莎劇賞析 之十：《第十二夜》 The Twelfth Night 董 崇 選 中山醫大應用外語系教授 懂更懂學習英文網站負責人 網址：

I. The Plot: Type: Romantic Comedy ( 浪漫喜劇 ) Time: 16th Century ( 十六世紀 ) Locale: Illyria ( 伊利里亞 ) First presented: 1600

II. Principal Characters: Viola ( 維歐拉 ): a shipwrecked girl 沈船的女孩 ( 扮 Sesario) Sebastian ( 希巴斯奇安 ): Viola’s twin brother 雙胞胎哥哥 Orsino ( 歐西諾 ): Duke of Illyria 公爵 Olivia ( 歐利維雅 ): a rich countess 富有之女伯爵 Malvolio ( 馬孚利歐 ): Olivia’s pompous steward 浮誇管家 Maria: Olivia’s lively waiting woman 侍女 Sir Toby Belch: Olivia’s uncle Sir Andrew Aguecheek: a cowardly drinking fool Antonio: a sea captain befriending Sebastian Feste: a clown in Olivia’s household

III. The Story: 第一幕 :Orsino sighs for love of Olivia, who denies his suit and mourns for her brother’s death. Viola is cast ashore on the seacoast of Illyria. She decides to disguise herself as a man and seek service with Duke Orsino. Sir Toby complains to Maria of Olivia’s severity about his revelry with Aguecheek. Orsino favors Cesario, who is Viola in disguise. Cesario/Viola falls in love with Orsino. Orsino asks Cesario to go to Olivia as a messenger. Olivia falls in love with Cesario. When Cesario leaves, Olivia sends Malvolio after the youth and wants “him” to take back the ring he “has left behind.”

III. The Story: 第二幕 : Sebastian and his rescuer Antonio have also come ashore on the seacoast of Illyria. Sebastian decides to set out for Orsino’s court, and Antonio determines to follow him. Malvolio overtakes Cesario and “returns” the ring. Maria and others decide to get even with Malvolio because Malvolio tell Olivia about their night revels. Orsino calls for a love-lament and sends Cesario again to press his suit. Cesario/Viola hints at her own love to the Duke. Malvolio finds a letter, is taken in, and behaves strangely.

III. The Story: 第三幕 : Olivia hints at her love for Cesario and bids him come again. Sir Andrew becomes jealous of Olivia’s love for the messenger. Sir Toby dares Sir Andrew to challenge the youth. Maria reports that Malvolio did wear yellow stockings, cross-gartered, and smile like an idiot. Antonio overtakes Sebastian, gives Sebastian a purse, and goes to stay at an inn. Olivia thinks Malvolio mad. Maria and others tie Malvolio in a dark room. Both Sir Andrew and Cesario are terrified of their encounter. As they draw, Antonio comes to Cesario’s assistance, thinking she is Sebastian. Some officers come and arrest Antonio.

III. The Story: 第四幕 : Feste, sent in quest of Cesario, finds Sebastian. Sir Andrew attacks Sebastian, who returns his blow with skill. Sir Toby joins the fray but Olivia intervenes. Feste, disguised as the curate Sir Topas, torments Malvolio. The Clown plays his part with glee. Olivia offers herself to Sebastian if he will consent to marry her at once. Sebastian is puzzled but accepts the offer since she is a rich and beautiful countess.

III. The Story: 第五幕 : Antonio creates some confusion before the Duke. Olivia adds to the confusion by entering and claiming Viola/Cesario as her husband. Furthermore, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby enter wounded and blame their hurts upon Viola/Cesario. Everything is finally made clear when Sebastian appears and Viola assumes her maiden attire. Orsino abandons his hopeless love for Olivia and marries Viola. Olivia orders Malvolio’s release. Fabian discloses that Sir Toby has married Maria as a reward for her brilliant plot.

IV. Quotable Lines: “Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness, Wherein the pregnant enemy does much. 狡詐 How easy it is for the proper false In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms! Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we, For such as we are made of, such we be.” --Viola to Malvolio “To be up after midnight, and to go to bed then, is early: so that to go to bed after midnight, is to go to bed betimes.”” --Sir Toby to Sir Andrew

IV. Quotable Lines: “O mistress mine, where are you roaming? O stay and hear, your true love’s coming, That can sing both high and low. Trip no further, pretty sweeting, Journeys end in lovers meeting, Every wise man’s son doth know.” --Sir Andrew sings to Sir Toby

IV. Quotable Lines: “What is love? ‘Tis not hereafter, Present mirth hath present laughter: What’s to come is still unsure. In delay there lies no plenty, Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty: Youth’s a stuff will not endure.” --Clown to Sir Andrew & Sir Toby

IV. Quotable Lines: “In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” -- in a letter to Malvolio “... they that dally nicely with words may quickly make them wanton.” --Viola to Clown “... words are grown so false, I am loath to prove reason with them.” --Clown to Viola “Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere.” --Clown to Viola “This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, And to do that well, craves a kind of wit.” --Viola to Clown

IV. Quotable Lines: “A murderous guilt shows not itself more soon Than love that would seem hid. Love’s night is noon Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” --Olivia to Viola “In nature there’s no blemish but the mind: None can be called deformed but the unkind. Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil Are empty trunks, over-flourished by the devil.” --Antonio to an Officer

IV. Quotable Lines: “Madman, thou errest. I say there is no darkness but ignorance, in which thou art more puzzled than the Egyptians in their fog.” --Clown to Malvolio “... they praise me, and make an ass of me. Now my foes tell me plainly I am an ass: so that by my foes, sir, I profit in the knowledge of myself, and by my friends I am abused. So that, conclusions to be as kisses, if your four negatives make your two affirmations, why then the worse for my friends, and the better for my foes.” --Clown to the Duke “An apple cleft in two is not more twin Than these two creatures.” --Antonio to Olivia and others

V. Discussion: –What stock devices are used in this comedy? Any mistaken identity, disguise, trick? –What do you think of the gulling of Malvolio? Does it satirize anything? –Why is this play called “The Twelfth Night”? Why is it also called “What You Will”? –What is said and suggested about madness in the play? –What is said and suggested about love and marriage in this play?