Maria, Feste, Sebastian&Antonio Quotes

2\.3, SHAKE IT OFF - Maria’s imperative and insult, to Malvolio, albeit when he’s offstage, shows how they hate him. They imply he has the long ears of an ass.

*Go shake your ears.*

2\.3, horse - **Disguise and deception,** Malvolio enters and berates Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for drinking in Olivia's home. She plans to mimic Olivia's handwriting and write Malvolio a love letter. Sir Toby is thrilled by this plot, and Maria responds with this line. By agreeing that her "horse" or "idea" is exactly of the kind("colour"), it confirms what Sir Toby is probably imagining. This moment brings reveals how deception and disguise can be used against an individual, to hurt instead of the help.

*My purpose is, indeed, a horse of that colour.*

2\.3, epistles - Maria hatches a plan to forge a love letter

to trick Malvolio into believing Olivia is in love with him.

*I will drop in his way some obscure epistles of love*

1\.5, wit, fool - **Class, masters and servants,** This strengthens the audience’s understanding that even though Feste is portrayed and seen by characters in the play as a fool he is smarter than almost all the other characters. Only Viola can match him intellectually.

**Antimetabole** – a phrase which repeats but the order is reversed. This shows his expertise in wordplay.

*Better a witty fool than a foolish wit*

3.1, foolery, orb - Class, masters and servants, Feste knows and understands he carries the title of fool, Feste also understands there are even more foolish characters in the play.

Simile – compares how foolery to the sun’s light in how it shines everywhere, also as the view that the sun orbited the Earth was prevalent at the time.

Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere

3\.1, corrupter - **Class, masters and servants**

Feste describes himself to viola as not a fool but a corruptor of words, although he is paid to act as a fool, he is more than a fool rather just someone who is able to wittily play with words

**Word choice** – the use of the strong word corruptor paints an image to the audience that Feste is like a puppeteer controlling and playing around with the words of those around him.

*“I am not indeed her fool, but her corruptor of words.”*

1\.5, fool, mourn *-* **Class, masters and servants**

Feste proving to Olivia that she is a fool by explaining how she’s mourning her brother’s death even though he is in heaven. This shows the audience how superficial her ‘mourning’ is, just melodramatic lamentation in hopes of sympathy.

**Consonance** – the repetition of the m sound highlights the fact that although in this scene Feste is treated like a fool, he is able to outsmart Olivia someone of higher social class.

*The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother’s soul being in heaven.*

1\.5, cucullus, motley - **Class, masters and servants**

The hood does not make the monk, in other words Feste is saying not to judge a book by its cover. Even though he’s wearing jester clothes on the outside he is still witty and his brain is sharp.

**Metaphorical phrase** – the use of the phrase “non facit monachum” helps the audience see although Feste is dressed foolishly his mind is still sharp and bright

*Lady, Cucullus non facit monachum – that’s as much to say as I wear not motley in my brain.*

2.1, drowned, with more – Pure love, Sebastian tells Antonio how she has drowned in the salt water of the ocean, and now he’s drowning her memories with salty tears. Polyptoton → repition of drowning represents how revisiting this grief is painful, like salt into a wound. Perhaps Shakespeare emphasises that this is required to push through, akin to having to acclimatise to the ocean to enjoy swimming in its waters.

She is drowned already, sir, with salt water, though I seem to drown her rememberance again with more

2.1, stars, malignancy - Love and caring, In an ironical way, this quote foreshadows what later happens to Sebastian – he is blessed with good fortune when he is mistaken for Cesario by Olivia. Oxymoron of shine darkly evokes strong emotions in the scene, prompting readers to acknowledge this intensity, also a decline towards death, a star slowly fading away, shining ‘darkly’

My stars shine darkly over me. The malignancy of my fate might perhaps distemper yours; therefore I shall crave of you your leave that I may bear my evils alone:

4\.1, mad - **Madness, disguise and deception,** Sebastian asks if all the people of Illyria have gone mad, all thanks to Viola’s disguise. This shows how much havoc deception can wreck, even if unintentional.

*(After being attacked by Sir Andrew): Are all the people mad?*

4.1, relish, sleep - Love and desire, disguise and deception, madness, Sebastian wonders if he is mad or dreaming. The madness this disguise has created seems to affect him too. ‘Lethe’ refers to the river in the underworld that washes away memories. This allusion to greek mythology shows just how maddening these disguios are, the title of the play is an allusion to Christianity and yet its characters seem to refer more to Greek mythology!

(Sebastian): What relish is in this? How runs the stream?
Or I am mad, or else this is a dream. Let fancy still my sense in Lethe steep. If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep!

2.1, murder, servant - gender and sexuality, Antonio is moved by Sebastian’s story , and he pledges his services to him. Has Antonio fallen in love with Sebastian? He feels as if he is being murdered as Sebastian insists they part

If you will not murder me for my love, let me be your servant.

2\.1, adore, sport - **Love and desire, gender and sexuality,** Viola’s twin brother Sebastian has Antonio caring for him in his home. Antonio is willing to risk danger by following Sebastian to Duke Orsino’s court, where Antonio has “many enemies.” Because of his strong attachment to Sebastian, he feels he cannot live without him.

*But come what may, I do adore thee so* \n *That danger shall seem sport, and I will go.*

3\.3, desire, filed - **Love and desire, gender and sexuality,** Antonio says that his desire for Sebastian is “more sharp than filed steel” – an arrow, sword or spear. There is no denying the closeness and intimacy of the relationship between the two. Antonio knows he is in actual danger by following him, and yet he still does. In this case, it’s a bromance that verges on the romantic – for Antonio, at least. Perhaps, through Antonio, we can observe a straight crush – and ultimately how this love leads to nothing; despite his utter devotion to him

*I could not stay behind you. My desire,* \n *More sharp than filed steel, did spur me forth;*

3\.4, sword, offence - **Love and desire, gender and sexuality, madness,** yet again, Antonio puts his life on the line for Sebastian. As well, love has brought him into the realm of near-madness.

*Put up your sword! If this young gentleman* \n *Have done offence, I take the fault on me.*

3\.4, idol, good feature – **Love and desire, madness, deception and disguise,** Antonio exclaims that Sebastian has put his good looks to shame – confirming what Viola said earlier in the play (And though that nature with a beauteous wall/ Doth oft close in pollution). In an outrage, because of a misunderstanding, he is now being arrested and ‘Sebastian’ (actually Viola) won’t even give him purse back.

*But O how vile an idol proves this god!* \n *Thou hast, Sebastian, done good feature shame.*

3.4, coming, possessed - The repetition of the words “He” and “Madam” conveys Maria’s determination to convince Olivia that Malvolio is truly possessed.  

“He’s coming, madam; but in very strange manner. He is sure possessed, madam.”