Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 1
Enter ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN.
1-2. nor will you not that I go with you: are you sure you don't want me to go with you?
ANTONIO
1
Will you stay no longer? nor will you not
2
that I go with you?
SEBASTIAN
3. By your patience: i.e., By your leave, Excuse me, etc.
3
By your patience, no. My stars shine darkly
4. malignancy: evil influence of the stars; also, infectious disease. 5. distemper: infect.
4
over me: the malignancy of my fate might
5
perhaps distemper yours; therefore I shall
6
crave of you your leave that I may bear my
7. recompense: repayment.
7
evils alone: it were a bad recompense for
8
your love, to lay any of them on you.
ANTONIO
9
Let me yet know of you whither you are
10
bound.
SEBASTIAN
11. sooth: truly. determinate voyage: travel plan. 11-12. mere extravagancy: really just aimless wandering.
11
No, sooth, sir: my determinate voyage is mere
12
extravagancy. But I perceive in you so excellent a
13. touch of modesty: feeling for the feelings of others.
13
touch of modesty, that you will not extort from me
14. what I am willing to keep in: what I want to keep to myself. 12-15. But I perceive in you . . . express myself:.
14
what I am willing to keep in; therefore it charges
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me in manners the rather to express myself. You
16
must know of me then, Antonio, my name is Sebastian,
17
which I called Roderigo. My father was that
18. Messaline: (We don't know what place Shakespeare had in mind.)
18
Sebastian of Messaline, whom I know you have heard
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of. He left behind him myself and a sister, both
20. in an hour: within the same hour (He's Viola's twin.)
20
born in an hour: if the heavens had been pleased,
21. would we had so ended!: (He wishes he could have died with his sister.)
21
would we had so ended! but you, sir, altered that;
22
for some hour before you took me from the breach of
22-23. the breach of the sea: the breakers, the high surf.
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the sea was my sister drowned.
ANTONIO
24
Alas the day!
SEBASTIAN
25
A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled
26
me, was yet of many accounted beautiful: but,
27. with such estimable wonder: because of my amazed estimate (of Viola's beauty). 28. overfar: too much.
27
though I could not with such estimable wonder
28
overfar believe that, yet thus far I will boldly
29. publish her: say to all the world about her. envy could not but: even Envy itself would have to.
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publish her; she bore a mind that envy could not but
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call fair. She is drowned already, sir, with salt
31
water, though I seem to drown her remembrance
32. more: i.e., salt water, Sebastian's tears.
32
again with more.
ANTONIO
33. your bad entertainment: the poor hospitality that I have given you.
33
Pardon me, sir, your bad entertainment.
SEBASTIAN
34. forgive me your trouble: i.e., I'm sorry to have put you to so much trouble.
34
O good Antonio, forgive me your trouble.
ANTONIO
35
If you will not murder me for my love, let me be
36. If you will not murder me for my love: Murder him by insisting that they part
36
your servant.
SEBASTIAN
37
If you will not undo what you have done, that is,
38. recovered: rescued. (It's not clear why it would kill Sebastian to let Antonio be his servant.) 39. kindness: natural feeling (i.e., his grief for his sister'sdeath). 40. manners of my mother: my mother's way of reacting. 41. least occasion: slightest provocation. 41-42. mine eyes will tell tales of me: i.e., I will cry, showing. how womanish I am.
38
kill him whom you have recovered, desire it not.
39
Fare ye well at once: my bosom is full of kindness,
40
and I am yet so near the manners of my mother,
41
that upon the least occasion more mine eyes will
42
tell tales of me. I am bound to the Count Orsino's
43
court. Farewell.
Exit.
ANTONIO
44
The gentleness of all the gods go with thee!
45
I have many enemies in Orsino's court,
46
Else would I very shortly see thee there.
47
But, come what may, I do adore thee so,
48. That danger shall seem sport: The danger of running into enemies at court shall seem like fun because of Antonio's adoration.
48
That danger shall seem sport, and I will go.
Exit.