The Punishment of Malvolio Essay - 1237 Words

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†¦show more content†¦Malvolio is treading the ground of criminal offense against a lord, who is also the cousin of his Lady. Beyond the offense upon the higher strata of society, Malvolio is also demonstrating his dour tempe rament in this scene which is also problematic. The importance of mirth and joviality is affirmed throughout the play, and for some characters, their greatest virtue is the ability to enjoy and be passionate for life. Malvolio stands in opposition to this with his protests and derision, and in the play he is the only character that takes offense to other characters enjoying their lives. The hostile environment he creates is important to note because it gives the other characters an impetus to deal with his troublesome personality in order to enjoy their own pleasures and pursuits. The last encounter where Malvolio extends his grievances is the second encounter with Sir Toby. Their encounter takes place after Malvolio’s pride is incensed by the false note of Olivia, so his actions go even further in displaying his own ego and lack of regard for his superiors. Not only does he instruct Sir Toby and Maria to, â€Å"go hang yourselves,† (III.iv.120) but he also claims that he is no longer of their, â€Å"element† (III.iv.121). The implication is that he has ascended beyond Sir Toby and Maria, but that is merely the delusion of his ego. In this scene heShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s The Seven Deadly Sins 1731 Words   |  7 Pagesincludes Malvolio’s severe punishment, which captivates audiences by pervisity; watching an arrogant character struggle in this farce situation satisfies any loathing audiences might experience. Malvolio s character maintains strict puritan boundaries. His punishment has diverse interpretations depending on culture; religions such as protestant Catholics may have been appalled at Malvolio being shunned for what they consider to be a respectful attitude. The name Malvolio is translated to the definitionRead MoreTwelfth Night - Character Study : Malvolio1218 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter study: Malovlio: Did he deserve the punishment that he received? The character Malvolio (meaning literally quot;I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidenceRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay examples1337 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieves her to be Cesario. In addition, Shakespeare has created an equally confusing sub-plot involving Olivias servant Malvolio and the other members of Olivias household. The main plot and subplot are linked as they both examine the manifestations of love. 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Malvolio is portrayed throughout the play as a much disliked character. Maria describes him as ‘the devil a puritan that he is’, many of a Shakespearean theatre audience would have found it amusing to hear Puritans treated badly, particularly as Puritans were against theatres and entertainment, so they would have been widely disliked as reflected in the extreme word ‘devil’. When Malvolio gets trickedRead MoreBrilliant Folly: the Role of Feste1120 Words   |  5 Pagesopposite. Though sometimes the characters do not realize his hidden messages, the reader can instantly comprehend Feste s figurative language, which is evident in every scene in which the fool appears. Whether he is singing to Orsino, arguing with Malvolio, or playing around with Viola, Feste always manages to sneak in a few symbolic foretokens before his exit. 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In this tale, Chaucer not only satirizes courtly love, but illustrates the aristocracy’s disconnect from the peasant and merchant classes, and illustrates how outdatedRead M oreWilliam Shakespeare s Midsummer Night s Dream1618 Words   |  7 Pageslove was seemingly brought on by herself. However, these players find their happiness in the end. The same does not go for Malvolio, not for his beginning or his end Malvolio initially seem to be a minor character, there simply to play a shrewd and uptight servant. But he becomes more interesting as the play progressing, and his humiliation turns from amusing to tragic. Malvolio does not place himself in romantic torture, but is placed by the trickery of others. He is tricked with a love letter written