twelfth night malvolio essay

Malvolio, Twelfth Night

Malvolio is a character in Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night .

Malvolio is the steward (chief of staff) of a wealthy lady, Olivia. She has a large household with a score of servants, frequent guests, a jester, and a live-in uncle, Sir Toby Belch.

Malvolio appears in most scenes and is characterised throughout as a puritanical, fun-spoiling, pompous, humourless man. He is a snob, and jealous of his status as head of the household. He has an inflated opinion of himself and considers himself to be perfect. At the same time he has no idea of how to deal with people.

He interferes with anyone having fun, reprimanding them for getting drunk and disorderly, keeping late hours and being noisy. He does that in an aggressive, confrontational way. They decide to punish him for it.

His humourless and social-climbing attitude to life make him an easy target for everyone – servants, guests and relatives of Olivia alike – and he becomes the victim of a cruel joke that drives most of the comedy in the play.

Some of the household, led by Sir Toby and Maria, one of Olivia’s ladies-in-waiting, devise a plot that plays to his delusionary opinion of himself. They write a letter that seems to have been penned by Oliva, and leave it where Malvolio will find it. The letter suggests that she’s fallen in love with him.

Malvolio falls for it and that drives his behaviour, in which he makes a fool of himself and provides entertainment for the whole household. The letter writer instructs the black-suited puritan to wear the latest fashion, which is yellow stockings and garters that cross each other up the wearer’s legs (cross garters).

Yellow is, in fact, a colour that Olivia can’t abide, and she is also contemptuous of the emptiness of fashion. The letter also instructs Malvolio to smile, something no-one has ever seen him do. So when he appears with a rigid smile, wearing the yellow stockings with cross garters, she thinks he has gone mad, particularly as he addresses her in sexually suggestive language. As a result she has him locked up in a cell.

The other characters have a great deal more fun with him as they take their revenge, visiting him in his cell and goading him, watching his suffering, and laughing at him.

He is released at the end of the play and he sours the celebratory atmosphere as, in true comic mode, the characters are paired up in love relationships after all the misunderstandings and near-misses during the course of the play.

Unlike in most Elizabethan playwrights’ work, Shakespeare’s comedies, while having that joyous resolution, always have something quite unpleasant beneath it, and it is the cruelty inflicted on Malvolio and his appearance as a broken man swearing to take his revenge on his tormentors that provide the unpleasant taste left in the mouth after watching  that scene in Twelfth Night .

Top Malvolio Quotes

I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal.  ( act 1, scene 5 )

M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.’  ( act 2, scene 5 )

Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon ’em.  ( act 2, scene 5 )

there was never a man so notoriously abused  ( act 4, scene 2 )

Madam, you have done me wrong, Notorious wrong.  ( act 5, scene 1 )

I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you!  ( act 5, scene 1 )

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Twelfth Night — Malvolio as a Victim of Comedy in Twelfth Night

Malvolio as a Victim of Comedy in Twelfth Night

• Categories: Character Twelfth Night William Shakespeare

About this sample

Words: 1530 |

Pages: 3.5 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1530 | Pages: 3.5 | 8 min read

Works Cited

• Bloom, H. (2005). Twelfth night. Infobase Publishing.
• Garber, M. (2010). Shakespeare's ghost writers: literature as uncanny causality. Routledge.
• Greenblatt, S. (2012). Will in the world: How Shakespeare became Shakespeare. WW Norton & Company.
• McEvoy, S. (2008). Shakespeare: The Basics. Routledge.
• Orgel, S. (1998). Introduction to Twelfth Night. Penguin Classics.
• Proescholdt, K. J. (2007). The bright form of things: essays on contemporary American fiction. University of Arkansas Press.
• Rackin, P. (1982). Stages of history: Shakespeare's English chronicles. Cornell University Press.
• Smith, R. (2013). The Cambridge introduction to Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press.
• Vaughan, V. (1997). Twelfth night: or what you will. Manchester University Press.
• Wilson, R. (2004). Secret Shakespeare: Studies in theatre, religion and resistance. Manchester University Press.

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• Twelfth Night

William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Play Summary
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act II: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Character Analysis
• Duke Orsino
• Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes
• Major Symbols and Motifs
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Essay Questions
• Cite this Literature Note

Character Analysis Malvolio

Malvolio's function in this comedy is more difficult to evaluate. Certainly, on a basic level, he functions as a contrast to the merrymakers, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew; he is a somber shadow of the aristocratic world and a sober reminder to Feste that the world is a serious place. While the other characters are almost always happy, Malvolio is grave. He emphasizes the importance of dignity, decency, decorum and "good order"; yet when he thinks he sees a chance for advancement with Olivia, he abandons all such proper conduct and behaves like an utter fool.

Early in the play, Maria characterizes him as a puritan. He is always dressed in the black, puritanical costume of the puritan of that time — a person whom most people in this play would despise. Yet he is respected by Olivia, and she does wish to retain his good services.

It is Malvolio's ultimate egotism which makes him an easy prey for the pranksters. Before they leave the forged, fake letter from Olivia for him, he is walking in the garden, daydreaming about the pleasures and the powers he would have if he were married to Olivia. Thus, his own sense of conceit makes him an easy dupe for the trick that is played upon him. Even though the ruse is rather harsh, the audience dislikes anyone so opposed to having a good time.

Previous Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria

Next Major Themes

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Twelfth Night

Loveable knaves: the humanity of malvolio and parolles barret buchholz.

Malvolio and Parolles both appear as relatively unlikable characters due to their inflated egos, and convince themselves that they are socially greater than they are in reality. In Twelfth Night, Malvolio, a mere steward, behaves with utter scorn and haughtiness to the nobles whose conduct he attempts to regulate. But proper behavior is not his highest concern. One critic writes that Malvolio's only goal is "to advance himself to the position of authority" that Olivia's husband would hold (MacCary, 189). Another critic notes that in this quest for power, his arrogance extends even to his use of Jove to denote God (Mangan, 239). Although these traits make Malvolio somewhat despicable, he never resorts to deception in his attempt to achieve his aim, unlike other characters in the play. Furthermore, in his constant pursuit of social improvement, he attempts to instill order in an environment that threatens to descend into complete chaos. Similarly, in All's Well That Ends Well, the dishonorable behavior of Parolles, including his hollow boasts and direct lies are frustrating at times. But he positively affects his environment by lightening the mood through his baseless views and threats. As each play...

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Twelfth Night

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Twelfth Night – Character study: Malvolio

The character Malvolio (meaning literally I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidence of Malvolios undesirable disposition comes with his own first appearance in the play during which he makes a point of insulting the wit and intelligence of Feste I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal.

Through doing this he shows himself to be man who condescends to those that he believes to be lower than him in any way, by acting on his own personal belief of superiority, and this later becomes a major player in his downfall. Initial impressions are supported by further vices in Malvolios general character and these lead to further aversion to him. He shows himself to be a strict puritan and this is also suggested by the opinion of Maria The devil a puritan that he is. He denies himself indulgences and pleasure whilst at the same time begrudging these things of others.

He makes a point of taking the moral high ground over Maria, Feste and more importantly, his social superior Sir Toby, when he scorns them for their revelries and disorders. This in turn adds to their desire to avenge him and bring him from his level of false authority, back to his true social class of a mere steward at which he is unable to give out orders, but only to receive them. Although he is a man of supposed purity and self-denial in practice, his aspirations are such that he becomes hypocritical. In turn he makes his character one of further malevolence.

He secretly longs for the life of a man higher in social status and fancies that through the love of Olivia, he could become such a person having come from my day bed, where I have left Olivia sleeping . At the same time he has great, worldly ambitions, which are strictly against the puritan philosophy. This longing for new superiority and strong belief that he will gain it, causes him to be open for trickery and thus provides the starting point of the punishment and humiliation through which he later suffers.

In order to try at pleasing Olivia and through doing so attempting at gaining her admiration and love, he carries out deeds at the expense of others. Malvolio is in many ways a time pleaser and he shows this when in the ways of a sycophant, he reports to Olivia the misdemeanors of his superior Sir Toby this uncivil rule; she shall know of it by this hand. Thus he does well in conjuring up further resentment from Sir Toby and the servants, while making his punishment both more justified and more craved by those that he wrongs.

A further hypocrisy of Malvolio and yet another vice opposing his puritan philosophy, is his extreme vanity. He places himself on a pedestal above all but Olivia, through purposely using language above his station, seemingly memorized from books an affection ass, which cons state without book and utters it in great swathes. He also makes an effort to pride himself on his physical appearance should she fancy, it should be one of my complexion which he seems to assume is one to be admired. He is generally proud about all aspects of himself, to such an extent that he is greatly bordering on superciliousness.

Overall, with taking into consideration the negative and truly objectionable aspects of Malvolio, it can be seen that he does in fact need to be taught a lesson about the downfalls of his disdainful ways. The fact that he is so totally self satisfied, means that convincing him of anothers love (i. e. Olivias) is easy to achieve it is hisfaith that alllove him and on that vice will my revengework. The letter written by Maria in [her] ladys hand refers subliminally to each of Malvolios character weaknesses and thus ensures that he is fooled by its meanings.

His vanity and value of appearance are both fed by the order to wear yellow stockingsever cross gartered, while his lack of humor and puritan philosophies are tormented by the request for continuous smiles, which apparently become [him] well. He finds his quest for excellence fulfilled by Olivias supposed declaration that [he] will have greatness thrust upon [him], and his own superiority and haughtiness are fed by the suggestion that he be surly with the servants, thus putting himself into the trick of singularity.

Simply through succumbing to such a prank and carrying out the orders of the letter, Malvolio is being punished to an appropriate extent. Through believing and acting on them he shows himself to be obtuse, gullible and ironically, lacking in the superiority of mind that he so adamantly believes he possesses. Thus he lets the servants and Sir Toby achieve their aim. The conspiracy, having accomplished its purpose in secretly humiliating Malvolio, should have then been revealed to him and brought to an end.

However it seems that out of sheer cruelty and selfish fun, the pranksters continue the mockery. They take its maliciousness to a further degree, convincing Olivia and other onlookers that Malvolio’s bizarre behavior is caused by his insanity rather than their own actions. At the same time they attempt to convince him of this through imprisoning him and twisting his words into those of a lunatic, you speak ill of the devilhow he takes it to heart. The extremity of their prank reaches its peak when Malvolio, locked in a prison begs for the aid of the priest sir Topaz (an impersonation by Feste).

At this point Malvolio has lost all sense of human dignity and basic pride while at the hands of such malignant torment, and it is clear that the joke has lost its mere foolery, becoming something more sinister and torturous. Sir Toby himself has this realization, that such maltreatment of a person is beyond mere revelry, I cannot pursue with any safety this sport to the upshot. Malvolio suffers a great injustice at the hands of his tormentors and is notoriously abused beyond the brink of mere teasing.

He does not deserve his latter treatment, as his only crime is his undesirable character and the fact that he wronged his peers with words alone. Ironically, after having been released from his cell it becomes clear that his ways have not improved in the slightest and that he is now filled with resentment for his abusers, as well as for Olivia. He departs at the end, promising to be revenged on the whole pack of [them]. No rewards are gained and no lessons learnt from his great, unnecessary suffering.

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