Ok so let's look at a scene of Olivia and Viola together. This is their second scene
together, isn't it so we know already that Olivia has rather fallen for Cesario as in
Viola in disguise as Cesario , and that Cesario is here, what is she here to do? She's here
to woo Olivia on behalf of her master, Orsino.
Yes, she's here for a second time, yeah and I think she's hesitant to come because the
first attempt was so unsuccessful, and in doing so, she discovers that actually Olivia
is starting to fall for S and so to come back and put herself in that situation is really
not something she wants to do.
Of course, she knows all about heartache herself, doesn't she?
Absolutely, this is a woman that's going through the same thing that Olivia is, both are in
love with people -
They're both in mourning -
They have so many connections, actually.
Is Olivia trying to play it cool? What's she doing?
Olivia has inhaled love, and she is awakened in a way that she hasn't experienced in so
long because she's sort of trapped herself in a bit of a rut. She is mourning the death
of her brother and father; but she is also being bombarded with Orsino's messages of
love, and she's had enough, and I think the moment she meets Cesario he's witty, magnetic
and just awakens her and she's shocked by her reaction to that. But, this is the scene
where she tries to play it cool, holding it back, and then all of a sudden, lets rip.
I'd like to do a version where Olivia is hiding her feelings, she's not giving anything away
about what she really feels for Cesario , and Viola/Cesario is full of sympathy for another
human being suffering from unrequited love.
Viola: You'll nothing, madam, to my lord by me?
Olivia: Stay:
I prithee, tell me what thou thinkest of me. Viola:
That you do think you are not what you are. Olivia:
If I think so, I think the same of you. Viola:
Then think you right: I am not what I am. Olivia:
I would you were as I would have you be! Viola:
Would it be better, madam, than I am? I wish it might, for now I am your fool.
Olivia: O, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful
In the contempt and anger of his lip! A murderous guilt shows not itself more soon
Than love that would seem hid: love's night is noon.
Cesario, by the roses of the spring, By maidhood, honour, truth and every thing,
I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride, Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.
Do not extort thy reasons from this clause, For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause,
But rather reason thus with reason fetter, Love sought is good, but given unsought better.
Viola: By innocence I swear, and by my youth
I have one heart, one bosom and one truth, And that no woman has; nor never none
Shall mistress be of it, save I alone. And so adieu, good madam: never more
Will I my master's tears to you deplore. Olivia:
Yet come again; for thou perhaps mayst move That heart, which now abhors, to like his
love.
What did you both feel about doing it that way?
I think, what I love about this moment is that we see these two women connect. I did
miss a bit of the passion between the two of them that ends up being quite explosive
I think and leads us to later on in the play.
Yes, I sort of feel those little short lines he's given you, they feel like a row or an
argument, and I also feel that Viola is in such a difficult position because she's so
in love with Orsino and she can't tell him; she's wooing Olivia for Orsino, which is the
last thing she wants to be doing, and of course, she's dealing with feelings coming towards
her that are so inappropriate and she doesn't know how to handle them.
Inevitably you're going to get to a point where she can't contain it anymore, I think,
and it's there in the text with those short lines, as you say, you know; that feels very
much like they're going 'at' each other.
I think the scene before 'stay', 'stay' is Olivia's moment of, it doesn't work to hold
back at that moment because Olivia just pummels through at the word 'stay'. That's it.
To give you one monosyllable. We should try a version now where you don't try and be sympathetic.
You are frustrated as hell and you let rip and you give vent to your frustration. And
that Olivia is passionate from the word 'go'', she said the word 'stay' and she is just going
to tell Cesario exactly what she really feels.
Great, thank you.
Viola: You'll nothing, madam, to my lord by me?
Olivia: Stay:
I prithee, tell me what thou thinkest of me. Viola:
That you do think you are not what you are. Olivia:
If I think so, I think the same of you. Viola:
Then think you right: I am not what I am. Olivia:
I would you were as I would have you be! Viola:
Would it be better, madam, than I am? I wish it might, for now I am your fool.
Olivia: O, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful
In the contempt and anger of his lip! A murderous guilt shows not itself more soon
Than love that would seem hid: love's night is noon.
Cesario, by the roses of the spring, By maidhood, honour, truth and every thing,
I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride, Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.
Do not extort thy reasons from this clause, For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause,
But rather reason thus with reason fetter, Love sought is good, but given unsought better.
Viola: By innocence I swear, and by my youth
I have one heart, one bosom and one truth, And that no woman has; nor never none
Shall mistress be of it, save I alone. And so adieu, good madam: never more
Will I my master's tears to you deplore. Olivia:
Yet come again; for thou perhaps mayst move That heart, which now abhors, to like his
love.
Did you feel it was a bit cold?
I did, it did feel a little cold, I think. I love the passion that they have at the beginning
but I think when Olivia sort of, you know, opens up and exposes herself that I wanted
to be a little bit more sympathetic, and kinder to her, in that last bit.
Yes, because she knows what it feels like, it's real empathy isn't it.
Olivia is so in her own world at this point, she's unstoppable. So whatever is coming back
at her, doesn't really matter and that's her fault, I think, that she's guilty of not seeing
that someone is not interested, and she has got to learn that throughout the coming scenes.
It's funny isn't it, she won't take no for an answer and yet she's so happy to give 'no'
as an answer to Orsino. That's the irony isn't it?