“I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.”
- Source
- Twelfth Night
- Date
- c. 1601–1602
- Local voice
- Fictional character · Sebastian
Meaning of “I can no other answer make but thanks,…”
Sebastian responds to Antonio’s costly loyalty with repeated thanks while also admitting that words alone are an inadequate repayment for practical care.
Where does it come from?
Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene 3, Sebastian; 1922 Yale Shakespeare edition edited by George Henry Nettleton, printed page 56 / Wikisource scan leaf 68. Sebastian tells Antonio, “I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks,” after Antonio explains that concern for Sebastian’s safety drove him onward despite danger in Illyria. It remains fictional gratitude dialogue tied to Antonio’s costly loyalty, not Shakespeare autobiography.
Why the local voice matters
Sebastian says this to Antonio in Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 3 after Antonio explains that concern for Sebastian’s safety drew him onward despite personal danger.
