As two comical characters, Toby and Andrew bring humor to the play and talk about when to retire to bed:
Toby:
"A false conclusion. I hate it as an unfilled can. To be up after midnight and to go to bed then, is early, so that to go to bed after midnight is to go to bed betimes. Does not our lives consist of the four elements?"In the previous statement, Sir Andrew had said that they were up late so here Sir Toby is saying they are not up late, they are actually up early in the morning. Toby pokes fun at Andrew saying that he hates his logic like "an unfilled can." The can that Toby speaks of here refers to his love for food and alcohol and means he hates not having a full glass or plate. When Toby says "to go to bed after midnight is to go to bed betimes" he means that they should not go to bed now because a new day has already begun. In Toby's comment about the four elements, earth, fire, air and water, he says that the world does not revolve around man and what they wish to do, it does not change and therefore, after midnight is technically a new day which reinforces his statement.
Sir Toby does not take serious the advice of doctors that you should get up early in the morning and then decides to make fun of it. I too feel that he is much more interested in food and drink and it doesn't matter what time you go to bed as long as you are having a good time.
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