How Does Malvolio Present Humiliation In Twelfth Night

Honors 102 2/11/18

In Twelfth Night, Malvolio’s controlling personality and dislike for merrymaking ultimately make him the product of humiliation for Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew. While the other characters punish him for entertainment, Sir Toby does so out of his desire to sustain his disorderly way of living. Sir Toby and his companions punish Malvolio justly with the forged letter as payback for the ill-treatment he inflicts on them, however

It is just for them to forge that letter out of revenge and the desire “To anger him” (2.5. 8), however they exceed their limits by isolating Malvolio in a dark room “for [their] pleasure and his penance” (3.4. 143-144). Malvolio pays for his actions by humiliating himself in front of Olivia, yet there is no justification for attempting to affect his mental state. Due to his natural tendency to follow the rules, Malvolio dresses and acts foolishly because of the letter, making him out to be a madman and seem “bewitched” (3.4. 107). To further punish him, Sir Toby and the rest confine him in complete darkness because of his madness, aiming to make him feel as if he is truly crazy. They go even further by having Feste disguise himself as a fictional priest to assess Malvolio’s mental state. During the conversation, Malvolio claims that “[He] [is] not mad” (4.2. 41) and Feste denies his claim, stating that he is in fact a madman. Feste does this to make Malvolio appear crazy and helpless. Malvolio’s bitter attitude should not earn him torture to this extent, hence why Malvolio tells Feste “never was a man thus wronged” (4.2. 29). There is no justification for such actions due to their level of