Twelfth Night, Act 1 Scene 3 runs 127 lines of dialogue, spoken by 3 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 138 lines. This scene is part of Act 1 of Twelfth Night.
Full Dialogue
Sir Toby Belch ♂
What a plague means my niece, to take the death of
her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemy to life.
her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemy to life.
Maria ♀
By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o'
nights: your cousin, my lady, takes great
exceptions to your ill hours.
nights: your cousin, my lady, takes great
exceptions to your ill hours.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Why, let her except, before excepted.
Maria ♀
Ay, but you must confine yourself within the modest
limits of order.
limits of order.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Confine! I'll confine myself no finer than I am:
these clothes are good enough to drink in; and so be
these boots too: an they be not, let them hang
themselves in their own straps.
these clothes are good enough to drink in; and so be
these boots too: an they be not, let them hang
themselves in their own straps.
Maria ♀
That quaffing and drinking will undo you: I heard
my lady talk of it yesterday; and of a foolish
knight that you brought in one night here to be her wooer.
my lady talk of it yesterday; and of a foolish
knight that you brought in one night here to be her wooer.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Who, Sir Andrew Aguecheek?
Maria ♀
Ay, he.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
He's as tall a man as any's in Illyria.
Maria ♀
What's that to the purpose?
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Why, he has three thousand ducats a year.
Maria ♀
Ay, but he'll have but a year in all these ducats:
he's a very fool and a prodigal.
he's a very fool and a prodigal.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Fie, that you'll say so! he plays o' the
viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages
word for word without book, and hath all the good
gifts of nature.
viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages
word for word without book, and hath all the good
gifts of nature.
Maria ♀
He hath indeed, almost natural: for besides that
he's a fool, he's a great quarreller: and but that
he hath the gift of a coward to allay the gust he
hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent
he would quickly have the gift of a grave.
he's a fool, he's a great quarreller: and but that
he hath the gift of a coward to allay the gust he
hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent
he would quickly have the gift of a grave.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
By this hand, they are scoundrels and subtractors
that say so of him. Who are they?
that say so of him. Who are they?
Maria ♀
They that add, moreover, he's drunk nightly in your company.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
With drinking healths to my niece: I'll drink to
her as long as there is a passage in my throat and
drink in Illyria: he's a coward and a coystrill
that will not drink to my niece till his brains turn
o' the toe like a parish-top. What, wench!
Castiliano vulgo! for here comes Sir Andrew Agueface.
her as long as there is a passage in my throat and
drink in Illyria: he's a coward and a coystrill
that will not drink to my niece till his brains turn
o' the toe like a parish-top. What, wench!
Castiliano vulgo! for here comes Sir Andrew Agueface.
Sir Andrew ♂
Sir Toby Belch! how now, Sir Toby Belch!
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Sweet Sir Andrew!
Sir Andrew ♂
Bless you, fair shrew.
Maria ♀
And you too, sir.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Accost, Sir Andrew, accost.
Sir Andrew ♂
What's that?
Sir Toby Belch ♂
My niece's chambermaid.
Sir Andrew ♂
Good Mistress Accost, I desire better acquaintance.
Maria ♀
My name is Mary, sir.
Sir Andrew ♂
Good Mistress Mary Accost,–
Sir Toby Belch ♂
You mistake, knight; 'accost' is front her, board
her, woo her, assail her.
her, woo her, assail her.
Sir Andrew ♂
By my troth, I would not undertake her in this
company. Is that the meaning of 'accost'?
company. Is that the meaning of 'accost'?
Maria ♀
Fare you well, gentlemen.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
An thou let part so, Sir Andrew, would thou mightst
never draw sword again.
never draw sword again.
Sir Andrew ♂
An you part so, mistress, I would I might never
draw sword again. Fair lady, do you think you have
fools in hand?
draw sword again. Fair lady, do you think you have
fools in hand?
Maria ♀
Sir, I have not you by the hand.
Sir Andrew ♂
Marry, but you shall have; and here's my hand.
Maria ♀
Now, sir, 'thought is free:' I pray you, bring
your hand to the buttery-bar and let it drink.
your hand to the buttery-bar and let it drink.
Sir Andrew ♂
Wherefore, sweet-heart? what's your metaphor?
Maria ♀
It's dry, sir.
Sir Andrew ♂
Why, I think so: I am not such an ass but I can
keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?
keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?
Maria ♀
A dry jest, sir.
Sir Andrew ♂
Are you full of them?
Maria ♀
Ay, sir, I have them at my fingers' ends: marry,
now I let go your hand, I am barren.
now I let go your hand, I am barren.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
O knight thou lackest a cup of canary: when did I
see thee so put down?
see thee so put down?
Sir Andrew ♂
Never in your life, I think; unless you see canary
put me down. Methinks sometimes I have no more wit
than a Christian or an ordinary man has: but I am a
great eater of beef and I believe that does harm to my wit.
put me down. Methinks sometimes I have no more wit
than a Christian or an ordinary man has: but I am a
great eater of beef and I believe that does harm to my wit.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
No question.
Sir Andrew ♂
An I thought that, I'ld forswear it. I'll ride home
to-morrow, Sir Toby.
to-morrow, Sir Toby.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Pourquoi, my dear knight?
Sir Andrew ♂
What is 'Pourquoi'? do or not do? I would I had
bestowed that time in the tongues that I have in
fencing, dancing and bear-baiting: O, had I but
followed the arts!
bestowed that time in the tongues that I have in
fencing, dancing and bear-baiting: O, had I but
followed the arts!
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Then hadst thou had an excellent head of hair.
Sir Andrew ♂
Why, would that have mended my hair?
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Past question; for thou seest it will not curl by nature.
Sir Andrew ♂
But it becomes me well enough, does't not?
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Excellent; it hangs like flax on a distaff; and I
hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs
and spin it off.
hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs
and spin it off.
Sir Andrew ♂
Faith, I'll home to-morrow, Sir Toby: your niece
will not be seen; or if she be, it's four to one
she'll none of me: the count himself here hard by woos her.
will not be seen; or if she be, it's four to one
she'll none of me: the count himself here hard by woos her.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
She'll none o' the count: she'll not match above
her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit; I
have heard her swear't. Tut, there's life in't,
man.
her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit; I
have heard her swear't. Tut, there's life in't,
man.
Sir Andrew ♂
I'll stay a month longer. I am a fellow o' the
strangest mind i' the world; I delight in masques
and revels sometimes altogether.
strangest mind i' the world; I delight in masques
and revels sometimes altogether.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Art thou good at these kickshawses, knight?
Sir Andrew ♂
As any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the
degree of my betters; and yet I will not compare
with an old man.
degree of my betters; and yet I will not compare
with an old man.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
What is thy excellence in a galliard, knight?
Sir Andrew ♂
Faith, I can cut a caper.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
And I can cut the mutton to't.
Sir Andrew ♂
And I think I have the back-trick simply as strong
as any man in Illyria.
as any man in Illyria.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
Wherefore are these things hid? wherefore have
these gifts a curtain before 'em? are they like to
take dust, like Mistress Mall's picture? why dost
thou not go to church in a galliard and come home in
a coranto? My very walk should be a jig; I would not
so much as make water but in a sink-a-pace. What
dost thou mean? Is it a world to hide virtues in?
I did think, by the excellent constitution of thy
leg, it was formed under the star of a galliard.
these gifts a curtain before 'em? are they like to
take dust, like Mistress Mall's picture? why dost
thou not go to church in a galliard and come home in
a coranto? My very walk should be a jig; I would not
so much as make water but in a sink-a-pace. What
dost thou mean? Is it a world to hide virtues in?
I did think, by the excellent constitution of thy
leg, it was formed under the star of a galliard.
Sir Andrew ♂
Ay, 'tis strong, and it does indifferent well in a
flame-coloured stock. Shall we set about some revels?
flame-coloured stock. Shall we set about some revels?
Sir Toby Belch ♂
What shall we do else? were we not born under Taurus?
Sir Andrew ♂
Taurus! That's sides and heart.
Sir Toby Belch ♂
No, sir; it is legs and thighs. Let me see the
caper; ha! higher: ha, ha! excellent!
caper; ha! higher: ha, ha! excellent!
127 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Toby Belch | 57 | 44.9% |
| Sir Andrew | 42 | 33.1% |
| Maria | 28 | 22.0% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 57 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 42 lines.
Total speakers on stage
3 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 1
This is Scene 3 of 5 in Act 1 of Twelfth Night.
Scene length vs. play average
At 127 lines, this scene is shorter than the Twelfth Night average scene in Twelfth Night (~138 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 1 Scene 2 · Next: Act 1 Scene 4
About Act 1 Scene 3 of Twelfth Night
Who carries Act 1 Scene 3 of Twelfth Night?
Sir Toby Belch, with 57 lines — about 45% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 3 speakers and the lead holding 45% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.