Which play features the character Sir Toby Belch?

Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare’s *Twelfth Night*.

He is Olivia’s uncle and a lively, disorderly presence in her household. He enjoys late-night drinking, singing, practical jokes, and provoking the more severe steward Malvolio. His name itself hints at his comic appetite and boisterous behaviour.

Sir Toby brings Sir Andrew Aguecheek into Olivia’s orbit, pretending to support Andrew’s courtship while exploiting his money. Together with Maria and Feste, he helps engineer the prank that convinces Malvolio he is loved by Olivia. The joke is funny but also notably cruel, leaving Malvolio furious and insisting he has been wronged.

A common mix-up is to associate Sir Toby with another Shakespeare comedy involving mistaken identities or festive misrule. *Twelfth Night*, however, is the play set mainly in Illyria, featuring Viola’s disguise as Cesario, Duke Orsino, Olivia, and the twins’ eventual reunion. Sir Toby ultimately marries Maria, the household attendant who helped create the Malvolio plot.