How is Malvolio a comic character? Act 3 Scene 4 Twelfth Night.

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Jessica Law 10Z

How is Malvolio a comic character? Act 3 Scene 4

Malvolio is a comic character throughout Twelfth Night, especially in Act 3 Scene 4.  The scene revolves around him acting on the love letter he finds, which he believes to be from Olivia. Malvolio secretly wishes to be more than just a steward to his mistress. When he finds the letter Maria leaves behind to trick him, he falls into the trap and makes a fool of himself. In this scene, his comic character comes through in the forms of slapstick humour, puns, dramatic irony, comedy of manners and ridicule.

Malvolio does what the love letter tells him that he must do in order to prove his love to Olivia, and this includes wearing yellow-stockings in cross-gartered fashion.  “Not black in my mind, though yellow in my legs.” In reality Olivia actually hates the colour yellow and cross-garters.  Yet he shows off his stockings to Olivia thinking the opposite.

According to the letter, he also has to smile a lot.  Malvolio smiles and laughs when there is nothing to smile at.  

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Olivia: “God comfort thee! Why dost thou smile so, and kiss thy hand so oft?”

It is inappropriate for Malvolio to be smiling all the time because the household is still in mourning over Olivia’s brother.  Malvolio kisses Olivia’s hand very often because since he thinks she is in love with him, he expects physical contact to be acceptable.

This is slapstick, a physical type of humour.  This type of humour is very powerful to the audience because it is so physical and obvious that everyone could notice and understand it.

There are several puns in this scene.  Olivia ...

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