Humour in treatment of Malvolio

Humour in treatment of Malvolio

Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare’s classic plays. The play is based in a noble house with a powerful noblewoman called Olivia and the people who help her around. Shakespeare presents this play as a classic comedy that intrigues the audience because of the numerous twists and character identities. Malvolio is one of Olivia’s stewards. This essay argues that Malvolio is the object of humour and ridicule because of his innate self-centred character. By being so full of himself and believing that he is the object of Olivia’s affection, he puts himself as the object of planned humour and ridicule by other characters since these traits create a dislike for him in the other characters.

Firstly, his pride cause the other characters to dislike him hence target him. When he first appears in scene 5 of the first act of the play, he portrays himself as a humourless character, acutely angered by the attempts made by Feste to brighten the moments for their noble Olivia. In a sharp and rude voice, he portrays Feste as a fool, making himself a higher person, with more superior abilities. In line 81, he says, “I marvel your lady takes delight in such a barren rascal” in this way, he attempts to diminish the importance another character while essentially magnifying himself and his views. Malvolio finds himself embarrassed when Olivia, in defence of Feste, tells him off outright to be full of self-love. “O you are sick with self-love, Malvolio and taste with a distempered appetite.” (Line 89) While attempting to humiliate Feste, Malvolio gets himself embarrassed, nominating himself voluntarily as an object of humour and bad blood with the other characters. He comes out as an unlikeable, self-centred character.  Additionally, Malvolio appoints himself to be as important as to prevent Viola from getting Olivia’s audience. His motive is to make Viola sound worse than him; hence keep him from meeting Olivia. This second instance of the portrayal of his pride still rubs Olivia the wrong way, and she goes ahead to meet Viola. This second humiliation makes Malvolio a vengeful man, with bitterness and shame. What he does not realize, however, is that his current state is one of his creation, a product of his character and actions. He does not seem to realize that this is the second attempt to magnify himself and diminish others that have rubbed Olivia on the wrong side. In these, the audience finds out that Malvolio is responsible for the misfortunes that put him at the centre of a humorous play as the very object of laughter and ridicule. By setting himself apart from the others as more important, he prompts proof from Olivia and other characters of a precisely opposite perception of him.

Secondly, Malvolio is gullible enough to believe that he is Olivia’s favourite. When the other characters realize that he is so full of himself and wants consideration as the closest to Olivia, they organize a trap that his ego and pride would make him fall for without a second thought. Maria and Sit Toby write a love letter and carefully drops it in Malvolio’s path. He notices the note and concludes that it is Olivia’s handwriting. In the letter, they detail how she (Olivia) is in love with one of the people around her and requests that her object of affection put on bright stockings as proof of his love for her. Again, this does not go well with Olivia since, at this particular time, she is mourning her brother and finds Malvolio’s actions ridiculous. His gullibility causes him to make a fool of himself, putting him at the centre of humour once again. Besides, while the letter does not address a person in particular, but uses initials, Malvolio believes, as a product of his pride and gullibility, that the message is sent to him. The letter that he comes across is addressed to the unknown beloved, abbreviated as M.O.A.I. He makes himself believe that since all the letters in the initials are present in his name, then the letter’s target must be him and not anyone else. In going ahead to do what is expressed in a letter, he portrays himself as uncritical and overly ambitious; taking advantage of anything that looks like an opportunity for self-glory. While the first part describes him as a noble servant, full of himself and confident of his moves, Malvolio proves this wrong in the second act. He reduces himself to the lowest level, causing those he had regarded with contempt to laugh at him from their hiding place in the bush.

In conclusion, Malvolio is a central character in the play. His actions, thoughts and expressions make the play a comedy. By making himself so important, he rubs the other characters the wrong way and gets disapproving responses from her master. The misfortunes that arise from his pursuit of self-glory make the play quite a humorous one to watch. Additionally, cruelty and trouble are a product of one’s actions reflected from nature back to the very person.