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
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
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.