| What a plague means my niece, to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care’s an enemy to life.” | Sir Toby to Maria upon entering scene (1.3.1). Toby worries about Olivia’s mourning and suggests that caring (or perhaps responsibility) impedes on fun |
| Troth, sir, I can yield you none without words., and words are grown so false I am loath to prove reason with them.” | Feste to Viola (Cesario) (3.1.23-25). Feste cuttingly and philosophically muses to Viola on how words are twisted. |
| Alas, poor fool, how have they baffled thee!” | Olivia to Malvolio after Fabian has revealed their plot (5.1.369) Olivia takes pity on Malvolio’s humiliation |
| Lady, cucullus non facit monachum; that’s as much to say as, I wear not motley in my brain.” | Feste to Olivia (1.3.52-54) I may appear a fool, but am not inwardly. Playing on disguise and things not seeming to be what they appear |
| Let fancy still my sense in Lethe steep; / If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep!” | Sebastian’s aside (4.1.61-62). Olivia (mistaking Sebastian for Cesario) declares her love to which Sebastian is baffled and does not want to understand. |
| This fellow is wise enough to play the fool; / And to do that craves a kind of wit.” | Viola’s soliloquy (3.1.60-61). Viola contemplates Feste’s nature after her second encounter (at Olivia’s) with him. |
| And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. | Feste musing aloud (5.1.376). After Toby’s tricks are out, Feste says that he had it coming indicating Malvolio’s previously sour nature towards him. |
| I say, there is no darkness but ignorance. | Feste (as Sir Topas) to Malvolio (4.2.43-44) Feste says that the house is not dark, but Malvolio ignorant of the trick played on him and his disguise |
| If music be the food of love, play on.” | Orsino to musicians/audience (1.1.1). Opening lines indicate Orsino’s lovesickness. A feeling he want to wallow in, just like Olivia wants to wallow in her grief |
| I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you.” | Malvolio to all (even audience?) (5.1.377) Malvolio storms off after finding out about Toby’s trick and swears his revenge, but is this a harmless threat that can be soothed or does it have darker implication? |
Twelfth Night
July 12, 2019