Twelfth Night Act 2

In Act 2 Scene 1 of Twelfth Night Antonio and Sebastian, Viola's twin brother, are talking. Sebastian thinks his twin sister drowned: "But you, sir, altered that, for some hour before you took me from the breach of the sea was my sister drowned." (II.i.21-23). This is ironic because Viola thinksher brother is dead but he is obviously alive. Sebastian decides to go to Orsino's court.
In Act 2 Scene 2 Malvolio gives Viola/Cesario a ring from Olivia. Viola is confused by this and hopes that Olivia hasn't fallen for her: "I left no ring for her. What means this lady? Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her." (II.ii.17-18). Viola realizes she has a problem: the duke loves Olivia, Olivia loves Cesario and Viola loves the duke. It seems like quite the love triangle. The strange part is that all of these people are in love with people that they barely even know.
In Act 3 Scene 3 Toby and Andrew ask the fool to sing love songs. Pretty soon Andrew and Toby join in and they are all acting like idiots. Malvolio comes in and tells them to shut up or leave: "If not, and it would please you to take leave of her, she is very willing to bid you farewell." (II.iii.99-101). Toby, Andrew and Maria then start to gossip about Malvolio: "Possess us, possess us. Tell us something of him." (II.iii.138-139) and "Marry, sir, sometimes he is a kind of Puritan." (II.iii.140). Maria decides she wants to get revenge on Malvolio: "He shall think, by the letters that thou will drop, that they will come from my niece, and that she's in love with him." (II.iii.164-166). I thought this scene was pretty ridiculous and unnecessary. Andrew, Toby and the fool start singing about love, Malvolio tells them to shut up and Maria decides to play a prank on Malvolio. What did Malvolio do to her, anyway?
In Act 2 Scene 4 Orsino and Cesario talk about love. Orsino asks if Cesario has ever been in love: "My life upon't, young though thou art, thine eye hath stayed upon some favor that it loves. Hath it not, boy?" (II.iv.22-24). Viola hints around that she loves the duke by saying that she loves someone like the duke and the same age. Orsino asks Cesario to talk to Olivia again and he refuses to take no for an answer: "I cannot be so answered." (II.iv.89). Viola tries to talk him out of loving Olivia if she doesn't love him back, but ends up taking a jewel to Olivia to show Orsino's love: "Give her this jewel. Say my love can give no place, bide no denay." (II.iv.125). I think Orsino is being a little creepy. I'm pretty sure that if Olivia says no the first time she isn't going to magically change her mind after receiving a jewel from him. I have to give him credit for his determination, though.
In Act 2 Scene 5 Toby, Andrew and Maria watch Maria's plan go into action. They hide and Malvolio walks by imagining what it would be like to marry Olivia. He discovers the love letter and reads it out loud. He thinks Olivia loves him: "She did commend my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered, and in this she manifests herself to my love, and with a kind of injunction, drives me to the habits of her liking." (II.v.166-170). Malvolio decides to go after Olivia and Andrew, Toby and Maria want to see him make a fool out of himself. I'm not really sure why they pulled a prank on Malvolio other than the fact that he is an egotistical jerk, but it's a pretty good prank nonetheless. I'm curious to see what happens to Malvolio!