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Twelfth Night - Act 2, scene 2
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Twelfth Night - Act 2, scene 2Act 2, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
Malvolio finds the disguised Viola and “returns” the ring. Viola, alone, realizes that Olivia has fallen in love with Cesario and understands that Orsino, Olivia, and Viola/Cesario are now in a love triangle that she is helpless to resolve.
Enter Viola and Malvolio, at several doors.MALVOLIO 0661 Were not you even now with the Countess
0662 Olivia?
VIOLA 0663 Even now, sir. On a moderate pace I have since
0664 arrived but hither.
MALVOLIO 0665 5She returns this ring to you, sir. You might
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53
0666
have saved me my pains to have taken it away0667 yourself. She adds, moreover, that you should put
0668 your lord into a desperate assurance she will none
0669 of him. And one thing more, that you be never so
0670 10 hardy to come again in his affairs unless it be to
0671 report your lord’s taking of this. Receive it so.
VIOLA 0672 She took the ring of me. I’ll none of it.
MALVOLIO 0673 Come, sir, you peevishly threw it to her, and
0674 her will is it should be so returned. ⌜He throws
down the ring.⌝ 0675 15If it be worth stooping for, there it
0676 lies in your eye; if not, be it his that finds it.
He exits.
VIOLA
0677 I left no ring with her. What means this lady?
⌜She picks up the ring.⌝
0678 Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her!
0679 She made good view of me, indeed so much
0680 20 That methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
0681 For she did speak in starts distractedly.
0682 She loves me, sure! The cunning of her passion
0683 Invites me in this churlish messenger.
0684 None of my lord’s ring? Why, he sent her none!
0685 25 I am the man. If it be so, as ’tis,
0686 Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
0687 Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness
0688 Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
0689 How easy is it for the proper false
0690 30 In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms!
0691 Alas, ⌜our⌝ frailty is the cause, not we,
0692 For such as we are made ⌜of,⌝ such we be.
0693 How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,
0694 And I, poor monster, fond as much on him,
0695 35 And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.
0696 What will become of this? As I am man,
0697 My state is desperate for my master’s love.
0698 As I am woman (now, alas the day!),
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0699
What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!0700 40 O Time, thou must untangle this, not I.
0701 It is too hard a knot for me t’ untie.
⌜She exits.⌝