Act 5

• There is just 1 scene in act 5
• Fabian and Feste discuss the letter Feste agreed to deliver for the imprisoned Malvolio
• Orsino and Viola arrive and Orsino engages in banter with Feste over money
• Antonio is brought in and Orsino recognises him as a pirate, but Antonio denies this, saying he and Sebastian have been companions for 3 months
• When Olivia arrives she continues to reject Orsino and greets Cesario warmly, Orsino asks why he should not kill Olivia and then, because he knows she loves Cesario, threatens to kill his servant
• Viola accepts such a fate and is about to leave with Orsino when Olivia reveals that she and Cesario are married, after a priest confirms this news, Orsino relents and denounces Cesario saying that they will never meet again
• Sir Andrew and then Sir Toby enter, having both been injured fighting "Cesario", a charge which Viola denies
• Sir Toby rejects Sir Andrew's offer of help, calling him a gull
• Sebastian enters, apologising to Olivia for hurting her relative, he sees Antonio, who wonders which of the twins is Sebastian, and Viola and Sebastian are reunited
• Orsino resolves to marry Viola and asks to see her in her own clothes, Viola reports that the Captain who has her garments is being held by Malvolio, which reminds Olivia of her benighted steward
• Feste enters with Malvolio's letter which Fabian reads out
• Malvolio arrives and he gives Olivia the counterfeit letter which Olivia recognises as Maria's handwriting
• Fabian reveals the plot against Malvolio and that Sir Toby has married Maria for her part in it, Feste reminds Malvolio of his insults to him and Malvolio departs swearing revenge on everyone
• Alone, Feste sings a melancholic song and in its final lines, addresses the audience
• The final scene is a mix of prose and blank verse
• In the final scene, all the characters are brought onto stage to reveal their loves, as the play moves on towards a final resolution there are twists such as Malvolio promising revenge, that are left unresolved
• Orsino's love is close to hate, and is articulated primarily as a threat and in this he is close to violence
• There is a melancholic edge to the final celebrations as Antonio is soon forgotten when Sebastian and Viola are reunited, Malvolio has left entirely and Feste is still singing sad songs
• Feste's song goes through the stages of life as a boy, grown up, marriage, old age and then in the last stanza it seems to want to make a profound statement then doesn't
• Feste's song is oddly melancholic, focuses on life being a struggle and the lack of change, Feste appears to be a character who can sit outside of the action in the play as an observer, does the song link to the play?