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Malvolio: a Character Analysis Lecture No: 8

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1 Subject: ENGLISH Class: B.A. Part 11 Honours, Paper-111[DRAMA] Topic: Malvolio: A Character Analysis Lecture No: 8 By: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga “MALVOLIO: A CHARACTER ANALYSIS” Malvolio in his cross garters and yellow stockings 2 As a Pivotal Character • In William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night, each character plays a pivotal role in shaping the story. This applies quite obviously to the distinguished character of Malvolio. While not being one of the major characters, Malvolio, the steward to Countess Olivia, is one of the most momentous characters as he provides the backbone for Twelfth Night by creating a sub-plot, through which he highlights the play’s comedy and the main themes of unrequited love and ambition. • The most significant character of the subplot, Malvolio, keeps the minor characters occupied throughout the play thus allowing the audience to gain a greater understanding of the characters’ personalities. Without the presence of Malvolio, the minor characters would exist in the background with no real purpose. As a victim of Self love • Clearly, Malvolio’s self-love is due to his puritanism his puritanical nature and character. He is austere, reserved, serious and rigid. So, he is averse to all cakes and ale and dislike amusements. This is why he rebukes sir Toby Belch for his midnight revels and Fabian. He also rebukes Feste for his loose remarks. As a shepherd and manager of opinion of Olivia’s estate, he thinks it to his duty to control and maintain decorum. And for this reason, he rebukes Sir Toby: "My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty, but to gabble like thinkers at this time of night? Do you make an ale house of my lady's house?" This is an example of Malvolio's high opinion of himself of his proud and haughty nature and puritan, thought and character. • Malvolio is the perfect example of self-love. Some Might even say that Malvolio is conceited. He considers himself to be a nice looking and decent man. Malvolio believes that women would love to be with him. • In Act 1 Scene V, even Olivia remarks, “Oh, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite. To be generous, guiltless, and of free disposition is to take those things for bird-bolts that you deem cannon-bullets.” • He has an inflated opinion of himself and considers himself to be perfect. At the same time, he has no idea of how to deal with people. He interferes with anyone having fun, reprimanding them for getting drunk and disorderly, 3 keeping late hours and being noisy. He does that in an aggressive, confrontational way. They decide to punish him for it.His humorless and social-climbing attitude to life make him an easy target for everyone – servants, guests and relatives of Olivia alike – and he becomes the victim of a cruel joke that drives most of the comedy in the play. As a Puritan • Shakespeare’s most famous Puritan character is Malvolio in Twelfth Night. Shakespeare portrays Malvolio as a killjoy and a hypocrite with social ambitions. However, Shakespeare also shows sympathy for Malvolio’s point of view. Throughout the play, Malvolio stands in conflict with Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Shakespeare portrays these characters as drunken, selfish, and irresponsible. • Throughout the play, he's characterized as a fun-hating and overly serious character with no sense of humor. What he wants most of all is power, mostly so he can make other characters stop doing things he considers frivolous and silly. • Puritans were also accused of being power hungry and Malvolio's secret social ambitions fit the bill. When we catch Malvolio daydreaming about marrying Countess Olivia, we learn that his desire has less to do with love than it has to do with his aspirations for social power. As a Complex Character • Malvolio initially seems to be a minor character, but he becomes more interesting as the play progresses, and most critics have judged him one of the most complex and fascinating characters in Twelfth Night. • When we first meet Malvolio, he seems to be a simple type—a puritan, a stiff and proper servant who likes nothing better than to spoil other people’s fun. This earns him the enmity of the drunken Sir Toby and the clever Maria. These two together make a plan to bring his downfall. They knew he dreamt of marrying Olivia and becoming, as he puts it, “Count Malvolio”. • When he finds the forged letter from Olivia (actually penned by Maria) that seems to offer hope to his ambitions of marrying Olivia, Malvolio undergoes his first transformation. From a strict Puritan, he transforms into a ridiculous figure and capers around in the yellow stockings and crossed garters thinking it will please Olivia. 4 As a tragic character • The character of Malvolio is treated too cruelly for Twelfth Night to be classed as a comedy. Malvolio is constantly humiliated and has some of the major elements of a tragic character. The revenge served to him is extremist and is not an equal reaction to his behavior. • Malvolio's puritan nature and extreme unwillingness to be social with his peers upsets certain characters more than others. Sir Toby and Maria hate his strict adherence to rules, because they themselves had a complete disregard for rules and discipline. This is conveyed through the line “Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” • Sir Toby mocks Malvolio's puritanical strictness and restriction. The term 'cakes and ale' refers to the good things of life. However, we all know that Malvolio's intentions are good, he wants the characters to lead a life of holiness and restraint. • Malvolio also forbids things that are good such as, festivities and music. The contrasting morality of Malvolio and Sir Toby are crucial in the play as this is the initial cause of the downfall of Malvolio. Malvolio advocates restriction, while Sir Toby likes excess. • Our pity for Malvolio only increases when the revengeful Maria and Toby confine him to a dark room in Act IV. As he desperately protests that he is not mad, Malvolio begins to seem more of a victim than a victimizer. • It is as if the unfortunate steward, must be sacrificed so that the rest of the characters can indulge in the hearty spirit that suffuses Twelfth Night. • As he is sacrificed, Malvolio begins to earn our respect. Malvolio remains true to himself, despite everything: he knows that he is sane, and he will not allow anything to destroy this knowledge. Only Unhappy Character at the End • All ends in harmony and happiness in Twelfth Night as in all Shakespeare’s Comedies but in Twelfth Night, Malvolio is only unhappy character at the end. 5 Malvolio’s end is unsatisfactory as he becomes enraged at having been tricked with forged love letters, and he storms off the stage, vowing to get revenge. The words of a departing Malvolio, “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack you.” (Twelfth Night 5.1.365) leads to a conflict being unresolved. His ending complicates what is otherwise supposed to be a joyful conclusion. **** BY: Prof. Sunita Sinha Head, Department of English Women’s College Samastipur L.N.M.U., Darbhanga Mob No:9934917117 Email: [email protected] .
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