Feste the Clown encounters Cesario in Olivia’s garden, and some clever dialogue and witty banter follows. Feste makes a remark that words and phrases are often turned inside out – that is, they are often misused or misunderstood. Viola (as Cesario) agrees:
VIOLA They that dally nicely with words may quickly make them wanton.
FESTE I would therefore my sister had no name. VIOLA Why, man?
FESTE Why, sir, her name’s a word, and to dally with that word might make my sister wanton. (13-18)
The word dally means play or abuse, the word nicely means foolishly or subtly, and the word wanton means corrupt or meaningless. Viola is thus suggesting that playing with words or language may cause those words to become meaningless or useless (Shakespeare could also be subtly referring to bad playwrights in these lines). The word wanton, though, has another meaning: unchaste (not a virgin). Feste cleverly agrees with Viola and at the same time provides an example of how to play subtly with language and corrupt its meaning. The word would in Feste’s line means wish. Feste humorously suggests that any man who jokes about his sister by saying her name would therefore cause her to lose her virginity. Of course, the notion is absurd and preposterous. Yet, at the same time, Feste cleverly shows how to dally with words and to turn the meaning inside out.
In this dialogue, and elsewhere throughout the play, Shakespeare presents a theme on language. Words are often false or mean something other than what the speaker literally says. The words of a lover may also be false, and even the promises or vows of an aristocrat may be worthless.
There is also a theme on foolishness. Viola asks Feste if she had not seen him recently at the palace of the Duke. Feste responds by saying that “foolery shines everywhere” (34-35). Feste has a double meaning: (1) he, the fool, appears to be everywhere; (2) foolish behavior appears everywhere. Feste is, of course, referring to the foolish or mad behavior of both the Duke and the Countess.
After Feste exits, Viola presents a soliloquy in which she praises fools:
This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, And to do that well craves a kind of wit.
He must observe their mood on whom he jests, The quality of persons, and the time,
And, like the haggard, check at every feather That comes before his eye. This is a practice As full of labour as a wise man’s art,
For folly that he wisely shows is fit,
But wise men, folly-fall’n, quite taint their wit.
(53-61)
Many critics consider that writing comedy is easier than writing tragedy. But Shakespeare realized that writing clever, witty comedy could be every bit as difficult (and perhaps even more difficult) than writing tragedy. In a sense, Shakespeare’s praise of fools in this soliloquy is also praise of good comedy. One of Shakespeare’s outstanding characteristics as a playwright is his characterization. To create such marvelous characters, Shakespeare had to be a keen observer of people and insightful about their motivations. In this passage Viola is suggesting that the fool also requires this same keen observational skill and insight into people if that fool hopes to be successful. Such keenness of observation is indicated by the metaphor to the wild hawk (the word haggard here refers to the hawk). The hawk is a successful hunting bird not only because it is strong and fast. Such a bird can also observe small animals from great distances. The hawk pays attention to every detail as does the great writer of plays and the successful fool. Folly is an art form, and only a great fool or jester is truly a master of such an art form. But, as Viola concludes, many men who consider themselves to be wise are actually quite foolish (fallen into folly) and display a lack of humor and cleverness when they attempt to be witty.
The scene (Act III, Scene 1) ends with another dialogue between Olivia and Cesario (Viola). Olivia asks Cesario not to speak about Count Orsino anymore. Rather, the Countess desires that Cesario “undertake another suit” (100). She is asking Cesario to be a suitor for himself. The Countess will gladly listen if Cesario wants to speak words of love to her. The Countess Olivia is very direct and open here: there is no maiden modesty. She is now a victim of Cupid’s arrow: she herself has become an unrequited lover; and now she is as irrational as Duke Orsino.
Olivia apologizes for the deception (or trick) of the ring. She knows that it was improper for a lady, an aristocrat, to resort to such subterfuge (tricks). Olivia also realizes that it was dishonorable for a lady to do this, and she worries that Cesario will think of her as completely lacking in honor. But she could not help herself: her mind was defeated by her “tyrannous heart” (112). Again Shakespeare asserts the Reason vs. Emotion (or Mind vs. Heart) conflict. Emotion is not only stronger than reason, but it is a tyrant that can force reason to bend to its will. Olivia is explaining that she cannot control herself. She is a victim of her emotions.
Before Cesario responds, Olivia adds that “a cypress … hides my heart” (113-14). The word cypress has a double meaning. First, it is a long silken veil that would be covering not only her face but also hanging down low enough to cover her bosom. Second, the cypress tree was a symbol of mourning. Olivia is explaining that her state of mourning is only on the outside. Inside are her feelings of love.
Cesario declares that he pities Olivia but that he definitely does not love her. Olivia is hurt by Cesario’s response, and she unsuccessfully attempts to accept his words:
Why then, methinks ‘tis time to smile again.
(118)
Olivia is declaring that she can easily cast aside the melancholy sadness of the unrequited lover and smile once more. Of course, she cannot really do so; and her next lines reveal the pain that she is experiencing:
O world, how apt the poor are to be proud! If one should be a prey, how much the better
To fall before the lion than the wolf! (119-21)
Olivia is, of course, upset. She declares to the world (or to the heavens) that Cesario is foolishly proud (because he is poor) to deny the love of a lady who has wealth, beauty, and position. The reader should also note that Olivia is suggesting the same fault that Cesario had earlier applied to her. Cesario had stated (in Act I, Scene 5: 219) that Olivia rejected Orsino because of her pride. However, in neither case is pride the true reason for the rejection.
Olivia also uses the double metaphor of the lion and the wolf to express her feelings. The lion represents Count Orsino, and the wolf represents Cesario. A lion is connotatively a proud and noble animal, but the wolf is vicious and savage. Olivia is declaring that she wishes she had fallen in love with Orsino because Ceaario’s words are cruel and savage to her. Cesario’s words are tearing Olivia apart.
Olivia tries again to accept the situation. She tries to accept Cesario’s rejection calmly and honorably (lines 122-26). But, in an aside (words that reveal her thoughts and thus are not heard by Cesario), Olivia thinks that the angry and scornful frown on Cesario’s face makes him look even more beautiful (line 136). She cannot resist her desire. In the aside Olivia also asserts …
Love’s night is noon. (139)
Although nighttime is dark and usually hides objects and people, the Countess cannot hide her feelings of love. For someone in love, it is always daytime. She (or he) cannot hide her feelings.
Thus, unable to control her passion any longer, Olivia boldly declares her love to Cesario:
I love thee so that maugre all thy pride,
Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide. (142-43)
The word maugre means despite; and the first time nor is used, it means neither. Reason vs. Passion (or Emotion): emotion wins once again.
However, Cesario, who is really the female Viola, cannot love the Countess. Viola realizes that she cannot convince the irrational Countess to be reasonable; and so she decides to leave, informing Olivia that she will never return again. The scene ends with the Countess still begging for Cesario to return.
Sir Andrew is once again realizing that the Countess Olivia has no feelings for him, and so he once again thinks about leaving the estate. When Sir Toby asks his companion why he is leaving, Sir Andrew responds that he had seen the Countess with Cesario in the orchard and that the Countess appears to be more enamored of him than of Sir Andrew. Of course, Sir Andrew, despite his lack of cleverness, is correct. He should trust his instincts. But his leaving would upset Sir Toby’s plans; and so, once again, Sir Toby convinces him to stay.
Sir Toby argues that the Countess was only paying attention to Cesario because she wanted to make Sir Andrew jealous. With Sir Andrew is the servant Fabian, who agrees with Sir Toby. Fabian adds that the Countess was only trying to give Sir Andrew an opportunity to show his valor and manhood and that Sir Andrew should have challenged Cesario. However, as Fabian explains, Sir Andrew has missed a golden opportunity:
You are now sailed into the north of my lady’s opinion, where you will hang like an icicle on a Dutchman’s beard unless you do redeem it by some laudable attempt either of valour or policy.
(21-24)
In the far north the weather is extremely cold. Fabian is metaphorically indicating that because Sir Andrew missed the opportunity of showing his manhood, the