QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Twelfth Night
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Fool
CONTEXT:
FOOL
Master Malvolio?
MALVOLIO
Ay, good fool.
FOOL
Alas, sir, how fell you besides your five wits?
MALVOLIO
Fool, there was never a man so notoriously abused: I
am as well in my wits, Fool, as thou art.
FOOL
But as well? Then you are mad indeed, if you be no
better in your wits than a fool.
MALVOLIO
They have here propertied me, keep me in darkness, send
ministers to me —asses!—and do all they can to face me
out of my wits.
FOOL
Advise you what you say. The minister is here. [in the
voice of Sir Topas] Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the
heavens restore! Endeavor thyself to sleep, and leave
thy vain bibble-babble.

DUTCH:
Tracht eens te slapen en staak uw ijdel geklap!

MORE:
Fall besides=Out of (lose your wits)
Five wits=Shakespeare distinguishes between the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch) and the five wits (see Sonnet 141). The five wits are said to be common wit (or common sense), imagination, fancy, estimation and memory.
Propertied=Treated, owned, ordered
Face (out of)=Bully
Out of my wits=Witless
Advise you=Take care
Compleat:
He is beside himself=Hy is buiten verstand
Property=Werktuig
The nature of his employment makes him a property to all the measures of the court=Den aart van zyne bediening maakt hem tot een werktuig in alle de maatregelen van ‘t Hof
To face out or down=(or to outface)=Iemand iets in het gezigt staande houden, of zo lang aanzien dat hy zyn oogen moet neerslaan
He makes me out of my wits=Hy maakt my dol

Topics: madness, punishment, abuse, innocence