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Scene I

Before Olivia's house.

[Enter Clown and Fabian.]

FABIAN:

Now, as thou lovest me, let me see his letter.

CLOWN:

Good Master Fabian, grant me another request.

FABIAN:

Anything.

CLOWN:

Do not desire to see this letter.

FABIAN:

This is to give a dog, and in recompense desire my dog(5)
again.

[Enter Duke, Viola, and Attendants.]

DUKE ORSINO:

Belong you to the Lady Olivia, friends?

CLOWN:

Ay, sir; we are some of her trappings.

DUKE ORSINO:

I know thee well; how dost thou, my good fel
low?(10)

CLOWN:

Truly, sir, the better for my foes and the worse for my
friends.

DUKE ORSINO:

Just the contrary; the better for thy friends.

CLOWN:

No, sir, the worse.

DUKE ORSINO:

How can that be?(15)

CLOWN:

Marry, sir, they praise me and make an ass of me; now
my foes tell me plainly I am an ass: so that by my foes, sir, I
profit in the knowledge of myself, and by my friends, I am
abused: so that, conclusions to be as kisses, if your four nega
tives make your two affirmatives, why then, the worse for(20)
my friends and the better for my foes.

DUKE ORSINO:

Why, this is excellent.

CLOWN:

By my troth, sir, no; though it please you to be one
of my friends.

DUKE ORSINO:

Thou shalt not be the worse for me: there's(25)
gold.

CLOWN:

But that it would be double-dealing, sir, I would
you could make it another.

DUKE ORSINO:

O, you give me ill counsel.

CLOWN:

Put your grace in your pocket, sir, for this once, and(30)
let your flesh and blood obey it.

DUKE ORSINO:

Well, I will be so much a sinner to be a double-
dealer: there's another.

CLOWN:

Primo, secundo, tertio, is a good play; and the old
saying is, the third pays for all: the triplex, sir, is a good(35)
tripping measure; or the bells of Saint Bennet, sir, may
put you in mind; one, two, three.

DUKE ORSINO:

You can fool no more money out of me at this
throw: if you will let your lady know I am here to speak
with her, and bring her along with you, it may awake my(40)
bounty further.

CLOWN:

Marry, sir, lullaby to your bounty till I come again. I
go, sir; but I would not have you to think that my desire
of having is the sin of covetousness: but, as you say, sir,
let your bounty take a nap, I will awake it anon.(45)

[Exit Clown.]

[Enter Antonio and Officers.]

VIOLA:

Here comes the man, sir, that did rescue me.

DUKE ORSINO:

That face of his I do remember well;
Yet, when I saw it last, it was besmear'd
As black as Vulcan in the smoke of war:
A bawbling vessel was he captain of,(50)
For shallow draught and bulk unprizable;
With which such scathful grapple did he make
With the most noble bottom of our fleet,
That very envy and the tongue of los
Cried fame and honour on him. What's the matter?(55)

FIRST OFFICER:

Orsino, this is that Antonio
That took the Phoenix and her fraught from Candy;
And this is he that did the Tiger board,
When your young nephew Titus lost his leg:
Here in the streets, desperate of shame and state,(60)
In private brabble did we apprehend him.

VIOLA:

He did me kindness, sir, drew on my side;
But in conclusion put strange speech upon me.
I know not what 'twas, but distraction.

DUKE ORSINO:

Notable pirate! thou salt-water thief!(65)
What foolish boldness brought thee to their mercies,
Whom thou, in terms so bloody and so dear,
Hast made thine enemies?

ANTONIO:

Orsino, noble sir,
Be pleased that I shake off these names you give me:(70)
Antonio never yet was thief or pirate,
Though, I confess, on base and ground enough,
Orsino's enemy. A witchcraft drew me hither:
That most ingrateful boy there by your side,
From the rude sea's enraged and foamy mouth(75)
Did I redeem; a wreck past hope he was:
His life I gave him and did thereto add
My love, without retention or restraint,
All his in dedication; for his sake
Did I expose myself, pure for his love,(80)
Into the danger of this adverse town;
Drew to defend him when he was beset:
Where being apprehended, his false cunning,
Not meaning to partake with me in danger,
Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance,(85)
And grew a twenty years removed thing
While one would wink; denied me mine own purse,
Which I had recommended to his use
Not half an hour before.

VIOLA:

How can this be?(90)

DUKE ORSINO:

When came he to this town?

ANTONIO:

Today, my lord; and for three months before,
No interim, not a minute's vacancy,
Both day and night did we keep company.

[Enter Olivia and Attendants.]

DUKE ORSINO:

Here comes the Countess: now heaven walks on(95)
earth.
But for thee, fellow; fellow, thy words are madness:
Three months this youth hath tended upon me;
But more of that anon. Take him aside.

OLIVIA:

What would my lord, but that he may not have,(100)
Wherein Olivia may seem serviceable?
Cesario, you do not keep promise with me.

VIOLA:

Madam—

DUKE ORSINO:

Gracious Olivia,—

OLIVIA:

What do you say, Cesario? Good my lord,—(105)

VIOLA:

My lord would speak; my duty hushes me.

OLIVIA:

If it be aught to the old tune, my lord,
It is as fat and fulsome to mine ear
As howling after music.

DUKE ORSINO:

Still so cruel?

OLIVIA:

Still so constant, lord.

DUKE ORSINO:

What, to perverseness? you uncivil lady,
To whose ingrate and unauspicious altars
My soul the faithfull'st offerings hath breathed out
That e'er devotion tender'd! What shall I do?(115)

OLIVIA:

Even what it please my lord, that shall become
him.

DUKE ORSINO:

Why should I not, had I the heart to do it,
Like to the Egyptian thief, at point of death,
Kill what I love?—a savage jealousy(120)
That sometime savours nobly. But hear me this:
Since you to non-regardance cast my faith,
And that I partly know the instrument
That screws me from my true place in your favour,
Live you the marble-breasted tyrant still;(125)
But this your minion, whom I know you love,
And whom, by heaven I swear, I tender dearly,
Him will I tear out of that cruel eye,
Where he sits crowned in his master's sprite.
Come, boy, with me; my thoughts are ripe in mischief:(130)
I'll sacrifice the lamb that I do love,
To spite a raven's heart within a dove.

• “This is like giving a dog to someone, and in repayment for the gift, asking for it back.”
• attendants
• opposite
• “four negatives…two affirmatives” – Feste twists mathematical and grammatical logic in order to draw his conclusion that two negatives equal a positive. Note that throughout the play, Feste often makes fun of logicians and philosophers by turning logic inside out or by twisting it to absurdity.
• Except for the fact that
• Double-dealing contains two meanings in this statement: double giving (of the money) and deception or dishonesty.
• Grace contains two meanings in this statement. Your grace is a form of address for royalty or nobility, and the word grace also means generosity.
• (coin)
• [Latin] “first, second, third”; most likely a reference to a particular game of dice
• a proverb similar to “the third time is a charm”
• triple time
• dancing beat
• shortening of Saint Benedict; probably a reference to a church called Saint Bennet Hithe, which stood near the Globe Theatre.
• (of the dice)
• a payment, reward
• greed
• the Roman god of fire and crafts; Vulcan was also the blacksmith of the gods and was believed to be the source of volcanoes.
• insignificant
• the amount of water a worthless boat displaces
• ship
• “He fought and conquered our best ship with such fierce determination that we could not help but admire him.”
• freight, cargo
• “Candy” – [slang] Candia, which referred to the islands in and around the island of Crete off the coast of Greece
• in a shameful condition
• brawl
• drew his sword to help me
• spoke strangely to me
• insanity
• brought you to your enemies' power
• irresistible charm; enchantment
• save
• withholding
• purely
• hostile
• in distress
• take part; share
• pretend not to know me
• “And, in the blink of an eye, acted as if we were as distant as we would be if twenty years had come between us.”
• interim – an interval
• empty time
• anything
• unnecessary, excessive
• offensive
• unkindness
• ungrateful
• unfavourable
• spoke
• offered, presented
• Whatever you want
• a reference to the Aethiopica, a romance by the third century Greek writer Heliodorus of Emesa; the ancient story was discovered and printed in the 16th century. The allusion is to the character of Thyamis, who was in love with Chariclea. When his life was in danger, Thyamis plotted to kill Chariclea so that no other man could have her upon his death.
• honourably
• neglect my love
• wrenches, forces
• favorite
• take care of; act kindly toward
• (Olivia's)
• despite his master (Orsino)

1. Strategies for Understanding Shakespeare's Language
2. Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights
3. Dramatis Personæ
4. Act I
   1. Scene I
   2. Scene II
   3. Scene III
   4. Scene IV
   5. Scene V
5. Act II
   1. Scene I
   2. Scene II
   3. Scene III
   4. Scene IV
   5. Scene V
6. Act III
   1. Scene I
   2. Scene II
   3. Scene III
   4. Scene IV
7. Act IV
   1. Scene I
   2. Scene II
   3. Scene III
8. Act V
   1. Scene I
9. Copyright

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