Kung Fu: The Legend Continues

He will then, Maria is sure, promptly make a most enormous ass of himself. Toby is absolutely delighted, and when she leaves, he calls after her: Good night, Penthesilea.   —Act II, scene iii, line 177 Penthesilea in the Greek legends was an Amazon. According to some of the tales, she was the younger sister of Hippolyta, whom Theseus had married (see page I-18). It was Penthesilea who killed Hippolyta in the Amazonian war of revenge against Theseus, and afterward she joined the Trojans in their war against the Greeks and was killed in turn by Achilles. Clearly, an Amazon is bound to be a large and muscular woman, and Penthesilea particularly so, since she fought with credit against Achilles himself. But Maria, it is clear in several places in the play, is a particularly small girl, which gives Toby's remark its humor. … green and yellow melancholy Duke Orsino, who intends to continue to use Viola/Cesario as his messenger to Olivia, talks of love to the "young man." Viola/Cesario sadly tells her love to Orsino, pretending it is her sister she is speaking of, and saying: She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm i'th'bud, Feed on her damask cheek ...»