Twelfth Night

Act 1 scene 5 ending

In her soliloquy
Olivia fears she
has fallen in love
with Cesario. She
thinks of ‘him’ as
Act 1 scene 5
“thou” - an
Elizabethan style
of addressing
someone who is Olivia:“What is your parentage?” “Above my fortunes, yet my
especially close or
loved. The
state is well. I am a gentleman.” I’ll be sworn thou art. Thy
familiar pronoun tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit Do give thee
contrasts with
“you”, a more fivefold blazon. Not too fast! Soft, soft! Unless the master were
distant form of the man. How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague?
address that she
used throughout Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections With an invisible and
their subtle stealth To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be.— What
conversation.
ho, Malvolio!
 Olivia judges Cesario
to be a gentleman by
his “fivefold blazon”
and appears to wish
that Orsino were him
“Unless the master
were the man”.
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
fivefold 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!

It is important to note that one of Shakespeare’s favourite language methods is to accumulate words or phrases
like a list. He had learned this technique as a schoolboy in Stratford-upon-Avon, and his skill in using it
dramatically is evident throughout the play. Lists tend to intensify and vary descriptions, atmosphere and
argument as Shakespeare piles item upon item, incident on incident. Here the list “thy tongue…spirit” is a
technique of romantic poetry that itemised and idealised the features of a loved one.
Unaware that she
has fallen in love
Olivia: Run after that same peevish messenger, The County’s man. He left
with a woman
this ring behind him, Would I or not. Tell him I’ll none of it.
disguised as a man,
Olivia send
(She hands him a ring.)
Malvolio on a fool’s Desire him not to flatter with his lord, Nor hold him up with hopes. I am
errand to ensure that not for him. If that the youth will come this way tomorrow, I’ll give him
Cesario return reasons for ’t. Hie thee, Malvolio.
tomorrow. Malvolio
is to return a ring Malvolio: Madam I will (He exits)
that Olivia falsely
claims that Cesario Olivia: I do I know not what, and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer
has left behind. for my mind. Fate, show thy force. Ourselves we do not owe. What is
decreed must be, and be this so. (She exits)

She is well and truly snared by Viola’s outward appearance, and fears what
may happen, but resolves that she must leave the outcome to fate to decide.
The issue of appearance vs reality comes out here.
Act 1 Critical Analysis

The first Act establishes

Shakespeare’s success as an
effective playwright. The
short scenes suggest fast
moving. All in all the various
characters and scenes
establish this world of Illyria
and that the major issue is
love and how foolishly people
act in it.