Act 4 Scene 1
The Street Before Olivia's House
Summary
The scene opens on the street in front of Olivia's house.
Sebastian and Feste are talking, and we realize that Feste has mistaken
Sebastian for Cesario. Feste insists that his mistress has sent Feste to him,
meaning Cesario. Sebastian is annoyed at the jester's persistence; "Thou
art a foolish fellow," he says, and gives him a generous tip to send him
on his way — or else he will give Feste "worse payment," meaning a
kick in the rump if he doesn't leave him in peace.
Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and Fabian enter, and Sir Andrew
assumes that Sebastian is the "cowardly" Cesario; Sir Andrew strikes
him, whereupon Sebastian promptly beats Sir Andrew, asking, "Are all the
people mad?" Feste says that he is going to report to Olivia all that has
happened, and she will not be pleased to learn that her favorite suitor, the
reluctant Cesario, has quarreled with Olivia's uncle and with Sir Andrew. Sir
Toby, meanwhile, decides that it is time for him to act; he grabs the young
upstart (Sebastian) by the hand in an effort to save Sir Andrew from greater
injury.
Olivia arrives, assumes that Sebastian is Cesario, and
pleads with him to go into the house. She severely reprimands Sir Toby and
sends him away, out of her sight, and he exits, taking the other two with him.
She apologizes for the "pranks of [these] ruffians," and while she is
talking, Sebastian is speechless. He cannot believe what is happening: he is
being wooed in the most ardent of terms by a beautiful young countess; if this
be a dream, he says, "let fancy still my sense in Lethe . . . let me
sleep." Olivia is insistent: "Come, I prithee," she says, and
begs him to marry her. Without hesitation, Sebastian accepts: "Madame, I
will," he says, and off they dash to look for a priest to perform the
ceremony.
Analysis
This scene begins by re-emphasizing the comic
ramifications inherent in the various mistaken identities and disguises. Feste
has been sent by Olivia to Cesario (Viola) to deliver a message, but he delivers
it to Sebastian, because Viola's twin brother looks exactly like her. Thus this
is the first case of a very natural and very understandable case of mistaken
identity; the comedy here lies in the fact that Sebastian does not know what
Feste is talking about, and Feste feels that "Nothing that is so is
so." They talk at cross purposes, and we (the audience) know why. This is
yet another case of dramatic irony used for a delightful comic effect.
Even more comic,
however, is the fact that Sir Andrew, an innate coward, is convinced that
Cesario (Viola) is frightened of him — which is actually true. However, this man is Sebastian, and thus this is a
completely different matter. Consequently, when Sir Andrew begins striking
Sebastian, Sebastian returns the blows double-fold until Sir Toby has to
restrain Sebastian. Again, the comedy here derives in large part from the stage
action coupled with the comedy of mistaken identities — a theme that is now
almost absurd.
When Olivia arrives and discovers her uncle physically
"man handling Sebastian, whom she thinks is Cesario, her anger at her
uncle will affect the comic subplot against Malvolio because Sir Toby will be
out of favor with his niece and will no longer feel the freedom to torment her
steward.
By the time that Sebastian has been mistaken by Feste,
then beaten by Sir Andrew, then restrained by Sir Toby, and then addressed in
terms of soothing and passionate love by a beautiful noble lady, whom he has
never seen, the youth is ready to believe that he is in the strangest country
of the world, or else he has gone mad. In contrast, Olivia is delighted at the
sudden turn of events; she believes that Cesario (Viola) finally loves her.
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