Chapter: ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I.

                                

                             _A Sea-port._

                    _Enter_ SEBASTIAN _and_ ANTONIO.

    _Ant._ Will you stay no longer? Nor will you not, that I go with
you?

    _Seb._ By your patience, no: my stars shine darkly over me; the
malignancy of my fate might, perhaps, distemper yours; therefore I shall
crave of you your leave, that I may bear my evils alone: It were a bad
recompense for your love, to lay any of them on you.

    _Ant._ Pardon me, sir, your bad entertainment.

    _Seb._ O, good Antonio, pardon me your trouble.

    _Ant._ Let me yet know of you, whither you are bound.

    _Seb._ No, 'sooth, sir; my determinate voyage is mere
extravagancy.--But I perceive in you so excellent a touch of modesty,
that you will not extort from me what I am willing to keep in; therefore
it charges me in manners the rather to express myself.--You must know of
me then, Antonio, my name is Sebastian, which I called Rodorigo; my
father was that Sebastian of Messaline, whom I know you have heard of:
He left behind him, myself, and a sister, both born in an hour. If the
heavens had been pleased, 'would we had so ended! But you, sir, altered
that; for, some hour before you took me from the breach of the sea, was
my sister drowned.

    _Ant._ Alas, the day!

    _Seb._ A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me, was
yet of many accounted beautiful: but, though I could not overfar believe
that, yet thus far I will boldly publish her, she bore a mind that envy
could not but call fair. [_He weeps._]

    _Ant._ If you will not murder me for my love, let me be your
servant.

    _Seb._ If you will not undo what you have done, that is, kill him
whom you have recovered, desire it not. Fare ye well at once: my bosom
is full of kindness; and I am yet so near the manners of my mother,
that, upon the least occasion more, mine eyes will tell tales of me. I
am bound to the Duke Orsino's court, farewell.

    _Ant._ The gentleness of all the gods go with thee!

    _Seb._ Fare ye well.                                      [_Exeunt._

 The second act begins on the seacoast of Illyria. Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, was not drowned after all. He survived the shipwreck and enters on stage talking with Antonio, a sea captain . Sebastian, like his sister Viola, is deeply grieved; he is sure that Viola was lost at sea and perished in the storm. He blames the stars and "the malignancy of fate" for his dark mood and his misfortune. He turns to the sea captain, and, feeling that he can be straightforward with him because of what they have both just experienced, he tells the captain that he wants to be alone. He needs solitude because of his terrible grief; his troubles are many, and he fears that they will spread like an illness and "distemper" the sea captain's mood. He cares too much for the captain to unburden his woes on him. Antonio, however, will not leave Sebastian; his friendship for the young man is strong enough to withstand Sebastian's emotionalism. Sebastian's composure suddenly breaks, and he bewails his lot; if Antonio had not saved him, he would now be dead at the bottom of the sea, alongside his beloved sister. "If the heavens had been pleased," his fate would have been the same as his sister's. He then recalls his sister's beauty, and he remembers her keen mind, a mind that was extraordinary and enviable. At this point, Antonio protests. Sebastian was correct when he spoke earlier of his dark moodiness being able to "distemper" Antonio's temperament. The sea captain says that Sebastian's lamentations are "bad entertainment," a fact that Sebastian quickly realizes and quickly apologizes for. Antonio changes the subject to matters more practical and more immediate. He asks Sebastian if he can be the young man's servant. That single favor would please him immensely. That single favor, however, Sebastian cannot grant him, for as much as he would like to do so, he dare not take Antonio with him. His destination is Duke Orsino's court and Antonio has "many enemies" in Orsino's court. Yet "come what may," Antonio says that he will always treasure his friendship with Sebastian. Thus, he will go with Sebastian. Antonio's devotion to Sebastian is admirable; he recognizes the dangers ahead if he follows Sebastian to Orsino's palace, but after the horrors of the shipwreck, future "danger shall seem sport."

