Twelfth Night. Act 1, Scene LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 1

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1 Twelfth Night Act 1, Scene 1 Enter,, and other lords; Musicians playing 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. 5 O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound, That 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, 10 That, notwithstanding thy capacity Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there, Of what validity and pitch soe'er, But falls into abatement and low price Even in a minute. So full of shapes is fancy 15 That it alone is high fantastical. Will you go hunt, my lord? What, Curio?,, and other lords enter, with musicians playing. If music feeds love and makes it stronger, then keep playing. Give me too much of it, overfeed me until I get sick and die. Play that part again it sounded melancholy. Oh, it sounded to me like a sweet breeze blowing over a bank of violets, stealing their scent and distributing it to everyone. That's enough now, no more music. It doesn't sound as sweet as it did before. Oh spirit of love, how restless you are! You make me want to accept everything, like the sea does, but then the next minute everything seems worthless, no matter how valuable it is. Love is like a hallucination nothing else is so imaginative and extravagant. Do you want to go hunting, my lord? Hunting what, Curio? The hart. The stag the hart. Why, so I do, the noblest that I have. Oh, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought she purged the air of pestilence. 20 That instant was I turned into a hart, And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E'er since pursue me. I am already hunting a hart, but it's also my heart being hunted. Oh, when I first saw Olivia, it seemed to me that she purified the air with her very presence. In that instant I was transformed into a hart, and ever since then my desire for her has pursued me like a pack of cruel hunting hounds. Enter VALENTINE VALENTINE enters. How now! What news from her? VALENTINE So please my lord, I might not be admitted, But from her handmaid do return this answer: 25 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 30 A brother s dead love, which she would keep fresh And lasting in her sad remembrance. What's going on? What's the news from her? VALENTINE I'm sorry, my lord, they wouldn't let me enter, but Olivia's handmaid gave me this answer: the outside world won't see Olivia's face for the next seven years. She'll wear a veil like a nun, and once a day she'll water her room with her tears. All of this is to preserve her love for her dead brother, whose memory she wants to keep fresh forever LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 1

2 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 35 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. 40 Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers. Oh, if the heart inside Olivia's beautiful body loves her brother this much, then imagine how she will love me once Cupid's arrow has killed all her other emotions except love! Her mind, heart, and body each of them a precious kingdom will all be ruled by one man me! Now take me to a garden of flowers. My thoughts of love will be strengthened by a beautiful setting. Exeunt Everyone exits. Act 1, Scene 2 What country, friends, is this? Enter, a, and sailors What country is this, friends?, a, and sailors enter. This is Illyria, lady. This is Illyria, my lady. And what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elysium. Perchance he is not drown d. What think you, sailors? 5 It is perchance that you yourself were saved. O, my poor brother! And so perchance may he be. True, madam. And, to comfort you with chance, Assure yourself, after our ship did split, When you and those poor number saved with you 10 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 Arion on the dolphin s back, 15 I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves So long as I could see. (giving him money) 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? 20 Ay, madam, well, for I was bred and born Not three hours' travel from this very place. And what should I do in Illyria? My brother is in Heaven. Or perhaps there's a chance he didn't drown. What do you think, sailors? It was only by chance that you yourself were saved. Oh, my poor brother! But maybe he has been saved by chance too. True, madam. And let me comfort you: when our ship was wrecked, and you and the few other survivors hung onto our drifting lifeboat, I saw your brother tie himself to the mast that was floating on the waves acting with courage and hope in the middle of great danger. For as long as I could see him, he safely rode upon the waves like Arion (Ed. note: Arion was a Greek poet who jumped overboard to escape murderous sailors. He charmed some dolphins with his song, and they bore him safely to land.) on the dolphin's back. (giving him money) Here's some gold to thank you for telling me this. My own escape gives me hope for my brother, and what you've told me now gives me even more reason to hope. Do you know this country? Yes, madam, I was born and raised less than three hours' travel from here LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 2

3 Who governs here? A noble duke, in nature As in name. What is his name? Who rules here? A duke who is as noble in his character as he is in his rank. What is his name? Orsino. Orsino. Orsino. I have heard my father name him. 25 He was a bachelor then. 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 30 That he did seek the love of fair Olivia. What s she? A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving her In the protection of his son, her brother, 35 Who shortly also died, for whose dear love, They say, she hath abjured the company And sight of men. Oh, 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. 40 That were hard to compass, Because she will admit no kind of suit, No, not the duke s. There is a fair behavior in thee, captain, And though that nature with a beauteous wall 45 Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that suits With this thy fair and outward character. I prithee and I ll pay thee bounteously Conceal me what I am, and be my aid 50 For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I ll serve this duke. Thou shall 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 55 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. Orsino I have heard my father mention him. He was a bachelor back then. And he still is, or was very recently at least. I only left here a month ago, and at that time there was a popularrumor as, you know, people gossip about the nobility that he was courting the fair Olivia. Who's she? A virtuous young woman, the daughter of a count who died a year ago. He left her in the care of his son, Olivia's brother, but the brother died soon after. They say that out of love for her brother, Olivia has stopped interacting with men altogether. Oh, I wish that I could serve that lady then I wouldn't have to reveal myself to the world until I was ready to identify my place in society. That would be hard to bring about, because she won't allow anyone in to see her, not even the duke's men. You seem to be a good man in both behavior and appearance, captain, and even though nature often makes beautiful people corrupt on the inside, I believe that you have a noble mind to fit your good looks and manners. Please and I'll pay you well for this help me conceal my identity, and find me the disguise that will suit my intentions. I want to serve this duke. You will present me to him as a eunuch. It will be worth your trouble, for I can sing and speak well, and he will surely consider me for his service. What might happen after that, only time will tell. You must only match my wit with your silence and discretion LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 3

4 Be you his eunuch, and your mute I ll be. When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see. 60 I thank thee. Lead me on. You will be his eunuch, and I will be your mute attendant. If I tell your secret, may I lose my sight. I thank you. Lead me on. Exeunt They exit. Act 1, Scene 3 Enter and What a plague means my niece, to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care s an enemy to life. By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o' nights. Your cousin, my lady, takes great exceptions to your ill hours. 5 Why, let her except, before excepted. 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. An they be not, let them hang themselves in their own straps. 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 Aguecheek? 15 Ay, he. He s as tall a man as any s in Illyria. What s that to the purpose? Why, he has three thousand ducats a year. Ay, but he ll have but a year in all these ducats. He s a very fool and a prodigal. and enter. What is ailing my niece, that she reacts so strongly to her brother's death? I'm now sure that caring too much is bad for one's health. By God, Sir Toby, you must come home earlier at night. Your niece, my lady, strongly disapproves of the late hours you keep. Well, let her disapprove of me I disapprove of her. Yes, but you must at least confine yourself within the limits of order and decency. Confine myself? I'll only confine myself to these clothes I'm wearing. They're good enough to drink in, and these boots are too. And if they aren't, then let them hang themselves by their own straps. All this drinking will be your ruin: I heard my lady Olivia talking about it yesterday. She also spoke of some foolish knight you brought here one night to woo her. Who, Sir Andrew Aguecheek? Yes, him. He's as tall and brave as any man in Illyria. What does that have to do with anything? Well, he has an income of three thousand ducats a year. Yes, but he'll only make all those ducats last for one year. He's foolish, wasteful, and reckless LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 4

5 Fie, that you ll say so! He plays o' the viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages word for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of nature. He hath indeed, almost natural, for besides that he s a fool, he s a great quarreler, and but that he hath the gift of a coward to allay the gust he hath in quarreling, 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? 30 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. Sir Toby Belch! How now, Sir Toby Belch! Sweet Sir Andrew! (to ) Bless you, fair shrew. 40 And you too, sir. Accost, Sir Andrew, accost. What s that? My niece s chambermaid. Good Mistress Accost, I desire better acquaintance. 45 My name is Mary, sir. Good Mistress Mary Accost Enter You mistake, knight. Accost is front her, board her, woo her, assail her. How dare you say so! He plays the violin, and speaks three or four languages word for word from memory. He has all of nature's good gifts. He does indeed seem like a natural-born fool and besides being a fool, he's argumentative. If he didn't have the coward's gift of stepping away from a fight, they say he would've been long dead by now. By God, anyone who says that about him is a villain and a naysayer. Who said that? They also say that he gets drunk with you every night. We are only toasting my niece when we drink. I'll drink to her as long as there's a hole in my throat and alcohol in Illyria. Only cowards and scum wouldn't drink to my niece until their brains spin round like a top. What do you have to say to that! But hush, we must be polite. Here comes Sir Andrew Agueface himself. Sir Toby Belch! How are you, Sir Toby Belch? Sweet Sir Andrew. (to ) And hello to you, pretty wench. Hello to you, sir. Accost her, Sir Andrew, accost her. What's that? This is my niece's chambermaid. enters. Good Miss Accost-her, I look forward to knowing you better. My name is Mary, sir. Good Miss Mary Accost-her You're mistaken, knight. "Accost her" isn't her name I meant that you shouldface her, greet her, woo her, and conquer her LitCharts LLC Follow v.001 Page 5