Chapter: SCENE III.


                  _A Hall in_ DUKE ORSINO'S _Palace_.

                       _Enter_ DUKE, _and_ VIOLA.

    _Duke._ Come hither, boy:--If ever thou shalt love,
  In the sweet pangs of it, remember me:
  For, such as I am, all true lovers are.--
  My life upon't, young though thou art, thine eye
  Hath stay'd upon some favour that it loves;
  Hath it not, boy?

    _Vio._ A little, by your favour.

    _Duke._ What kind of woman is't?

    _Vio._ Of your complexion.

    _Duke._ She is not worth thee then. What years, i' faith?

    _Vio._ About your years, my lord.

    _Duke._ Too old, by heaven.--Once more, Cesario,
  Get thee to yon same sovereign cruelty:
  Tell her, my love, more noble than the world,
  Prizes not quantity of dirty lands;
  The parts that fortune hath bestowed upon her,
  Tell her, I hold as giddily as fortune;
  But 'tis that miracle, and queen of gems,
  That nature pranks her in, attracts my soul.

    _Vio._ But, if she cannot love you, sir?

    _Duke._ I cannot be so answered.

    _Vio._ Sooth, but you must.
  Say, that some lady, as, perhaps, there is,
  Hath for your love as great a pang of heart
  As you have for Olivia: you cannot love her;
  You tell her so: Must she not then be answered?

    _Duke._ There is no woman's sides,
  Can bide the beating of so strong a passion
  As love doth give my heart:--make no compare
  Between that love a woman can bear me,
  And that I owe Olivia.

    _Vio._ Ay, but I know,--

    _Duke._ What dost thou know?

    _Vio._ Too well what love women to men may owe:
  In faith, they are as true of heart as we.
  My father had a daughter loved a man,
  As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,
  I should your lordship.

    _Duke._ And what's her history?

    _Vio._ A blank, my lord: She never told her love,
  But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud,
  Feed on her damask cheek: she pined in thought;
  And, with a green and yellow melancholy,
  She sat like patience on a monument,
  Smiling at grief. Was not this love, indeed?
  We men may say more, swear more: but, indeed,
  Our shows are more than will, for still we prove
  Much in our vows, but little in our love.

    _Duke._ But died thy sister of her love, my boy?

    _Vio._ I am all the daughters of my father's house,
  And all the brothers too.--
  Sir, shall I to this lady?

    _Duke._ Ay, that's the theme.
  To her in haste; give her this jewel; say,
  My love can give no place, bide no denay.                   [_Exeunt._

 Sir Toby and Sir Andrew stay up late drinking in Olivia's house. Feste appears, and Sir Andrew compliments the clown on his singing. Both noblemen encourage Feste to sing another song. While he sings, Maria enters, warning them to keep their voices down or Olivia will call her steward, Malvolio, and tell him to kick them out. But the tipsy Sir Toby and Sir Andrew cheerfully ignore her. Malvolio comes into the room. He criticizes the men for being drunk at all hours of the night and for singing so loudly. He warns Sir Toby that his behavior is intolerably rude and that, while Olivia is willing to let him be her guest , if Sir Toby does not change his behavior, he will be asked to leave. But Sir Toby, along with Sir Andrew and Feste, responds by making jokes and insulting Malvolio. After making a final threat, this one directed at Maria, Malvolio leaves, warning them all that he will let Olivia know about their behavior. Sir Andrew suggests challenging Malvolio to a duel, but Maria has a better idea: to play a practical joke on him. As she explains to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, Malvolio is a puritan, but at the same time his biggest weakness is his enormous ego: he believes that everybody loves him. Maria will use that weakness to get her revenge on him for spoiling their fun. Since Maria's handwriting is almost identical to Olivia's, Maria plans to leave letters lying around that will appear to have come from Olivia and will make Malvolio think that Olivia is in love with him. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are amazed by Maria's cleverness, and they admire the plan. Maria goes off to bed, planning to get started on her joke the next day. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, deciding that it is now too late to go to sleep, head off to warm up more wine

