Today’s Totally Random Lines
Ay, that’s the theme.
To her in haste; give her this jewel; say,
My love can give no place, bide no denay.
Duke of Illyria
Twelfth Night Act II Scene iv, Line 124
Apparently denay is not a typo for delay (which I thought it was): denay means denial.
Anyway, this is the last line of the scene. The scene has been the duke pining over his unrequited love for Olivia. Now he’s talking to Viola (not to be confused with Olivia) who is in the duke’s service. However, Viola is disguised as a young man named Cessario. The duke has been sending Viola/Cessario to Olivia’s home with messages of the duke’s love, but Olivia’s not interested. Now he wants him/her to go back to Olivia again.
It’s an interesting conversation between the duke and Viola/Cessario. It seems that Viola has a crush on the duke, but since the duke thinks she’s a young man, he has no idea. They are discussing love and the roles of men and women. Viola is sorting of letting on that she has feelings for the duke, but he’s not picking up on it. Finally he just tells him/her to go back and take another stab at Olivia. And so it goes.
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