Summary: Act II, scene iii
Sir Toby and Sir Andrew stay up late drinking in Olivia’s
house. Feste appears, and Sir Andrew compliments the clown on his
singing. Both noblemen encourage Feste to sing another song. While
he sings, Maria enters, warning them to keep their voices down or Olivia
will call her steward, Malvolio, and tell him to kick them out. But
the tipsy Sir Toby and Sir Andrew cheerfully ignore her.
Malvolio comes into the room. He criticizes the men for
being drunk at all hours of the night and for singing so loudly.
He warns Sir Toby that his behavior is intolerably rude and that,
while Olivia is willing to let him be her guest (since he is her
uncle), if Sir Toby does not change his behavior, he will be asked
to leave. But Sir Toby, along with Sir Andrew and Feste, responds
by making jokes and insulting Malvolio. After making a final threat,
this one directed at Maria, Malvolio leaves, warning them all that
he will let Olivia know about their behavior.
Sir Andrew suggests challenging Malvolio to a duel, but
Maria has a better idea: to play a practical joke on him. As she
explains to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, Malvolio is a puritan, but
at the same time his biggest weakness is his enormous ego: he believes
that everybody loves him. Maria will use that weakness to get her
revenge on him for spoiling their fun. Since Maria’s handwriting
is almost identical to Olivia’s, Maria plans to leave letters lying
around that will appear to have come from Olivia and will make Malvolio
think that Olivia is in love with him.
Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are amazed by Maria’s cleverness,
and they admire the plan. Maria goes off to bed, planning to get
started on her joke the next day. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, deciding
that it is now too late to go to sleep, head off to warm up more
wine.
Read a translation of
Act II, scene iii →
Summary: Act II, scene iv
There is no woman’s sides
Can bide the beating of so strong a passion
As love doth give my heart. . . .
(See Important Quotations Explained)
The next day, at Orsino’s house, Orsino discusses love
with his young page, Cesario (still Viola in disguise). Orsino tells
Cesario that he can tell by looking at him that Cesario is in love.
Since Viola is really in love with Orsino, Cesario admits that Orsino
is right. When Orsino asks what the woman he loves is like, Cesario
answers that she is very much like Orsino—similar to him in age
and features. Orsino, not picking up on his page’s meaning, remarks
that Cesario would be better off loving a younger woman, because
men are naturally fickle, and only a younger woman can keep them romantically
satisfied for a long time.
Meanwhile, Orsino has sent for Feste, who apparently moves back
and forth between the houses of Olivia and Orsino. Feste sings another
very sad love song (this one about someone who dies for love), and,
afterward, Orsino orders Cesario to go to Olivia again, pleading
Orsino’s love to her.
