Sport Royal

Maria uses the term "sport royal" when referring to the trick she is planning in Act II Scene iii, "Sport royal, I warrant you: I know my physic will work with him." Maria has created a sort of game while she begins to plan her trick to play on Malvolio. As a servant, Maria would normally be portrayed as more dumb and lower than someone like the business man Malvolio, however in Twelfth Night Maria devises a plan to fool Malvolio. Maria's plan is clever contrary to the stereotypical servant character. The plan turns into a sport and the characters involved into the players, the trick turns into a conflict where once again everything in Illyria turns into madness and nothing is as it seems. Later in Act II Scene iv Maria says, "If you will then see the fruits of the sport, mark his first approach before my lady..." when she comments on how her game will play out according to her plan. The entire play is apart of the game that Shakespeare is playing with the characters.