolute then? Not so neither, but I am resolved on two points. MARIA.

36 That if one break, the other will hold: or if both break, your gaskins fall. Apt in good faith, very apt: well go thy way, if Sir Toby would leave drinking, thou wert as witty a piece of Eve's flesh, as any in Illyria. MARIA. Peace you rogue, no more o'that: here comes my Lady: make your excuse wisely, you were best. Enter Lady Olivia, with Malvolio. Wit, and't be thy will, put me into good fooling: those wits that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools: and I that am sure I lack thee, may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus, Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit. God bless thee Lady. Take the fool away. Do you not hear fellows, take away the Lady. Go too, y'are a dry fool: I'll no more of you: besides you grow dishonest. Two faults Madonna, that drink and good counsel will amend: for give the dry fool drink, then is the fool not dry: bid the dishonest man mend himself, if he mend, he is no longer dishonest; if he cannot, let the Botcher mend him: anything that's mended, is but patched: virtue that transgresses, is but patched with sin, and sin that amends, is but patched with virtue. If that this simple Syllogism will serve, so: if it will not, what remedy? As there is no true Cuckold but calamity, so beauty's a flower; The Lady bade take away the fool, therefore I say again, take her away. Sir, I bad them take away you.

37 Misprision in the highest degree. Lady, Cucullus non facit monachum: that's as much to say, as I wear not motley in my brain: good Madonna, give me leave to prove you a fool. Can you do it? Dexteriously, good Madonna. Make your proof. I must catechize you for it Madonna, Good my Mouse of virtue answer me. Well sir, for want of other idleness, I'll bide your proof. Good Madonna, why mournst thou? Good fool, for my brother's death. I think his soul is in hell, Madonna. I know his soul is in heaven, fool. The more fool (Madonna) to mourn for your Brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the Fool, Gentlemen. What think you of this fool Malvolio, doth he not mend? Yes, and shall do, till the pangs of death shake him: Infirmity that decays the wise, doth ever make the better fool. God send you sir, a speedy Infirmity, for the better increasing your folly: Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no Fox, but he will not pass his word for two pence that you are no Fool. How say you to that Malvolio?

38 I marvel your Ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal: I saw him put down the other day, with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he's out of his guard already: unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged. I protest I take these Wisemen, that crow so at these set kind of fools, no better than the fools' Zanies. O you are sick of self-love Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite. To be generous, guiltless, and of free disposition, is to take those things for Bird-bolts, that you deem Cannon bullets: There is no slander in an allowed fool, though he do nothing but rail; nor no raiing, in a known discreet man, though he do nothing but reprove. Now Mercury indue thee with leasing, for thou speak'st well of fools. Enter Maria. MARIA. Madam, there is at the gate, a young Gentleman, much desires to speak with you. From the Count Orsino, is it? MARIA. I know not (Madam) 'tis a fair young man, and well attended. Who of my people hold him in delay? MARIA. Sir Toby, Madam, your kinsman. Fetch him off I pray you, he speaks nothing but madman: Fie on him. Go you Malvolio; If it be a suit from the Count, I am sick, or not at home. What you will, to dismiss it. Exit Malvolio. Now you see sir, how your fooling grows old, and people dislike it Thou hast spoke for us (Madonna) as if thy eldest son should be a fool: whose skull, Jove cram with brains, for here he comes.

39 Enter Sir Toby. One of thy kin has a most weak Pia-mater. By mine honour half drunk. What is he at the gate Cousin? A Gentleman. A Gentleman? What Gentleman? 'Tis a Gentleman here. A plague o'these pickled herring: How now Sot. Good Sir Toby. Cousin, Cousin, how have you come so early by this Lethargy? Lechery, I defy Lechery: there's one at the gate. Ay, marry, what is he? Let him be the devil and he will, I care not: give me faith say I. Well, it's all one. Exit Sir Toby. What's a drunken man like, fool? Like a drowned man, a fool, and a mad man: One draught above heat, makes him a fool, the second mads him, and a third drowns him. Go thou and seek the Crowner, and let him sit o'my Coz: for he's in the third degree of drink: he's drowned: go look after him. He is but mad yet Madonna, and the fool shall look to the madman. Enter Malvolio.

40 Madam, yon young fellow swears he will speak with you. I told him you were sick, he takes on him to understand so much, and therefore comes to speak with you. I told him you were asleep, he seems to have a foreknowledge of that too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What is to be said to him Lady, he's fortified against any denial. Tell him, he shall not speak with me. Ha's been told so: and he says he'll stand at your door like a Sheriff's post, and be the supporter to a bench, but he'll speak with you. What kind o'man is he? Why of mankind. What manner of man? Of very ill manner: he'll speak with you, will you, or no. Of what personage, and years is he? Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy: as a squash is before 'tis a peascod, or a Codling when 'tis almost an Apple: 'Tis with him in standing water, between boy and man. He is very well-favoured, and he speaks very shrewishly: One would think his mother's milk were scarce out of him. Let him approach: Call in my Gentlewoman. Gentlewoman, my Lady calls. Exit Malvolio. Enter Maria. Give me my veil: come throw it o'er my face, We'll once more hear Orsino's Embassy. Enter Viola (disguised as Cesario).

41 The honourable Lady of the house, which is she? Speak to me, I shall answer for her: your will? Most radiant, exquisite, and unmatchable beauty. I pray you tell me if this be the Lady of the house, for I never saw her. I would be loath to cast away my speech: for besides that it is excellently well penned, I have taken great pains to con it. Good Beauties, let me sustain no scorn; I am very comptible, even to the least sinister usage. Whence came you sir? I can say little more than I have studied, and that question's out of my part. Good gentle one, give me modest assurance, if you be the Lady of the house, that I may proceed in my speech. Are you a Comedian? No my profound heart: and yet (by the very fangs of malice, I swear) I am not that I play. Are you the Lady of the house? If I do not usurp myself, I am. Most certain, if you are she, you do usurp yourself: for what is yours to bestow, is, not yours to reserve. But this is from my Commission: I will on with my speech in your praise, and then show you the heart of my message. Come to what is important in't: I forgive you the praise. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis Poetical. It is the more like to be feigned, I pray you keep it in. I heard you were saucy at my gates, and allowed your approach rather to wonder at you, than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone:

42 if you have reason, be brief: 'tis not that time of Moon with me, to make one in so skipping a dialogue. MARIA. Will you hoist sail sir, here lies your way. No good swabber, I am to hull here a little longer. Some mollification for your Giant, sweet Lady; tell me your mind, I am a messenger. Sure you have some hideous matter to deliver, when the courtesy of it is so fearful. Speak your office. It alone concerns your ear: I bring no overture of war, no taxation of homage; I hold the Olive in my hand: my words are as full of peace, as matter. Yet you began rudely. What are you? What would you? The rudeness that hath appeared in me, have I learned from my entertainment. What I am, and what I would, are as secret as maidenhead: to your ears, Divinity; to any others, profanation. Give us the place alone, We will hear this divinity. Now sir, what is your text? Most sweet Lady. A comfortable doctrine, and much may be said of it. Where lies your Text? In Orsino's bosom. In his bosom? In what chapter of his bosom? To answer by the method, in the first of his heart. O, I have read it: it is heresy. Have you no more to say?

43 Good Madam, let me see your face. Have you any Commission from your Lord, to negotiate with my face: you are now out of your Text: but we will draw the Curtain, and show you the picture. Look you sir, such a one I was this present: Is't not well done? Excellently done, if God did all. 'Tis in grain sir, 'twill endure wind and weather. Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white, Nature's own sweet, and cunning hand laid on: Lady, you are the cruellest she alive, If you will lead these graces to the grave, And leave the world no copy. O sir, I will not be so hard-hearted: I will give out divers schedules of my beauty. It shall be Inventoried and every particle and utensil labelled to my will: As, Item two lips indifferent red, Item two grey eyes, with lids to them: Item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Were you sent hither to praise me? I see you what you are, you are too proud: But if you were the devil, you are fair: My Lord, and master loves you: O such love Could be but recompensed, though you were crowned The nonpareil of beauty. How does he love me? With adorations, fertile tears, With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.

44 Your Lord does know my mind, I cannot love him Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth; In voices well divulged, free, learned, and valiant, And in dimension, and the shape of nature, A gracious person; But yet I cannot love him: He might have took his answer long ago. If I did love you in my master's flame, With such a suffering, such a deadly life: In your denial, I would find no sense, I would not understand it. Why, what would you? Make me a willow Cabin at your gate, And call upon my soul within the house, Write loyal Cantons of contemned love, And sing them loud even in the dead of night: Hallow your name to the reverberate hills, And make the babbling Gossip of the air, Cry out Olivia: O you should not rest Between the elements of air, and earth, But you should pity me. You might do much: What is your Parentage? Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: I am a Gentleman. Get you to your Lord: I cannot love him: let him send no more, Unless (perchance) you come to me again, To tell me how he takes it: Fare you well: I thank you for your pains: spend this for me.

45 I am no fee'd post, Lady; keep your purse, My Master, not myself, lacks recompense. Love make his heart of flint, that you shall love, And let your fervour like my master's be, Placed in contempt: Farewell fair cruelty. Exit Viola What is your Parentage? Above my fortunes, yet my state is well; I am a Gentleman. I'll be sworn thou art, Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, Do give thee five-fold blazon: not too fast: soft, soft, Unless the Master were the man. How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague? Methinks I feel this youth's perfections With an invisible, and subtle stealth To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be. What ho, Malvolio. Enter Malvolio. Here Madam, at your service. Run after that same peevish Messenger The Count's man: he left this Ring behind him Would I or not: tell him, I'll none of it. Desire him not to flatter with his Lord, Nor hold him up with hopes, I am not for him: If that the youth will come this way tomorrow, I'll give him reasons for't: hie thee Malvolio. Madam, I will. Exit Malvolio. I do I know not what, and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind: Fate, show thy force, ourselves we do not owe, What is decreed, must be: and be this so. Exit Olivia