Scene 2

• Feste disguises himself as a learned priest, Sir Topas, and adopts a different voice
• Feste taunts the imprisoned Malvolio in front of Maria and ST, trying to make Malvolio truly believe he is mad
• ST wants to end the joke with Malvolio as he is falling out of favour with Olivia, and leaves with Maria, Feste returns in his own guise as a fool and continues to torment Malvolio
• Malvolio asks Feste for a pen and paper to write to Olivia about his treatment, Feste promises to return and departs singing and jesting
• This scene shows the latent cruelty in comedy and offers a darker perspective on Feste's role
• While other characters progress beyond their self-delusions towards love of another, Malvolio goes the opposite way as his vanity leads him from his self-confinement in yellow-stockings and cross-garters, where he is a literal laughing stock, to his imprisonment