Twelfth Night: Act 4

The adjective also means "able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering," which is suggested by the situation: Toby is about to get into a sword fight with Sebastian (mistaken for Cesario). While Toby is unlikely to draw much blood, the possibility that he could hurt her beloved makes Olivia mad. Thus, she insults her uncle with the chosen definition, which could also be a threat that she will kick him out of her civilized house.

As a noun, fancy also means "a predisposition to like something." While this is not how Sebastian uses the word, it is suggested by Olivia's fancy for him (mistaken for Cesario). Since Sebastian has never met Olivia, he thinks his fancy is playing tricks on him. However, because Olivia looks fancy ("decorative or ornamented" but not excessively so since she should still be in mourning), he wants his fancy (short for fantasy) to continue.

A curate is "a person authorized to conduct religious worship." In position, dignity, and purpose, a curate should be the opposite of a fool (although the Latin curare means "to take care of" and both have the ability to cure low spirits). This contrast contributes to the humor of the scene for the audience. Yet within the play, the fool does not need to dress up as the curate because Malvolio can't see him; he can just change his voice to say things that would drive Malvolio mad.

Originally, as the similar spellings suggest, fiend was the opposite of friend. At first, a fiend was any human enemy; this meaning is preserved in the definition of "a cruel, wicked and inhuman person." Later, a fiend became associated with the Devil, because it is the enemy of mankind. This is the meaning intended here, since the fool is pretending that Malvolio's madness comes from being possessed by a fiend, so he is there to drive it out.

When Olivia said, "let this fellow be looked to," she was more worried than mad at Malvolio's odd behavior. She did not intend for Malvolio to be treated this way. If she knew, she would be mad at the abusers. Thus, Malvolio might wish that the abusers were more notorious. But here, he is using the adverb to emphasize the extremely bad extent of the abuse.

A witty person has the "verbal skill that has the power to evoke laughter." If Malvolio had that kind of wit, he might've avoided being a target for the abusers. Ironically, a wit whom Malvolio had once observed being "put down the other day with an ordinary fool that has no more brain than a stone" is now the one he must beg to help him prove his wits to Olivia.

The adjective also means "characteristic of false pride." Aware of Malvolio's nature, the fool could intend that additional meaning here. But on the surface, as Sir Topas, he tells Malvolio to be quiet, because babbling would not help him get rid of the devil; rather, he should endeavor or "try" to sleep, so that the heavens can restore his wits.

Olivia tells Sebastian not to blame her, but she is madly in love with him and wants to get married now. But she needs to do this secretly to avoid anger at her disrespect for the mourning customs. This realization was shown earlier when she was afraid that others had overheard her happy plans to woo Cesario. Thus she sent for Malvolio, and on hearing he's mad, said, "I'm as mad as he, if sad and merry madness equal be."

What Olivia asks Sebastian to do here is to "plight his troth," which means to promise his fidelity in marriage, which she hopes would save her from jealousy and doubt. Ironically, an Old English root of the word suggests that entering into a plight is dangerous, which can be seen in this definition: "a situation from which extrication is difficult." Fortunately, plighting himself to Olivia does not create a plight for Sebastian and actually saves Viola from her plight.