Sonnet 119

What potions have I drunk of siren tears,

Distilled from limbecks foul as hell within-
Applying fears to hopes, and hopes to fears,
Still losing when I saw myself to win!
What wretched errors hath my heart committed,
Whilst it hath thought itself so blessed never!
How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted
In the distraction of this madding fever!
O benefit of ill, now I find true
That better is by evil still made better;
And ruined love when it is built anew
Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater.
So I return rebuked to my content,
And gain by ills thrice more than I have spent.

This is just for my own reference, so I know for sure where Ihave a copy. haha

Viola and Olivia

V. - "Then think you right. I am not what I am."/

O. - "I would you were as I would have you be." (III.i.148-149)

Olivia believes that Viola is a man. Viola says she is not what Olivia thinks she is. But I think Olivia means that Viola is not interested in her, and so is saying she wants Viola to love her. Viola is neither a man, nor in love with Olivia, so Olivia is correct in whatever she thinks, if it is either of these ideas.

"...and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me (II.v.143-145)"-Malvolio

Malvolio, a steward, daydreams of being served at Olivia's side. Use of the words "crush" and "bow" are unfortunate, because Maria and company's aim is to humiliate Malvolio. He desperately wants the "name" in the false love letter to be his, so he attempts to fit his own name to the given letters. He will only embarrass himself in trying to bolster his rank.

"I am the man (II.ii.25)"-Viola

Viola realizes that Olivia is in love with her, but Olivia is REALLY in love with Cesario, who IS Viola... Viola says she is the man Olivia loves, but she is not, because Viola is a woman. Cesario, the man, doesn't actually exist, who isn't real, and is actually a woman. So is love present, after all? Is Olivia in love with anyone?

Viola was Orsino's messenger, sent to express Orsino's affections towards Olivia. Olivia loves Viola/Cesario, and Viola loves Orsino. A bit of a crazy triangle...

"Sport Royal" (2/19/10)

In II.iii.79, Maria calls her scheme to manipulate and embarrass Malvolio "Sport Royal." What do you make of this?

Instead of a "battle royal," in which many individuals are pitted against each other, Malvolio cannot even put up a fight because he doesn't know what's going on. Maria, Toby and Andrew are tricking him for fun/entertainment/SPORT. It is a sort of waged war, but Malvolio has no chance.

Shakespeare's affinity for puns could also come into play here. The "royalty" (Toby and Andrew... and Maria, the chambermaid) are battling the steward.

After reading Act I of Twelfth Night, I can't stop thinking about... (2/8/10)

The mess that will probably come, as the always do in Shakespeare's plays. I wonder how everything will pan out. What will happen to Viola when everyone discovers that she is female? Will it involve a meatpie, as in Titus Andronicus, or suicide, as in... many other plays?

And what does the title mean? What is it the 12th night of? What will happen on the 12th night?

(This was written before I realized this play is a COMEDY, not a tragedy... oops.)

It snowed last night and.... (2/3/10)

I had no idea. I didn't even know it was supposed to. I like snow; I like the cold because I get hot very easily, and it's uncomfortable. Snow is pretty to look at, when it has just fallen and it sparkles a bit. And with the numerous plants we have on campus, the snow looks gorgeous.

Working with Data from the Shakespeare Concordance:

1. What thematic strands have you located?

tears...water...drowned....drink....drunk....drunkenness…drinken…drinking…tear…

water…saltwater…watery…sea…drowned…drunken…appetite…loud…wine…cup…dancing

…dance…cans…sing…singing…ale

2. Where is the data you retrieved found? What is happening in context when Shakespeare employs this particular theme or image?

3. How does the data you retrieved support your first thoughts on Shakespeare’s obsessive use of a particular image? What can you argue about Shakespeare’s figuration?

Celebration – toby and Andrew are always partying for the 12^th night

He uses the liquidity to portray sadness and the blindness because of tears

Drinking represents a loss of control like the ocean is ever-moving and so big

Alcohol is an escape (12^th night is festivities in which roles are switched and you can become “whatever you want”

4. For a pre-writing exercise: In small groups of two – three, collect 24 – 32 static images relevant to the thematic strand of your group. Meet with your group to decide how the images reflect what the data proves.

Party

Fun

Bars/taverns

Festivities

Celebrations

Ale

Alcohol

Tears

Crying

Depressed

Lost love

Heart broken

EXTRA SOURCES:

Sonnet 119

http://www.pathguy.com/12n.htm

http://www.shmoop.com/twelfth-night/symbolism-imagery.html

Mcci1@pride.hofstra.edu

Violynn12@yahoo.com