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：http://dgdel.nchu.edu.tw
I. The Plot:
• Type: Romantic Comedy (浪漫喜劇)
• Time: 16th Century (十六世紀)
• Locale: Illyria (伊利里亞)
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First presented: 1600
II. Principal Characters:
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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:
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“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
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“... 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
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“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?