The theme on language and the idea that words often do not mean what they seem to mean continues at the opening of the fifth act. Feste offers some witticism regarding friends and foes to Duke Orsino. Feste argues that his enemies or foes are more helpful to him than his friends. In his nonsensical manner, Feste explains that his friends praise him and thereby deceive him. However …
My foes tell me plainly I am an ass, so that by my foes, sir, I profit in the knowledge of myself.
(16-17)
Feste is saying that kind lies are unhelpful but true criticisms can help him to improve himself. Feste is criticizing lies told out of kindness as being yet another example when words are used falsely.
Feste concludes his comment on friends and foes in a witty yet complicated manner:
So that, conclusion to be as kisses, if your four negatives make your two affirmatives, why then the worse for my friends and the better for my foes. (18-20)
In grammar, two negatives makes a positive, more or less (“I am not unhappy” could mean “I am happy”). However, the Renaissance joke on this idea occurs when a man asks a shy girl if he can kiss her: her four negatives (no, no, no, no) therefore must mean two affirmatives (yes, yes). Again, Feste’s example actually reveals the opposite of what it intends. His remark is witty and ironic. A girl may not mean “yes, yes” when she says “no, no, no, no.” And, so the Duke, as well as everybody in the audience, has to rethink what Feste is saying. Feste is joking. He says one thing and then proves it to be untrue with his conclusion. Language is deceptive, and so is the witty Feste.
After Feste exits, the Duke’s officers enter the stage. They are leading Antonio as their prisoner. Viola (still in her disguise as Cesario) points to Antonio and tells the Duke that he was the one who had rescued her from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. The Duke recognizes Antonio as his enemy but also notes that Antonio fought valiantly and earned himself “fame and honour” during the war (line 53). The officers tell their duke that they caught Antonio brawling or fighting in the streets (at line 59). Viola adds that although Antonio helped her, he also spoke some strange words to her which she did not understand.
The Duke asks Antonio why he was so foolish to return to return to the country of his enemy. Antonio explains that he is in Illyria because he wished to help “that most ingrateful boy there by your side” (71). Antonio, of course, still believes that Cesario is Sebastian. Antonio then complains that “Cesario,” the ungrateful boy, denied knowing Antonio because he (Cesario) was afraid of getting into trouble when the officers arrived.
Viola is shocked by Antonio’s explanation, and the Duke asks Antonio about his relationship with Cesario. When Antonio claims that he has been in the company of Cesario for the past “three months,” the Duke asserts that his “words are madness” (93). The Duke himself, of course, has been in the company of Cesario for the past three months.
Before Duke Orsino can decide about what to do with Antonio, the Countess Olivia arrives.
When the Countess Olivia sees Cesario (Viola) standing nearby, she asks him why he did not return to her as he had promised (line 98). Cesario is understandably confused by this since it was Sebastian who had made the promise.
Cesario remains quiet before the Duke, who asks the Countess if she is going to continue to reject him. The Duke asks her what is it that he needs to do to win her affection. She unemotionally responds that he can do whatever he likes (line 112). Orsino then becomes angry and compares himself to a character in a popular Greek romance story. In that tale an Egyptian thief attempts to kill the woman that he loves. Duke Orsino is so passionate that he could almost kill the Countess rather than live without her – almost. The Duke has at least enough control to prevent the “savage jealousy” from overpowering him.
However, the Duke realizes that the Countess has fallen in love with Cesario. So, Orsino threatens Cesario even though he has strong feelings for the boy:
Him will I tear out of that cruel eye
Where he sits crownèd in his master’s spite.
(123-24)
Orsino is declaring that he will permanently remove Cesario from Olivia’s sight (presumably by killing the boy). In Olivia’s eyes, Cesario is her king and ruler. He sits on the throne of her affection. And, this, naturally, makes Cesario’s master, the Duke, spiteful and angry. Thus, the intensely emotional Duke is ready to sacrifice and slaughter Cesario (referred to as “the lamb” in line 126). The Duke will do this out of spite (malice or ill-will):
To spite a raven’s heart within a dove. (127)
To the Duke, the Countess looks like a dove (pure and sweet and innocent). But on the inside she has a raven’s heart (dark and cruel and mean-spirited). Despite the threats, Cesario goes over to the Duke when he calls him. Cesario (Viola) is madly in love with the Duke and she would “willingly” die for the Duke if that will bring him rest and comfort (lines 128-29).
As Cesario moves toward the Duke, Olivia asks him where he is going. The Countess cannot understand why Cesario, after vowing to become her husband, now is deserting her. Viola tells the Countess that she is going …
After him I love
More than I love these eyes, more than my life, More by all mores than e’er I shall love wife. If I do feign, you witnesses above,
Punish my life for tainting of my love. (130-34)
Shakespeare is always most eloquent when he writes about constant or true love. Especially creative is the expression “more by all mores” by which Shakespeare poetically means “more than anything else” or “more than words can express.” Viola calls upon God and all the angels as witnesses of her sincerity. Of course, the humor in this is that Viola is still disguised as Cesario. Both the Countess and the Duke are shocked by Cesario’s strange words and would look at him as if he were the crazy one.
Olivia cannot believe it. She cannot understand how a man who has just recently married her could reverse his position so suddenly. She thinks that she has been tricked or “beguiled” (135). So, the Countess orders one of her servants to go bring in the priest who performed the ceremony between herself and Sebastian.
Olivia also thinks that perhaps Cesario is afraid of the Duke, and that is why he will not admit that he has become the husband of the Countess (lines 142-43). A moment later the priest arrives and confirms that Olivia is speaking the truth. He informs the Duke that the ceremony occurred just two hours previously.
Duke Orsino becomes extremely angry that Cesario has betrayed him. Orsino tells Cesario to leave him and never again bring himself in his presence.
Viola, quite understandably, is utterly confused. She cannot understand how the priest can declare that she has married Olivia when she knows that she has not.
The pace of Act V, which is fast already, begins to move even more quickly at this point. Before Viola and the others can sort out their mess and come to any understanding about what is happening, Sir Andrew appears. The cowardly knight is ragged and wounded and out of breath. He comes before the Countess without realizing that Cesario is standing just a few feet away.
Sir Andrew tells the Countess to fetch a surgeon, a doctor, for Sir Toby because Cesario has given him a grievous head wound. Regarding Cesario, Sir Andrew tells the Countess that …
We took him for a coward, but he’s the very devil incardinate. (175-76)