Twelfth Night
Act I, Scene 2
The sea coast.
Viola Allen in Twelfth Night
New York Times, 1916
- Enter Viola, a Captain, and Sailors.
Viola
1- What country, friends, is this?
Sea Captain
2- This is Illyria, lady.
Viola
3 - 5- And what should I do in Illyria?
- My brother he is in Elysium.
- Perchance he is not drown’d—what think you, sailors?
Sea Captain
6- It is perchance that you yourself were saved.
Viola
7- O my poor brother! And so perchance may he be.
Sea Captain
8 - 17- True, madam, and to comfort you with chance,
- Assure yourself, 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 liv’d upon the sea;
- Where like Arion on the dolphin’s back,
- I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves
- So long as I could see.
Viola
18 - 21- For saying so, there’s gold.
- Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope,
- Whereto thy speech serves for authority,
- The like of him. Know’st thou this country?
Sea Captain
22 - 23- Ay, madam, well, for I was bred and born
- Not three hours’ travel from this very place.
Viola
24- Who governs here?
Sea Captain
25- A noble duke, in nature as in name.
Viola
26- What is his name?
Sea Captain
27- Orsino.
Viola
28 - 29- Orsino! I have heard my father name him. He was a bachelor
- then.
Sea Captain
30 - 34- 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.
Viola
35- What’s she?
Sea Captain
36 - 41- 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 dear love,
- They say, she hath abjur’d the company
- And sight of men.
Viola
42 - 45- O that I serv’d that lady,
- And might not be delivered to the world
- Till I had made mine own occasion mellow
- What my estate is!
Sea Captain
46 - 48- That were hard to compass,
- Because she will admit no kind of suit,
- No, not the Duke’s.
Viola
49 - 63- There is a fair behavior in thee, captain,
- And though that nature with a beauteous wall
- Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee
- I will believe thou hast a mind that suits
- With this thy fair and outward character.
- I prithee (and I’ll pay thee bounteously)
- Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
- For such disguise as haply shall become
- The form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke;
- Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him,
- It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing
- And speak to him in many sorts of music
- That will allow me very worth his service.
- What else may hap, to time I will commit,
- Only shape thou thy silence to my wit.
Sea Captain
64 - 65- Be you his eunuch, and your mute I’ll be;
- When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see.
Viola
66- I thank thee. Lead me on.
- Exeunt.
Marie Wainwright as Viola
New York Times, circa 1916