This essay will be exploring how Malvolio is a strong victim for humour, how Shakespeare shapes the audiences perception of Malvolio
Malvolio is Olivia's administrator. He is the one and only character in this play who ever seems to be making a mindful effort to be 'honest' but also the only one of the household who shows no genuine like towards fellow workers and masters. This immediately tells us that people are going to dislike him and, in a way try to get back at him. On the other hand, he is the only effective and with no doubt devoted employee. As a steward his main job is to manage Olivia's household and arrange certain affairs. Malvolio's intentions are to run an orderly house and keep Olivia in happiness, this being out of common affection and of course duty to both. Although he is a very pompous man, he must be good at what he does, yet particularly frustrated by other characters intentions.
This essay will be exploring how Malvolio is a strong victim for humour, how Shakespeare shapes the audiences perception of Malvolio and in what scenarios this has become apparent. I will be focusing mainly on Act 2 Scene 3, Act 3 Scene 4 and Act 4 Scene 2 as this is when Malvolio's character has been displayed most but of course will be referring to other scenes for further support to the argument.
Malvolio's strange conduct first becomes apparent in Act 2 Scene 3. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste are drinking and singing. It is very late; they are very drunk and very loud. Maria comes in to quiet them down, but it's all just too exciting and she doesn't want to end the fun everyone is having at the party. Typically Malvolio ruins the evening with his bad temper and scolding,
'My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night?' Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 75-77.
Malvolio begins by rudely shouting at the group. He shows respect by using 'my masters' but then quickly turns this around by shouting and insulting them. He asks many questions but waits for no answers, he carries on,
'Do ye make an alehouse of my lady's house, that ye squeak out your coziers' catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice? Is there no respect of place, persons, nor time in you?' Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 77-79
Malvolio then continues to abuse the group. He uses his puritanical outlook on life, contrasting to that ...
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Malvolio begins by rudely shouting at the group. He shows respect by using 'my masters' but then quickly turns this around by shouting and insulting them. He asks many questions but waits for no answers, he carries on,
'Do ye make an alehouse of my lady's house, that ye squeak out your coziers' catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice? Is there no respect of place, persons, nor time in you?' Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 77-79
Malvolio then continues to abuse the group. He uses his puritanical outlook on life, contrasting to that of the others in the room and wants to run the household strictly & under routine. He completely objects to the troop singing and dancing around in a house he is trying to control. Throughout the play we never see a smile on his face. This nonetheless, is merely a disguise that he assumes, that allows him to pass judgment on others. Sir Toby mocks Malvolio, who threatens them all with reprisals and leaves. Maria has had enough of Malvolios rude behaviour so she decides to get revenge by writing love letters to Malvolio in Olivia's handwriting. The letter written by Maria in 'Olivia's' hand refers subliminally to each of Malvolio's character weaknesses and consequently ensures that he is fooled by its meanings. In the letter, "Olivia" will make extreme demands, making Mavolio change from his puritanical self, using this to check that her love is returned. Maria suspects that Malvolio has a love for his employer, and, in revenge for his actions earlier tonight, will embarrass himself in proving his love.
Act 2 Scene 5 is the scene in which the trap is set for Malvolio, he reads the letter and tries to work out the contents, his arrogance means he is easily able to persuade himself that Olivia has infact written the poem for him. It is very obvious in this scene that Malvolio is more successful at being able to fool himself than he is at deceiving his fellow workers around him. The other members of the household see through Malvolio's hypocritical nature, this being why the trick was guaranteed to work. Though others can see through him, Malvolio fools himself completely. Maria says, he believes that,
'all that look on him love him'. Act 2 Scene 3 Line 152.
He is sure that it has just been an unlucky mistake that has caused a man as fine as him to be born a servant rather than a master. He believes that fortune, and his willpower will eventually correct that mistake. Maria's letter is only able to convince him that Olivia loves him because that's what he wants to believe, if he was a less modest, maybe slightly more intelligent, he would have seen straight past this joke instantly.
Here we are shown his puritanical exterior is merely a cover, trying to hide powerful ambition. Malvolio's only dreams of being loved by Olivia and of rising in the world to become a nobleman-both of which seem to be fulfilled by the letter, he is ecstatic by the news. For the audience, this scene is tremendously comic, since we can easily anticipate that Malvolio will make a fool of himself when he follows the letter's instructions and puts on yellow stockings and crossed garters. But there is also a hint of sadness in Malvolio's situation; since we know that his grand ambitions will come crashing down.
What the audience have anticipated becomes real in Act 3 Scene 4 where Malvolio appears transformed wearing yellow stockings and cross gartered (precisely what the letter had wished for). Malvolio begins to dance around and Olivia tells him to go to bed, he replies with,
'To bed? Ay sweetheart, and I'll come to thee.' Act 3 Scene 4 Line 28
Again, this shows Malvolios self-importance, she is obviously accusing him of being mad, yet he still thinks Olivia is making an offer for him to go to bed with her. Malvolio still thinks, at this point, that Olivia is very attracted to him, maybe he is wondering why she is not returning the love she explained in the letter. He most probably still isn't even thinking maybe this is a hoax simply because of the amount of love he has for himself. These familiar statements he is quoting are his way of acknowledging the desire he thinks that she has for him, but they are also a way of really confusing her, since Olivia has no idea what is going on. When Malvolio quotes from the letter, she is even more baffled, and worried for his sanity, but still, neither of them have been clued in on the joke yet. Maria enters, knowing exactly what is going on but still treats Malvolio like a madman.
Our sympathy for him definitely increases in later scenes, when Sir Toby and Maria use his outrageous behavior to harshly lock him away as a madman. Malvolio is not exactly a tragic figure; he is too conceited for that. But there is something at least pitiful in the way the vanity he displays in his speeches lead to his undoing.
In Act 4 Scene 2 the joke comes to its peak. At Maria's urging, Feste puts on a gown and false beard in order to pretend to be Sir Topas, a priest visiting Malvolio. (The practical joke played on Malvolio has proceeded to the point at which Malvolio has been locked in a dark room because he is considered to be mad, he is still horrified at this and is confused of the outcome). The Clown teases Malvolio by pretending to be Sir Topas, a priest who is sure that Malvolio is possessed by a devil. Malvolio speaks very honorably to 'Sir Topas' very unlike that of how he spoke to Feste and the group in Act 2 Scene 3.
'I am not mad, Sir Topas; I say to you this house is dark' Act 4 Scene 2 Line 33
He calls what he thinks to be Sir Topas by his name and uses 'you' not 'ye' he is being a lot more respectful to him as he is very aware Sir Topas could be his key to freedom again.
At the play's conclusion, a thoroughly humiliated Malvolio vows,
"I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you" Act 5 Scene 1 Line 355
A large amount of people, even ones hugely against Malvolios antics believe he has good reasons to say this. Although Malvolio is a prude, a hypocrite, and completely changes his apparently 'puritanical lifestyle' for the love of Olivia, he does not deserve the cruel treatment that he receives from the trick started by Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste. Malvolio is a "joy-killer" by nature who consistently punctures the high spirits of Toby and his group, but Toby himself is not a complete innocent by any means. Moreover, Malvolio' inflated sense of self-importance is behind his behavior leading to the ploy working. Nonetheless, imprisoned for his lunacy, Malvolio is subjected to the definitely "unfunny" taunts of Feste, and even Sir Toby suggests maybe they should stop tormenting him. Malvolios character seems to be one that earns both our ridicule and, due to the severity of the abuse put upon him, our sympathies as well.