Why does orsino accuse viola of betrayal

Later, Sebastian comes along and is challenged by Sir Andrew, who thinks he is Cesario. Sebastian, trained in combat, wins the fight.

But Olivia intervenes and invites Sebastian into the house, also thinking him to be Cesario this is clearly a common mistake. Olivia and Sebastian are married that night. Malvolio, held in the dungeon for being a madman, is psychologically tortured by Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste, the court fool.

Feste dresses up as a priest to convince Malvolio that he is, in fact, mad. After realising that they might get into trouble for treating Malvolio this way, they allow him a pen and paper to be able to write a letter to Olivia. Antonio is brought to talk with Orsino, and upon seeing Cesario, he accuses him of betrayal. Just then, the real Sebastian arrives to apologise for fighting Sir Toby.

The twins see each other and discover that they are both alive. Orsino's fool, Feste, brings a letter from Malvolio, and on his release, Maria's letter is revealed to be fraudulent. Malvolio departs promising revenge. Maria and Sir Toby have already married in celebration of the success of their plot against the steward.

The Duke then regards Olivia as a sister and takes viola instead to be his wife. Malvolio storms out in contempt of everyone. Feste the clown ends the play with a song. Orsino, at last freed from the love-sickness that has weighed him down throughout the play, shows himself to be more fierce and experienced than he has previously appeared. His recollections of the sea-battle against Antonio show him as a man of action, a military leader with influence outside the narrow sphere of his household.

He speaks with great force of remembering Antonio "besmeared as black as Vulcan in the smoke of war" l. The metaphorical relation inherent in the statement, between Antonio and Vulcan, the rough blacksmith of the gods, points toward something more brutal and warlike in Antonio as well. Orsino's angry, impassioned statement identifying Orsino also foreshadows his even more passionate, and unforeseen, rise to anger against Viola.

When Olivia admits her love for Cesario, Orsino immediately suspects Cesario of betrayal, and turns ferocious on his confidante; "I'll sacrifice the lamb that I love," he says of Viola, even when she professes her love for him once again V. Viola too admits her love for Orsino, which is greater "than e'er [Cesario] shall love wife" l. These declarations are not treated like they are unusual however, or scandalous; perhaps the quick progression of the action prevents the characters and the audience from dwelling on the issue.

This reversal of feelings on Orsino's part makes the conclusion, of Orsino's proposal to Viola after she is revealed, much more natural; Orsino has already given up on Olivia, so he has no hindrances in the end to marrying Viola.

The issue of time surfaces again in this act; Antonio says that Sebastian has been in his company for three months, despite the fact that they landed in Illyria only earlier that day, which he also admits. Orsino echoes this time discrepancy, claiming that Viola has been in his service for three months previous as well. The play appears to take place over a very short span of time, with Viola landing immediately after the wreck, and going immediately into Orsino's service; the three month span appears highly unlikely, and may have just been included to reinforce how the relationships between Sebastian and Antonio and between Orsino and Viola have become close in a very short period of time.

The great amount of dramatic irony in this scene is used skillfully to add tension to Olivia's revelation about her marriage, and of the reunion of the twins as well. The audience is aware that Olivia has indeed married Sebastian, and that both twins are alive and well; yet, there is a sense of suspense with the audience as people wait for the characters to find out the truth and resolve these issues.

In addition, Shakespeare uses the dramatic irony of this scene to provide some humor for the audience, while concurrently wringing some deep emotion out of the characters. Viola's casting off of Olivia, leading to Olivia's claim that she married Viola, is a scene that is humorous because of the oddity of the situation, and the fact that the audience has already figured out what has happened.

But this foreknowledge of the resolution of this issue distracts from how greatly upset Olivia is by being brushed off by Viola, Viola's genuine confusion at Olivia's insistence, and Orsino's anger at the suggestion that Viola would do something like that behind his back. The actions being presented are very dramatic as far as the characters are concerned, but comedic for the audience; Shakespeare's doubling of these elements is sound, and is testament to his great skill in blending the elements of tragedy and comedy.

The reunion of the twins is the inevitable climax of the play; before this moment, Sebastian has had no idea that Viola could still be alive, so the disbelief at seeing her again, and dressed to look like him, is acute. Viola is more calm, since her encounter with Antonio led her to believe that Sebastian was still alive and well; yet, there is great emotion on both sides at this lucky reuniting. At last, the theme of mistaken or hidden identity is resolved, with everyone having been revealed as their true selves.

This part of the scene also marks the first time that the name "Viola" is used in the play; to a reader of the text, the character is indeed Viola, but to someone watching the play, she is Cesario, but nameless as a woman up until this point. It is fitting, however, that she only regains her name as she sheds her disguise; she finally is able to exchange one name for another, and to act on her love for Orsino. Viola reaffirms her love, and Orsino asks to see her in female garb. She tells him that her clothes were hidden with a sea captain, who now has taken service with Malvolio.

Suddenly, everybody remembers what happened to Malvolio. Malvolio writes that the letter seemingly written to him by Olivia will explain his behavior and prove he is not insane. Malvolio is brought in, and he angrily gives Olivia the letter that Maria forged, demanding to know why he has been so ill treated.

Fabian interrupts to explain to everyone how—and why—the trick was played. He mentions in passing that Sir Toby has just married Maria. Malvolio, still furious, vows revenge and leaves abruptly. He then announces that the double wedding will be celebrated shortly.