Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 1


           Enter ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN.

Peter Herrick as Antonio

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
 15   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
 19   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.
 23   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.
 29   publish her; she bore a mind that envy could not but
 30   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
Daniel Ezra as Sebastian and Adam Best as Antonio36. 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.