Back in the city Duke Frederick is questioning Oliver de Bois once again about his brother Orlando. The Duke is unhappy that Oliver has been unable to find his brother. Moreover, Duke Frederick orders Oliver to go and find his brother and bring him back before one year has passed. If Oliver fails to find his brother, he will lose his property and be banished from the dukedom.
Oliver feels that this judgment is unfair since he has no idea where Orlando has gone. So, Oliver tells the Duke, “I never loved my brother in my life” (14). The Duke responds by saying, “More villain thou” (15). Duke Frederick is asserting that his lack of love makes him twice as bad (being both irresponsible and unloving). However, the reader should also note that this is a good example of verbal irony since Duke Frederick obviously did not have any love for his own brother. Also present in the short scene is dramatic irony since Duke Frederick’s own irresponsible behavior forced his own daughter to run away.