Twelfth Night is written by William Shakespeare. It was named after a Christian feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated on the 6th January (12 days after Christmas.) Twelfth Night is a comedy and a very entertaining play, surrounding the character Malvolio, who is very impolite and disrespectful to the rest of the characters. As a result to this they decide to trick him, but however it gets out of hand when they decide to lock him up and claim that he is mad. Malvolio then stands as an unpopular steward and a vulgar character. He is more expressive about what he says than being witty but he is more self-important and big-headed. Malvolio brings both humour and sympathy to the play, and as a result he is the main character that brings the humour to the play. Malvolio is the steward of Olivia’s (countess) household, and thinks that he is powerful enough to get married to Olivia who is way powerful than him. Being a steward is a very sensible job, which he takes seriously. However being in that position he is powerful than the other servants, and bosses them around but that’s acceptable but however being impolite to Sir Toby (who is the uncle of Olivia and therefore in charge when Olivia is absent), is not acceptable. The reason why Malvolio is rude to Sir Toby is because of various reasons. The first one being is that, that’s who he is, and he can’t help being rude and stubborn. The second reason is that he thinks it is fine to act in this manner because he has been given a little bit if power, by Olivia; he goes and abuses this by using it in the wrong way. He is very organised and likes to take charge of everything and everyone. The social hierarchy was used in the Elizabethan times; to show the power, status, and wealth of a ...
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...s him as a comforter, but he takes the wrong idea of everything Olivia says to him.
Overall I don’t believe that Malvolio should be the character that everyone dislikes, but instead it should be Olivia. The reason for this is that in Act 1 Scene5, Viola come to inform Olivia that Orsino, (who is at the same standard as Olivia, and is the Duke of Illyria) is attracted to her, she says, “Good madam, let me see your face” and to this Olivia’s response is, “...Look you, sir, such one I was this present. Is’t not well done?” Here, Olivia acts vain, because she says, ‘I know I’m pretty, I look like a picture.’ Malvolio is just attracted to her, but why wouldn’t he be; she is richer than him, but to make her like him, he makes the other characters hate him. On the whole Malvolio is overconfident about everything and therefore says these things that are inappropriate.
During the weeks leading up to matrimony, Olivia fell madly in love with Cesario, who though looks and sounds just like Sebastian, is truly Viola dressed as a man. Sebastian does not realize this as he meets Olivia for the first time. He is amazed that a woman of her statue and beauty would feel so strong for him and he wastes no time.... ... middle of paper ...
Malvolio’s unfortunate issue is a warning tale of ambition overcoming good sense. At the close of the play, he is brought out of the darkness into a celebration in which he has no part, and where no one seems willing to offer him a real apology. “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you,” he snarls, stalking out of the festivities (V.i.365). His exit strikes a jarring note in an otherwise joyful comedy. Unfortunately, I do not believe Malvolio has no real place in the anarchic world of Twelfth Night, only to suggest that333 someone must suffer while everyone else is happy.
Olivia’s public status shows her as a caring and high-class lady, a persona with a stark contrast to her inner self as a bold and tenacious woman. When Olivia pines for Cesario, she takes action and confesses, “But, would you undertake another suit, / I had rather hear you to solicit that/ Than music from the spheres” (3.1.108-110). This confession shows Olivia’s yearning for Cesario to woo her, revealing a bold inner character and desire that doesn’t align with how others perceive her. Another example is after Cesario denies having married her and redirects the topic back to Duke Orsino, Olivia replies, “If it be aught to the old tune, my lord/ It is as fat and fulsome to mine ear/ As howling after music” (5.1.104-106). Olivia dismisses the Duke’s affections and rebukes him as a man would, saying his courting is gross and disgusting. This shows she is not the fragile and polite woman one may perceive her to be, but an abrasive woman who can speak her mind. Olivia breaks out of her social identity as a frail, polite, and proper Elizabethan lady and reveals her true inner character as a strong and empowered woman.
His inflated ego has lead him to misinterpret Lady Olivia’s feelings for him-or rather, her lack of feelings. Although he already has the notion that he should end up with the Lady, he is fooled by Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew, believing Olivia feels the same for him. The tricksters deliberately write a letter indirectly addressed to Malvolio, divulging “Olivia’s” hidden love for the steward. Without giving much thought to the credibility of this discovered letter, Malvolio follows its enclosed instructions, unwittingly earning the real Lady Olivia’s disfavor (2.5.91-195). “This and his continuous disapproval of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew's drinking, earn him their hatred and he quickly becomes their pawn in a complex romantic ruse” (Review at Absolute
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio is considered an outcast by almost everyone in the play. He doesn’t act the same way that any of the other characters act, in that he doesn’t participate in any of their activities, he enforces rules that the others could care less about, and he is just overall a socially awkward guy. Malvolio not only claims to adhere to the rules of the household himself, but uses his relations with Olivia to try and help make the others follow the rules as well. This upsets certain characters more than others. For instance Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria find his behavior particularly detestable. But Malvolio’s strict coherence to the rules allows him to have a rather high position in Olivia’s household. While Malvolio may be considered a social outcast to most of the characters in the play, Olivia considers Malvolio to be a very trusted steward of her household. For these reasons Malvolio is not only a social outcast, but an outcast that Shakespeare uses to keep people interested in his play.
The antagonist of Twelfth Night is Sir Toby Belch because he tries to control Olivia’s life. Even though some may consider him a partier and jokester, he is also kind of a jerk. First he takes advantage of his nieces and Sir Andrew’s wealth. Sir Toby also wants Olivia to marry Sir Andrew so he can have more money for himself. He seeks revenge upon Malvolio by writing a phony love letter convincing Malvolio to perform hideous acts for Olivia’s love. Sir Toby knows Olivia will not put up with such acts and Malvolio was sent to the dark room for his insanity.
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio is considered an outcast by everyone else in the play except Olivia. He doesn’t act the same way that any of the other characters act, and he seems to be a real stickler for the rules, which upsets certain characters more than others. But it is this strict coherence to the rules that allows Malvolio to have such a high position in Olivia’s household. While Malvolio may be considered an outcast to most of the characters in the play, Olivia shows concern for Malvolio and his well-being.
Malvolio also promises revenge on those who played the trick on him and his last words symbolise parts of the darker side of Illyria: ' I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you' Disguise is the main plot in Twelfth Night and without it the storyline would not have been possible as disguise was needed in order to create the Orsino, Viola, Olivia love triangle. This is the main event in the play which is created by disguise. Disguise is also used to bring in humour and confusion to the plot without which Twelfth Night would not be the notorious and famous play as we know it today.
In Twelfth Night the relationships are anything but romantic. Shakespeare writes from the male point of view which implies an un-easy split between love and physical charm. In Twelfth night the romance is falsely produced by selfish desire. Duke Orsino and Viola stand out from the other relationships. By questioning the relationships between the other couples, Shakespeare highlights the true love between Viola and Orsino and the fake relationship of Malvolio and Olivia which is truly based on Malvolio’s desire of a higher status , despite his status and his personality , Malvolio tries to impress Olivia by dressing up in ridiculous clothes , which does far from his aim , and repulses Olivia.
After Olivia has her very first conversation with Cesario (Viola), where he tries to woo her for Duke Orsino, she immediately falls in love with him. After Cesario leaves her palace, Olivia says to herself ‘Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit do give thee fivefold blazon. Not too fast; soft, soft. Unless the master were the man. How now? Even so quickly may one catch the plague?’ Here Olivia states that Cesario’s external features are what attract her to him. Her metaphor contains a s...
Although Viola might be able to relate to Olivia's grief at first, her love for Orsino is so great that she cannot understand why Olivia would deny him. When Olivia expresses affectio...
Shakespeare uses a play on words and symbols. that the jester is smarter than the rich and educated people he works with for. Twelfth Night, like all Shakespearean comedies, is largely about social concerns. The social messages on Twelfth Night are largely about that no one should be judged on appearance as they can be deceptive and the importance of self awareness or the humour in lack of.
William Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night has many themes, but appearance vs. reality is the theme that illustrates a different picture from two perspectives, there are many characters behind their masks and disguises. Some are hiding love behind these disguises and some are trying to show their love through a different disguise. They both still being servants are using disguise differently. Malvolio, servant of Olivia, falls in love with the trap (the letter) thinking his lady likes him, and to show his love he uses a different appearance to express it. Viola, servant of Orsino, falls in love with him, but secretly, not wanting to express her love for him, because of her disguise as her barrier for that case. Viola/Ceasario is wearing a disguise and secretly loves Orsino. Malvolio, on the other hand, is also a servant but still changes his appearance to express love for the great lady Olivia. This essay will prove that disguises and appearances are symbolic of the characters named Viola and Malvolio and are differently used for both.
Twelfth Night or What You Will is one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. It has been performed hundreds of times and adapted into a number of modern films. The main plot of the play follows Viola, a girl who is rescued from a shipwreck and enters into the service of the Duke Orsino disguised as a man. Rising quickly in his estimation, Viola begins delivering messages of love on his behalf to Olivia, a noble woman who has no interest in Orsino’s advances. Over the course of the play Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola, Viola falls in love with Orsino, and Viola’s twin brother Sebastian, who supposedly died in the shipwreck, returns. Following Sebastian’s return the twins are mistaken for each other, leading to both misunderstanding and marriage in the final scenes of the play. Alongside the main plot of Twelfth Night is an almost equally prominent subplot involving Malvolio, a servant of Olivia, who falls in love with her and who falls prey to a prank planned by the other members of the household who despise his abhorrence of fun. In the article “The Design of Twelfth Night” by L.G. Salingar, Salingar examines the plot and structure of the play and addresses the significance of the subplot. The purpose of this essay is to examine both evidence from the play and articles from other authors, with a focus on Salingar, who have written on the subject in order to determine the purpose of the subplot. In his article, Salingar comes to the conclusion that the purpose of the subplot is to provide a comic mirror of the main plot while amplifying the main themes of delusion, misrule and festivity. Salingar presents a solid argument, however he has neglected another lesser but significant element of the sub-plot which illustrate...
Mistaken identity and disguise are important aspects of comedy in Twelfth Night that stand at the forefront of the play’s comedy. Not only are mistaken identities and disguise evident within the main plot of the play but also in various other situations. Sexual confusion amongst characters, subversion of gender roles and farcical elements through stagecraft all effectively contribute to the dramatic comedy genre. However, it can be suggested that certain elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted to be purely comedic; Shakespeare has incorporated serious and controversial subjects such as the idea of genuine love, the patriarchy of the time and the cruel gulling of Malvolio. Therefore, disguise and mistaken identity are not solely for the purpose of comedy and it could be inferred that it even borders on the genre of tragedy.