What is Sir Toby's opinion of Olivia in Act 1, Scene 3 of Twelfth Night?
Sir Toby feels that Olivia should not be mourning for her brother still.
Lady Olivia has recently met with much tragedy. Her father and brother both died. As a result, Olivia is in deep mourning. She will not even think of looking at a man for seven years. Sir Toby, her uncle, does not feel that this is healthy.
SIR TOBY BELCH
What a plague means my niece, to take the death of
her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemy to life. (Act 1, Scene 3)
Sir Toby certainly knows how to enjoy life. He spends his time carousing, drinking and singing at all hours. He hangs out with his friend Sir Andrew, who is sweet on Olivia, and Olivia’s servant Maria, whom he is sweet on, and the fool.
When Maria tells Toby that Olivia does not approve of his drinking and carrying on,...
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he does not really care.
MARIA
By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o'
nights: your cousin, my lady, takes great
exceptions to your ill hours.
SIR TOBY BELCH
Why, let her except, before excepted. (Act 1, Scene 3)
Toby feels that his niece will be accepting of his antics. He is repeatedly warned, by Maria and Malvolio, to behave more appropriately for her benefit. He does not change. He knows that she will never throw him out, because they are kin and she is fond of him.
Toby and Olivia represent opposites here. Olivia is reserved, and wants to withdraw from life after having experienced so many deaths close to her. Toby feels that life is for being enjoyed. If you can’t have fun, what is the point of it?
It takes Cesario (Violoa) to draw Olivia out of her shell. She falls head over heels in love with this young man (who is not a man), despite herself. She surprises even herself!
Why does Sir Toby act as he wishes in Olivia's house in Twelfth Night?
There are two reasons why Sir Toby feels he can act as he wishes in Olivia's house. First of all, he is using his relationship to Olivia to get away with his bad behaviour. As Maria makes clear in Act I scene 3, the two characters are cousins, and thus Sir Toby is exploiting that relationship to get away with his partying and carousing.
Secondly, it is important to realise that Sir Toby in this excellent play symbolises the spirit of Twelfth Night, which was a festival celebrated on 6th January. This festival represented the last big party before the Christmas season was over, the decorations we taken down and everybody returned to their normal, monotonous routines in dark January. Twelfth Night was all about excess and chaos, and Sir Toby is definitely the character in this play that represents chaos and excess. Thus it is in his nature to always behave as he wills, to go to the very limits of acceptable behaviour, and then to consciously cross that line, so that the party spirit he represents remains unchallenged.