in Twelfth Night, or What You Will — Shakespeare, William
Metadata
Play
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Author
Shakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)
1623
First performance
1601
Decade
1620s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Cap. | Cap
Words
241
Characters
1239
Typicality
0.25 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11954.13
BritDrama no.
1297
Cluster
Cluster 2 — Allegory, Nature & pageant voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
This is Illyria Lady. It is perchance that you your self were saved. True Madam, and to comfort you with chance, Assure your self, 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 Oriȝon on the Dolphins back, I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves, So long as I could see. I Madam well, for I was bred and born Not three hours travail from this very place: A noble Duke in nature, as in name. Orsino. 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. 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 deer love (They say) she hath abjured the sighed And company of men. Be you his Eunuch, and your Mute I'll be, When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see. That were hard to compass, Because she will admit no kind of suit, No not the Dukes.
Plot summary
Plot — Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Orsino is in love with Olivia, but she is in mourning and has renounced the company of men. Shipwrecked in Illyria and believing her twin brother dead, Viola enters Orsino’s service posing as a eunuch, ‘Cesario’. She falls in love with him, but is sent to woo Olivia on his behalf. Olivia in turn falls in love with ‘Cesario’. Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby, is trying to marry her off to his idiot acquaintance, Sir Andrew. After her steward Malvolio interrupts their raucous nocturnal sing-song, and unjustly accuses her gentlewoman Maria of complicity, the offended parties plot to humiliate him. Maria writes a letter, in handwriting similar to Olivia’s, and leaves it for him to find. It encourages him to believe possible his fantasies of marrying his mistress, and induces him to behave and dress inappropriately in her presence. Olivia thinks he is mad or possessed, and has him confined in Sir Toby’s charge. Sir Toby and his accomplices take the opportunity to mock him. Sebastian, Viola’s brother, is alive after all: he was rescued from drowning by Orsino’s enemy Antonio. They too come to Illyria, and Antonio entrusts Sebastian with his purse. Sir Toby encourages Sir Andrew to challenge ‘Cesario’ to a duel, and makes each afraid of the other. They are on the point of fighting when Antonio intervenes to help the youth, believing him to be Sebastian. When he is arrested by Orsino’s officers, Viola is unable to return the purse he gave to Sebastian; he reproaches ‘Sebastian’s’ ingratitude, and Viola realizes her brother has survived. Taking ‘Cesario’ for a coward, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby renew the quarrel when they encounter Sebastian, but Olivia intervenes. After arranging for a priest, she contracts to marry Sebastian, thinking him “Cesario’. Orsino realizes that ‘Cesario’ has become an obstacle in the pursuit of his love, and considers killing ‘him’ until it emerges that Olivia is now married. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are wounded after attacking Sebastian, whose arrival on stage resolves all confusions. Orsino transfers his affections to Viola. Malvolio is released, but goes away swearing vengeance. Feste sings.