Examine the character of Malvolio in Act II Scene 3. How does he change in Act III Scene 3? Twelfth Night is a Shakespearean comedy that was first performed on the epiphany. It was not given a proper name as Shakespeare said to call it ‘What You Will’. Twelfth Night explores the key themes of unrequited love, mistaken identity, madness and revenge. This analysis will focus on the character of Malvolio, who is at the centre of the play’s sub plot, intended to lighten the mood in the play.
We will examine his personality and how it changes throughout the play. Malvolio was tricked my Maria the maid, Feste the clown, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Fabian as an act of revenge due to his actions. We first meet Malvolio in Act 1 Scene 5, when he calls Feste ‘a barren rascal’ or an ‘empty fool’. This offends Feste and will sit deep with him throughout the play.
Straight away he comes across as a very pompous and self-obsessed character to the audience. Olivia furthers this by saying, ‘Oh you are sick of self-love Malvolio.’ This shows that Olivia also has a similar impression of Malvolio to the audience and that she does not agree to his behaviour. Shakespeare purposely wrote this scene so Malvolio would become a figure of mockery from early on and so he can be taught a lesson later on in the play.He then returns in Act 2 Scene 3 and deepens our negative impression further by acting badly once more. He offends Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, who were drinking and singing by saying.
“My Masters are you Mad?” This becomes very ironic as later on in the play he is shown to be a lunatic when he is tricked by Maria and the others. He then proceeds to offend them even more:‘Have you no wit, manners or honesty, but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night? Is the no respect of place, persons, or time in you?’This appears as if he has planned what he was going to say before he came to say it, which makes him appear even more pompous to the audience and the characters in the play than before as he seems to be trying too hard. He then offends Maria, someone of the same class as him, which will later come back to haunt him:-‘If you prized my lady’s favour anything more than contempt, you would not give means for this civil unrule.’He is criticizing Marias standard of work and her devotion to Olivia. This shows that Malvolio seems to act above his class even though he is below Sir Toby and Sir Andrew.
Even though he is only trying to do right by Olivia, he is very insulting and uses derogatory terms towards them which come across as insulting and very rude. However he is a Puritan so it is understandable he is against any kind of frivolity, but the audience begin to question his morals later on in the play. Toby is quick to remind Malvolio of his position by saying ‘Art any more than a steward?’ This remark will sit deep with Malvolio as in Act 2 Scene 5 he goes on to dream about being of a higher position and rank. Maria is very angry because of these remarks and calls Malvolio ‘a devil of a puritan’ a ‘time pleaser’ and ‘an affectioned ass’.
The question of his religion later rings true. She comes up with a plan to make Malvolio look like a fool and to bring him back down:‘I will drop in his way some obscure epistles of love…he shall find himself most feelingly personated… I can write very much like my lady your niece.’This plan is originally for a laugh. They intended to teach Malvolio a lesson, strip him of his arrogance and remind him of his status to make sure he realises the error of his ways but later on in the play the joke gets more serious. In Act 2 Scene 2 we see even more of his arrogant side when he confronts Viola about the ring she had “left behind” upon visiting Olivia’s court. He says:“You might have saved me your pains, to have taken it away yourself.
”This shows that he sees Viola to be lower to him, and he seems to be oblivious to his rank in society. This has become a common thing with Malvolio as there have been multiple occasions where he has acted higher than his class.We see Malvolio again in Act 2 Scene 5, where the trick takes place in the court gardens. What makes this scene funnier is that we get to see Malvolio’s inner thoughts as he fantasizes out loud. Maria and the others have played his weaknesses and on his unrequited love for Olivia. He is convinced that if Olivia fell in love, it would be with someone like him as he says to himself, ‘Maria once told me….
That if she should fancy, it should be one of my complexion.’ Maria may have said that to Malvolio to plant the seeds for the trick, to help him believe it more. As Malvolio talks to himself, there is plenty of evidence that shows Malvolio wants to improve his social status. For example he says to himself, “To be Count Malvolio!” which suggests he dreams of being a higher rank.
He then says, “To ask for my kinsman Toby.” which takes us back to Sir Toby’s previous remark regarding Malvolio’s status. This shows that the remark affected Malvolio and he remembered it. He obviously takes delight in the thought that he could look down on Sir Toby.The audience begin to wonder if his dreams are more about status than his “love” for Olivia, and whether he is a puritan, as Maria previously questioned as he fantazisises about fancy items, which his religion frowns upon. He talks about having a ‘branched velvet gown’ which shows he is partial to fun and expensive items.
He also plays with his stewards chain, before realising that when he becomes a count, it will be some rich jewel’. It is clear that he also wants to tell Sir Toby to ‘amend his drunkenness and dreams about having the authority to do so. All of this points to his craving for a better social status. At this point the joke is still funny to the audience, but it all changes.
The letter implies that the person writing the letter wants Malvolio to improve his status like has dreamed of. The forged letter suggests that he should “Be opposite with the kinsman and surly with the servants.” He is delighted at this as he was offended by Sir Toby’s comment about his rank. It also says, “Remember who commended thy yellow stockings…wished to see thee ever cross gartered” Malvolio decides to follow this letter to try and prove his love to Olivia, this will be funny to see as Olivia detests the colour yellow, “tis a colour she abhors” and hates cross garters as it is “a fashion she detests”. In the post script the letter suggests that he should “let it appear in thy smiling”, he later takes this very seriously.
The audience are now prepared for the encounter between Olivia and Malvolio because they will know what Malvolio will do and are left in suspense for 5 scenes as to how the encounter will go. It sets up the comedy even more. The encounter takes place in Act III Scene 4, when Maria warns Olivia that Malvolio is acting strangely by saying “He is sure possessed madam”, which sets up the humorous scene even more. He makes himself seem very foolish in various different forms of humour during the scene, such as visual. He cannot stop smiling in his attempt to follow the letter and has come in the ridiculous clothing that was stated in the letter, to the audience this will be very funny and they understand why he is wearing it, whilst they get to watch Olivia’s confusion at the matter, this is dramatic irony. He also shows is foolishness through verbal humour:Olivia: “Wilt thou go to bed, Malvolio?” Malvolio: “To bed? Ay sweetheart, I’ll come to thee.
”This is also bawdy humour as Malvolio has misunderstood Olivia, in a slightly awkward and naughty way which the audience will find humorous. He then carries on quoting the letter which shows more dramatic irony. Olivia puts Malvolio into Maria’s care, but Toby decides to take the joke further by having him “In a dark room and bound.” At this point the audience begin to wonder whether the joke has been taken too far and it stops being funny. He decides that they will carry on the joke “for our pleasure and his penance”. Although Malvolio was rude to Sir Toby and the others, I think that he had already learned his lesson by then and the trick went from a joke to being cruel and malicious.
Even though this was the done thing in Elizabethan times to treat lunatics, even the audience will begin to wonder if what Sir Toby is doing is appropriate.Whilst in false imprisonment, he begs and pleads to be let go and tries to prove that he is infact sane and well. He calls Feste a “good fool”, which contradicts his previous snide remarks toward the jester, showing that whilst he is in a state of distress, his previous actions come back to haunt him. They also decide to play another trick on Malvolio by sending Feste to pose as “Sir Topas” the minister.
At this point Malvolio becomes desperate as he tries to explain that he is in the dark. Sir Topas however distresses Malvolio even more by making Malvolio look even more of a fool. Sir Toby decides shortly after to end the trick there, but not out of guilt, because:“I am now so far in offence with my niece that I cannot pursue with any safety this sport”This shows that Sir Toby only end it because of the inconvenience, which makes him as bad as Malvolio and a hypocrite. Once Malvolio was released, he angrily confronted Olivia and asked why she had “suffer’d me to be imprisoned” as he had only done what the letter has said. Olivia confesses that it was not her writing, and Fabian comes forward to explain the entire situation and how the joke got out of hand.
Olivia then says “Alas poor fool,” which is ironic as now Malvolio has become the fool rather than Feste. Feste then reminds him of his previous remark “a barren rascal” and says “And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.” Which means ‘what goes around comes around’. At that point Malvolio then swears revenge on the lot of them and leaves, however I think he may have been bluffing as his pride had been dented and he was in a rather bad state at the time.In conclusion, Malvolio has gone from calling others the fool to being the fool himself. I think that whilst Malvolio did offend them earlier on in the play, he did not deserve to be treated so badly and become such a figure of mockery due to his actions.
There is a difference between teaching a person a lesson and being cruel and malicious. I also think they were being hypocritical, as they were mad at Malvolio being mean and then they proceeded to be mean themselves. However, I think he may have learnt his lesson, but only time will tell as he may just go back being his normal self. Over all I think that he was ‘Notoriously abused’ but he needed to realise the true consequences of his actions and his status in society before he opened his mouth to insult.
