The next few moments of this scene should be comic with plentiful burps–and brings the bantering (and sexual innuendos) from the first part of the scene to a climax. (Note, this is just my interpretation.)
Andrew: Sir Toby Belch? How now, Sir Toby Belch?
Andrew belches on saying Toby, but he’s rather drunk and he’s not certain if he’s talking to Toby (though they must have been drinking together at the tavern just moments ago).
Toby: Sweet Sir Andrew.
Toby belches louder to claim his namesake.
Andrew: Bless you, fair shrew.
Andrew actually turns to Toby, though he means to greet Maria. (Very drunk.)
Maria: And you too, sir.
Maria attempts some politeness. Though her voice is strained–she’s disgusted, but trying to maintain a note of decency.
Toby: Accost, Sir Andrew, accost.
Toby is very drunk, but excited, as he confronts Andrew to accost. (He says it as if he were to say, “Mount her.”)
Andrew: What’s that?
Andrew’s “What’s that” is slurred to sound as if he said, “Whuuze that?”
Toby: My niece’s chambermaid.
Toby literally has the bedroom chamber on his mind as he says that. (Were he not drunk, the logic might have been, “Woo Maria, so that she might give you a better word and access to Olivia’s bedroom chamber. But, he’s drunk, so he’s getting the meaning confused somewhat liquidly, from “Make Maria like you, to give Olivia good word,” to actually “Woo Maria.”)
Andrew: Good Mistress Accost, I desire better acquaintance.
Classic Andrew, confuses her as Miss Accost. But, emphasis on acquaintance. You’re very drunk, but you’re catching up to Toby’s drift, yet not totally consciously aware of it.
Maria: My name is Mary sir.
Huge contrast from the lecherous men so far: I imagine that Maria would be saying this as the epitome of chastity, as if she were the virgin Mary.
Andrew: Good Mistress Mary Accost-
Toby: You mistake, knight. ‘Accost’ is ‘front her’, ‘board
her’, ‘woo her’, ‘assail her’.
Toby gradually increases the sexual innuendo in his line, so that by the time he says, “assail her,” it’s basically like he’s saying “take her” (more to the point: “take her now, right here, in the open”).
Andrew: By my troth, I would not undertake her in this company.
Is that the meaning of ‘Accost’?
Andrew is totally scandalized. Of course he won’t whip out his troth and take her here, right now! But, Andrew begins to betray his very-limited vocabulary (hardly to span even one language, much less three or four!) - he has to ask if he’d taken the meaning right.
Maria: Fare you well, gentlemen.
Maria is sick of the guys’ childish games. She thinks: Toby can take him himself.
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