Summary: Act IV, scene i
Near Olivia’s house, Feste the clown comes across the
person who he thinks is Cesario and tries to bring him to Olivia’s
house. This individual, however, is actually Viola’s twin brother,
Sebastian. Sebastian, of course, is confused by Feste’s claims to
know him. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew then find them. Sir Andrew, thinking
that Sebastian is the same person he was about to duel a few minutes before,
attacks him. But Sebastian, unlike Viola, is a scrappy fighter, and
starts to beat Sir Andrew with his dagger, leading the foolish nobleman
to cry for mercy. The bewildered Sebastian wonders if he is surrounded
by madmen and tries to leave. But Sir Toby grabs him to prevent
him from going. The two exchange insults, and Sebastian and Sir
Toby draw their swords and prepare to fight.
Suddenly, Olivia enters. She sees Sir Toby
preparing to fight the person who she thinks is Cesario. Angrily,
she orders Sir Toby to put away his sword and sends away all the
others. She begs Cesario to come into her house with her. Sebastian
is bewildered, but Olivia does not give him time to think, and the
still-confused Sebastian agrees to follow her, saying, “If it be
thus to dream, still let me sleep!” (IV.i.59).
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Act IV, scene i →
Summary: Act IV, scene ii
Inside Olivia’s house, Maria, Sir Toby, and the other
servants have locked Malvolio into a small, dark chamber. Maria
asks Feste to put on the robes of a clergyman and pretend to be
Sir Topas, a fictional curate, or priest. Sir Toby and Maria then
send Feste to talk to the imprisoned Malvolio in the voice of Sir
Topas while they listen in on the conversation.
Pretending to be the priest, Feste addresses Malvolio,
who cannot see him inside his prison. Malvolio tells Feste that
he is not insane, and Malvolio begs Feste to get him out of the
locked room. But Feste deliberately misunderstands and misleads
the steward. He tells Malvolio that the room is not actually dark
but is full of windows and light and that Malvolio must be mad or
possessed if he cannot see the brightness. Malvolio denies Feste’s
claims, and he urges Feste to question him in the hopes of proving
his sanity. But Feste uses ridiculous questions and then contradicts
the steward’s answers. He concludes by telling Malvolio he is still
mad and must remain in the darkness.
Sir Toby and Maria are delighted by the joke but are also
tiring of it. Sir Toby is worried that Olivia, already offended
by his drinking and carousing, might catch him in this prank. They
send Feste back to Malvolio, where Feste—now using both his own
voice and that of Sir Topas, as if the two are having a conversation—speaks
to Malvolio again. Malvolio swears he isn’t crazy, and begs for
paper, ink, and light with which to write a letter to Olivia. Feste
promises to fetch him the items.
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Act IV, scene ii →
Summary: Act IV, scene iii
Elsewhere in the house, Sebastian is wandering, dazed
yet happy. He is very confused: he doesn’t seem to be insane, and
yet a beautiful woman—Olivia—has been giving him gifts and wants
to marry him. He wishes he could find Antonio to discuss the situation
with him. He states, however, that when he went back to their inn,
Antonio was nowhere to be seen. Olivia now returns with a priest,
asking Sebastian (who she still thinks is Cesario) if he is still
willing to marry her. Sebastian happily agrees, and they go off
to get married.
