The Punishment of Malvolio

In Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, the characters endure the fruits of their foolishness at the end of the play, but Malvolio endures a greater suffering and greater embarrassment than the rest of the characters. This is not simply by chance or whimsy: but this is Shakespeare’s stratification of the vices that a person may take upon him or herself. With this stratification, Shakespeare allocates Malvolio’s vices of pride, usurping the social order, and dour temperament as the worst of character flaws, and that is why Malvolio receives the harshest punishment.

Before examining the punishment that Malvolio endures, it is necessary to examine his flaws and offenses. His arrival in the play is with criticism of Feste, and that initial condescending tone and demeanor becomes his modus operandi. Claiming that Feste, “has no more brain than a stone,”(I.v.80) and that, “he is gagged,” (I.v.82) Malvolio derides Feste before Olivia. It is important to note that they are both servants of the court, so within their strata of society neither exceeds the other. Olivia’s response to this derision is swift and disapproving; she says that Malvolio is, “sick of self-love” (I.v.85). Since she is Malvolio’s Lady, her harsh criticism of him is completely acceptable. It is important to note here that Malvolio shows no respect or congeniality for his peer. In his next offensive encounter Malvolio upbraids his superiors. He claims that they have, “no wit, manners, nor honesty” (II.iii.83). This becomes a very problematic encounter for Malvolio because he is no longer simply criticizing his peer, but he is verbally assaulting people of higher class. This interaction places Malvolio on a dangerous plateau for he speaks on behalf of Olivia in this sce...

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...hin Malvolio’s own hands, and thus he affirms the appropriateness of all the actions that are taken in regards to Malvolio. This is the ultimate fate of this character. He is scorned and rejected by his peers, and punished by his superiors, and he rejects all personal and social order in favor of his own pride and ego.

Malvolio committed many offenses against his peers and superiors within the work, and the greatest of these is his pride that led him to attempt to supersede his social class. For his dour temperament, he is tricked, but that only motivates him to act even worse according to his pride. For his greater offense of pride and ambition he is portrayed the madman and imprisoned, and like the deception, the imprisonment recompenses the offense. In all of his actions and consequent punishments, Malvolio is treated justly in accordance with his own vices.