Enter MARIA and Clown
	MARIA
4.2.1	Nay, I prithee, put on this gown and this beard;
	make him believe thou art Sir Topas the curate.	him i.e., Malvolio | Sir Topas >>> | curate a cleric who
	Do it quickly; I'll call Sir Toby the whilst.	serves the needs of the people of a single parish
		the whilst in the meantime
	Exit MARIA
	Clown
	Well, I'll put it on, and I will dissemble myself in't;	dissemble myself disguise myself
4.2.5	and I would I were the first that ever dissembled	dissembled played the hypocrite
	in such a gown. I am not tall enough to become the	tall large, fleshly | become the function suit the role
	function well, nor lean enough to be thought a good	(Stereotypically, priests were fat and scholars were
	student; but to be said an honest man and a good	lean.) | to be said to have a reputation (as)
	housekeeper goes as fairly as to say a careful man	goes as fairly sounds as well >>>
4.2.10	and a great scholar. The competitors enter.	competitors partners, confederates (in the scheme to
		play another trick on Malvolio)
	Enter SIR TOBY BELCH and MARIA
	SIR TOBY BELCH
	Jove bless thee, master Parson.
	Clown
	Bonos dies, Sir Toby: for, as the old hermit of	Bonos dies mock Latin for "Good day" (A real parson
	Prague, that never saw pen and ink, very wittily	would know Latin.) | old hermit of Prague a religious
	said to a niece of King Gorboduc, "That that is is";	sage, invented by the Clown | wittily cleverly, wisely
4.2.15	so I, being Master Parson, am Master Parson; for,	King Gorboduc a legendary ancient King of England
	what is "that" but "that," and "is" but "is"?	"That that is is," etc. The Clown is mocking the
		scholarly habit of using a lot of words to make a simple
	SIR TOBY BELCH	point. In this case the simple point is, "If you say I am
	To him, Sir Topas.	'Master Parson', why so I am."
	Clown
	What, ho, I say! peace in this prison!	What, ho, I say! "Sir Topas" is calling out to Malvolio,
		who is locked in a dark room. | prison >>>
	SIR TOBY BELCH
	The knave counterfeits well; a good knave.	knave i.e., the Clown | counterfeits plays the role
	MALVOLIO
	[Within] Who calls there?	Within i.e., offstage, out of sight
	Clown
	Sir Topas the curate, who comes to visit Malvolio
	the lunatic.
	MALVOLIO
	Sir Topas, Sir Topas, good Sir Topas, go to
	my lady.
	Clown
4.2.25	Out, hyperbolical fiend! how vexest thou this	hyperbolical fiend rowdy devil (who has taken
	man! talkest thou nothing but of ladies?	possession of Malvolio)
	SIR TOBY BELCH
	Well said, Master Parson.
	MALVOLIO
	Sir Topas, never was man thus wronged. Good Sir
	Topas, do not think I am mad; they have laid me
4.2.30	here in hideous darkness.
	Clown
	Fie, thou dishonest Satan! I call thee by the most
	modest terms; for I am one of those gentle ones	modest moderate
	that will use the devil himself with courtesy.
	Sayest thou that house is dark?	house i.e., room
	MALVOLIO
4.2.35	As hell, Sir Topas.
	Clown
	Why it hath bay windows transparent as
	barricadoes, and the clerestories toward	barricadoes barricades | clerestories windows in an
	the south north are as lustrous as ebony;	upper wall | south north There is no such direction.
	and yet complainest thou of obstruction?	ebony black wood (Ebony is naturally dull and not
		suitable for use as window glass.) | obstruction shutting
	MALVOLIO	out of light
4.2.40	I am not mad, Sir Topas: I say to you, this house
	is dark.
	Clown
	Madman, thou errest: I say, there is no darkness
	but ignorance; in which thou art more puzzled	puzzled confused, lost
	than the Egyptians in their fog.	the Egyptians in their fog See Exodus 10:20-23 >>>
	MALVOLIO
4.2.45	I say, this house is as dark as ignorance, though
	ignorance were as dark as hell; and I say, there
	was never man thus abused. I am no more mad
	than you are; make the trial of it in any constant	make . . . question test my sanity in any rational
	question.	discourse
	Clown
4.2.50	What is the opinion of Pythagoras concerning	Pythagoras Greek philosopher (fl. 530 BCE.) who
	wild fowl?	taught that a soul can transmigrate from one creature
		to another
	MALVOLIO
	That the soul of our grandam might happily inhabit	happily haply, perhaps, by chance
	a bird.
	Clown
	What thinkest thou of his opinion?
	MALVOLIO
4.2.55	I think nobly of the soul, and no way approve his	I think nobly of the soul Malvolio adheres to traditional
	opinion.	Christian belief. | approve agree with, confirm
	Clown
	Fare thee well. Remain thou still in darkness. Thou
	shalt hold the opinion of Pythagoras ere I will allow	ere before | allow of thy wits acknowledge that you are
	of thy wits, and fear to kill a woodcock, lest thou	sane | fear to i.e., you must be afraid to | woodcock a
4.2.60	dispossess the soul of thy grandam. Fare thee well.	really stupid bird | dispossess evict (from the dead
		woodcock) | Fare thee well i.e., good-bye (The Clown
	MALVOLIO	steps out of the earshot of Malvolio.)
	Sir Topas, Sir Topas!
	SIR TOBY BELCH
	My most exquisite Sir Topas!	exquisite perfectly done (Sir Toby is praising the
		Clown's playing of Sir Topas.)
	Clown
	Nay, I am for all waters.	I am for all waters literally, "I can sail any sea";
		metaphorically, "I can play many different roles"
	MARIA
	Thou mightst have done this without thy beard and
4.2.65	gown; he sees thee not.
	SIR TOBY BELCH
	To him in thine own voice, and bring me word how
	thou findest him. I would we were well rid of this
	knavery. If he may be conveniently delivered, I	delivered released from prison
	would he were, for I am now so far in offence with	so far in offence in so trouble
4.2.70	my niece that I cannot pursue with any safety this
	sport to the upshot. Come by and by to my chamber.	to the upshot i.e., any further >>>
	Exeunt SIR TOBY BELCH and MARIA
	Clown [Sings]
	"Hey, Robin, jolly Robin,	"Hey, Robin . . . She loves another" The Clown sings
	Tell me how thy lady does."	lines from an old song, the moral of which is that you
		can trust women only to be untrustworthy.
	MALVOLIO
	Fool!
	Clown
4.2.75	"My lady is unkind, perdie."	perdie indeed, certainly
	MALVOLIO
	Fool!
	Clown
	"Alas, why is she so?"
	MALVOLIO
	Fool, I say!
	Clown
	"She loves another"—Who calls, ha?
	MALVOLIO
4.2.80	Good fool, as ever thou wilt deserve well at my
	hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink and paper:
	as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to
	thee for't.
	Clown
	Master Malvolio?
	MALVOLIO
4.2.85	Ay, good fool.
	Clown
	Alas, sir, how fell you besides your five wits?	how fell you besides your five wits? how did you fall
		out of sanity? (The five wits are common sense, fantasy,
	MALVOLIO	memory, judgment, and imagination.)
	Fool, there was never a man so notoriously abused;	notoriously abused outrageously slandered
	I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art.
	Clown
	But as well? then you are mad indeed, if you be no
4.2.90	better in your wits than a fool.
	MALVOLIO
	They have here propertied me; keep me in darkness,	propertied me treated me as mere property
	send ministers to me, asses, and do all they can to	ministers agents, surrogates
	face me out of my wits.	face me out of my wits drive me insane by pretending
		that I am insane (The sort of thing that "Sir Topas" has
	Clown	just been doing.)
	Advise you what you say; the minister is here.	Advise you think about, be careful of
	[As Sir Topas]	the minister i.e., "Sir Topas"
4.2.95	—Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the heavens restore!
	endeavour thyself to sleep, and leave thy vain	endeavour thyself to sleep try to go to sleep
	bibble babble.
	MALVOLIO
	Sir Topas!
	Clown
	Maintain no words with him, good fellow.
	[As himself]
4.2.100	—Who, I, sir? not I, sir. God buy you, good	God buy you good-bye
	Sir Topas.
	[As Sir Topas]
	—Marry, amen
	[As himself]
	—I will, sir, I will.
	MALVOLIO
	Fool, fool, fool, I say!
	Clown
	Alas, sir, be patient. What say you sir? I am
	shent for speaking to you.	shent scolded, rebuked
	MALVOLIO
4.2.105	Good fool, help me to some light and some paper.
	I tell thee, I am as well in my wits as any man in
	Illyria.
	Clown
	Well-a-day that you were, sir!	Well-a-day that you were i.e., Alas, I wish that
		you really were (sane)
	MALVOLIO
	By this hand, I am. Good fool, some ink, paper
4.2.110	and light; and convey what I will set down to my	convey deliver
	lady. It shall advantage thee more than ever the	advantage benefit
	bearing of letter did.
	Clown
	I will help you to't. But tell me true, are you	But . . . counterfeit? i.e., Isn't it true that you really are
	not mad indeed? or do you but counterfeit?	mad? Or are you just pretending to be mad?
	MALVOLIO
4.2.115	Believe me, I am not; I tell thee true.
	Clown
	Nay, I'll ne'er believe a madman till I see his	see his brains Maybe that would be when they've
	brains. I will fetch you light and paper and ink.	been knocked out and the man is dead.
	MALVOLIO
	Fool, I'll requite it in the highest degree.	requite it return the favor (of bringing me writing
	I prithee, be gone.	materials) | be gone Malvolio wants the fool to hurry
		up and get those writing materials
	Clown [Sings.]
4.2.120	I am gone, sir,
	And anon, sir,
	I'll be with you again,
	In a trice,	trice moment
	Like to the old Vice,	Vice A mischievous character in medieval drama.
4.2.125	Your need to sustain;	Your need to sustain to sustain you in your time
		of need
	Who, with dagger of lath,	dagger of lath wooden dagger (The Vice often carried
	In his rage and his wrath,	one, beat the devil with it, and threatened to trim the
	Cries, ah, ha! to the devil:	devil's long nails with it.)
	Like a mad lad,
4.2.130	Pare thy nails, dad;
4.2.131	Adieu, goodman devil.	goodman devil This "devil" is the one which has taken
		possession of Malvolio. "Goodman" is appropriate
	Exit Clown	when you're talking to a humble farmer, insulting when
		you're talking to a Devil.

Twelfth Night Navigator

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