Allusions to St. Edmund Campion, SJ,
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Act Four, Scene Two
See C. Richard Desper’s full essay at www.everreader.com/allusio3.htm
Feste the Clown with the help of friends devises some pranks that get Malvolio put into prison.
Feste then disguises himself as an Anglican priest, Sir Topas, in order to gain access to
Malvolio’s prison cell and harrass him with nonsense. The clown says:
Bonos dies, Sir Toby: for, as the old hermit of Prague, that never saw pen and ink,
very wittly said to a niece of King Gorboduc, “That that is is”; so I, being master
Parson, am master Parson; for, what is “that” but “that”; and “is” but “is”? (IV.ii.15-19)
The old hermit of Prague: Prague was Campion’s previous assignment before coming to
England.
Never saw pen and ink: While Campion was interrogated by his torturers, their dialogue was
recorded by a secretary. The following exchange occurred during the third interrogation:
Campion: “If you dare, let me how you Augustine and Chrysostom, if you dare.”
Fulke: “Whatever you can bring, I have answered already in writing against others of
your side. And yet if you think you can add anything, put it in writing and I will answer
it.”
Campion: “Provide me with pen and ink and I will write.”
Fulke: “I am not to provide you ink and paper.”
Campion: “I mean, procure me that I may have liberty to write.”
Fulke: “I know not for what cause you are restrained of that liberty, and therefore I will
not take upon me to procure it.”
Niece of King Gorboduc: a possible allusion to Queen Elizabeth I, to whom Campion had
written his “Brag”. Gorboduc was a mythical king of England. In real life Elizabeth had an uncle
named Arthur who would have become king had he not died young; hence he would have become
“King Arthur,” another mythical king. Elizabeth was possibly also the niece of one of the writers
of a well-known play about King Gorboduc.
That that, is is: a religious affirmation of truth.
Master Parson: Campion’s Jesuit companion Robert Persons, also known as Robert Parson.