Script: Act 1, Scene v, Part 2
Translation
FESTE has just exited to care for Sir Toby Belch
In Olivia’s house
Re-enter MALVOLIO
MALVOLIO
Madam, yond young fellow swears he will speak
with you. What is to be said to him, lady?
Madam, that young man swears
he has to talk to you. What
should I say?
OLIVIA
Tell him he shall not speak with me.
Tell him I won’t talk to him.
MALVOLIO
Has been told so; and he says, he'll stand at your
door like a sheriff's post, and be the supporter to
a bench, but he'll speak with you.
I’ve already told him that, and
he says he’ll stand by your door
forever if he needs to.
OLIVIA
What kind o' man is he?
What is he like?
MALVOLIO
Of very ill manner; he'll speak with you, will you or
no.
OLIVIA
Of what personage and years is he?
He is very rude; he insists on
talking to you whether you want
to or not.
What does he look like, and how
old is he?
MALVOLIO
Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for
a boy. He is very well-favoured and he speaks very
shrewishly; one would think his mother's milk were
scarce out of him.
Not old enough to be a man, or
young enough to be a boy. He
is good looking and his voice is
very high, as if he were very
young.
OLIVIA
Let him approach: call in my gentlewoman.
Let him in to see me. Call
Maria.
Exit
Re-enter MARIA
OLIVIA
Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face.
We'll once more hear Orsino's embassy.
Give me my veil, and put it on
me. I’ll hear Orsino’s
messenger one more time.
Enter VIOLA, and Attendants
VIOLA
The honourable lady of the house, which is she?
Which of you is the lady of the
house?
OLIVIA
Speak to me; I shall answer for her. Your will?
Speak to me. What do you
want?
VIOLA
Most radiant, exquisite and unmatchable beauty,--I
pray you, tell me if this be the lady of the house,
for I never saw her: I would be loath to cast away
my speech, for besides that it is excellently well
penned, I have taken great pains to con it.
OLIVIA
Whence came you, sir?
VIOLA
I can say little more than I have studied, and that
question's out of my part. Good gentle one, give me
modest assurance if you be the lady of the house,
that I may proceed in my speech.
Most radiant, exquisite and
unmatchable beauty – hey,
please just tell me if you’re the
lady of the house, since I’ve
never seen her. I would hate to
waste the speech, which is well
written, and was a lot of work
to memorize.
Where did you come from, sir?
I can only say the speech I
memorized, and that question
isn’t part of the speech. Please
tell me if you are the lady, so I
can tell you the speech.
OLIVIA
Are you a comedian?
Are you an actor?
VIOLA
No, my profound heart: and yet, I am not that I play.
Are you the lady of the house?
No, but I am not what I seem.
Are you the lady of the house?
OLIVIA
If I do not usurp myself, I am.
Yes.
VIOLA
I will on with my speech in your praise, and then
show you the heart of my message.
Well then I will say the speech,
and show you the heart of the
message.
OLIVIA
Come to what is important in't: I forgive you the
praise.
Just get to the point – I don’t
care about hearing the praise.
VIOLA
Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis poetical.
Oh no! I worked hard to
memorize it, and it is very
poetic.
OLIVIA
It is the more like to be feigned: I pray you,
keep it in. I heard you were saucy at my gates,
and allowed your approach rather to wonder at you
than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone; if
you have reason, be brief.
Then it’s more likely to be fake.
I beg you, don’t recite the
speech. I heard you were saucy
at the gate, and let you in
because I was curious about
you. If you are not crazy, go
away. If you are reasonable,
speak briefly.
MARIA
Will you hoist sail, sir? here lies your way.
Will you be leaving? Here’s the
way out.
VIOLA
No, good swabber; I am to hull here a little
longer. Some mollification for your giant, sweet
lady. Tell me your mind: I am a messenger.
No, good deck hand, I’ll stay a
bit longer. Tell me what you
like: I’ll be your messenger.
OLIVIA
Speak your office.
Say what you need to say.
VIOLA
It alone concerns your ear. What I am, and what I
would, are as secret as maidenhead; to your ears,
divinity, to any other's, profanation.
OLIVIA
Give us the place alone: we will hear this divinity.
Exeunt MARIA and Attendants
Now, sir, Where lies your text?
VIOLA
In Orsino's bosom.
It is for your ears only. Who I
am and what I want are as
secret as a person’s virginity.
To your ears, the words would
be divine – to any one else’s
ears, they would be like
swearing.
Leave us here alone. I will hear
these divine words.
Now sir, where are the words
you want to say?
In Orsino’s heart.
OLIVIA
O, I have read it: it is heresy. Have you no more to
say?
Oh, I know what he has to say
already. Do you have anything
new to say?
VIOLA
Good madam, let me see your face.
Lady, let me see your face.
OLIVIA
Have you any commission from your lord to
negotiate with my face? You are now out of your
text: but we will draw the curtain and show you the
picture. Look you, sir: is't not well done?
Have you orders from your lord
Orsino to talk with my face?
Now you are speaking out of
your script. But, I will lift my
veil and let you see my face.
Isn’t it well made?
Unveiling
VIOLA
Excellently done, if God did all.
OLIVIA
'Tis in grain, sir; 'twill endure wind and weather.
VIOLA
'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white
Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on:
Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive,
If you will lead these graces to the grave
And leave the world no copy.
OLIVIA
O, sir, I will not be so hard-hearted; I will give
out divers schedules of my beauty: it shall be
inventoried, and every particle and utensil
labelled to my will: as, item, two lips,
indifferent red; item, two grey eyes, with lids to
them; item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Were
you sent hither to praise me?
VIOLA
I see you what you are, you are too proud;
But, if you were the devil, you are fair.
My lord and master loves you: O, such love
Could be but recompensed, though you were crown'd
The nonpareil of beauty!
OLIVIA
How does he love me?
VIOLA
With adorations, fertile tears,
With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.
Your face is excellently made, if
it is natural.
It’s my own face straight
through. Wind and weather
won’t change it.
It is truly beautiful, with red
and white perfectly blended.
Lady, you are the cruelest
woman alive if you decide to die
childless, leaving the world no
one who looks like you.
Oh, I won’t be so cruel. I’ll
pass out my beauty in parts.
Someone will make a list, and
each part will be labeled, like
this: item 1: two lips, plain red;
Item 2: two grey eyes, with lids;
Item: one neck, one chin, and so
on. Were you sent here to
praise me?
I see your problem: you are too
proud. But, even if you were
the devil, you are beautiful. My
lord loves you. O, such love
should be paid back, even if you
were the most beautiful woman
in the entire world.
In what way does he show his
love for me?
With his words, his tears, his
groans that are loud with love,
with passionate sighs.
OLIVIA
Your lord does know my mind; I cannot love him:
Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble,
Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth;
A gracious person: but yet I cannot love him;
He might have took his answer long ago.
Your lord knows my thinking; I
can’t love him. Yet as far as I
know he is a good man, noble,
rich, young with nothing bad
said about him. A wonderful
man, but I can’t love him. He
might have believed me a long
time ago.
VIOLA
If I did love you in my master's flame,
In your denial I would find no sense;
I would not understand it.
If I loved you the way my
master does, I would choose not
to believe you when you said
you couldn’t love me.
OLIVIA
Why, what would you?
Really? What would you do?
VIOLA
Make me a willow cabin at your gate,
And call upon my soul within the house;
Halloo your name to the reverberate hills
And make the babbling gossip of the air
Cry out 'Olivia!'
I’d make a small hut by your
gate, and call out to you, my
own soul, living inside the gate.
I’d call your name until it
echoed in the his, and I’d make
the air itself call out “Olivia!”
OLIVIA
You might do much.
What is your parentage?
You might make progress with
me then. What kind of family do
you come from?
VIOLA
Above my fortunes, yet my state is well:
I am a gentleman.
I come from a noble family.
OLIVIA
Get you to your lord;
I cannot love him: let him send no more;
Unless, perchance, you come to me again,
To tell me how he takes it. Fare you well:
I thank you for your pains: spend this for me.
VIOLA
I am no fee'd post, lady; keep your purse:
My master, not myself, lacks recompense.
Farewell, fair cruelty.
Go back to your lord. I can’t
love him. Tell him to send no
more messengers. Unless
maybe YOU come see me again,
to tell me how he takes the
news. Thank you for your
efforts – here’s some money for
your trouble.
I’m not a paid messenger lady –
keep your money. My master,
not me, wants payment from
you. Good bye, beautiful lady.
Exit
OLIVIA
'What is your parentage?'
'Above my fortunes, yet my state is well:
I am a gentleman.' I'll be sworn thou art;
Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit,
Do give thee five-fold blazon: not too fast: soft, soft!
Unless the master were the man. How now!
Even so quickly may one catch the plague?
Methinks I feel this youth's perfections
With an invisible and subtle stealth
To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be.
What ho, Malvolio!
“What kind of family do you
come from?” “I come from a
noble family.” I bet you do.
Your words, your face, your
body, your actions, and your
spirit confirm that you are
noble. Not so fast, slow down,
slow down! What if he were the
one wooing me. Who knew!
Can someone fall in love so
quickly? I think something has
crept into my eyes to notice this
young man’s perfections. Oh
well, so be it. Malvolio, where
are you?
Re-enter MALVOLIO
MALVOLIO
Here, madam, at your service.
OLIVIA
Run after that same peevish messenger,
The county's man: he left this ring behind him,
Would I or not: tell him I'll none of it.
Desire him not to flatter with his lord,
Nor hold him up with hopes; I am not for him:
If that the youth will come this way to-morrow,
I'll give him reasons for't: hie thee, Malvolio.
MALVOLIO
Madam, I will.
I’m here, at your service.
Run after that messenger,
Orsino’s man. He left this ring
behind him, whether I wanted
him to or not – tell him I won’t
have it. Tell him not to give
Orsino false hopes, because I’m
not for him. But, if the young
man will come again tomorrow,
I’ll tell him the reasons why.
Go, Malvolio.
I will.
Exit
OLIVIA
I do I know not what, and fear to find
Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind.
Fate, show thy force: ourselves we do not owe;
What is decreed must be, and be this so.
Exit
I don’t know what I’m doing,
and I’m afraid to find out that
I’ve been judging based on his
looks, and not with my brain.
Fate, it is up to you. What must
be can’t be avoided.