Malvolio An Anomalous Character In 'Twelfth Night'
'Dedicated to work, sobriety and regular hours '. To what extent is Malvolio an anomalous character in the revelry of 'Twelfth Night '?
Malvolio is portrayed primarily as the Puritan servant of Olivia against a backdrop of raucous Catholic festivities. Twelfth Night was a celebration in Elizabethan England held on the 5th January, whereby for one night of the year, households would invert their hierarchy with servants acting as their superiors. A Lord of Misrule would be chosen through placing a bean or trinket into a cake. Whoever received this, became Lord for the day, and ruled over the household, giving a carnivalesque nature to the festival. Malvolio opposes these festivities wholeheartedly, but finds himself becoming involved in …show more content…
Puritans were opposed to the indulgent sentiments of the Catholics, with simplicity lying at the heart of the Puritan faith.2 Their dress mirrored this, wearing plain black and white cloth. However, in Act Two Scene Five, Malvolio fantasizes about a marriage to Olivia where he would be allowed to wear a 'branched velvet gown ', a highly embellished garment, coupled with 'some rich jewel ' which opposes the frugality of Puritanism. To spend money on useless items is hypocritical of Malvolio and portrays a distinct incongruity in his character, making him anomalous. Secondly, it was Puritan belief that one must achieve their lot in life through diligence,3 whereas Malvolio 's intention is to marry into nobility and make his fortune from marriage, rather than industriousness, again presenting his anomalousness. Furthermore, Malvolio becomes conflicted once more when he discusses his sexual desires. Whilst fantasizing, he describes the action of leaving his new wife Olivia 'sleeping ' on a 'day bed ', insinuating that she would have been fully satisfied by their love-making. This contradicts the Puritan belief that non-reproductive sexual activities were forbidden4, with sex being a mere tool for reproduction rather than an innately pleasurable activity. When Malvolio inspects Maria 's love letter, he inadvertently spells out a slang word for the female genitals 'c-u-t '. This parapraxis reveals Malvolio 's …show more content…
Of everyone in love , he is the only character who speaks predominantly in prose. This is especially prevalent when we consider Orsino, who also loves Olivia. In Act One, Scene One, Orsino is languishing in his lovelorn stupor, speaking of Olivia in elaborate iambic pentameter exclaiming 'Methought she purged the air of pestilence '. This sprezzatura presents Orsinio 's nobility as his superior education conditions him to speak like this. Conversely, Malvolio speaks of Olivia in prose, exclaiming to Jove, the pagan god of sex, 'I thank thee, I will smile ' after finding the letter in Act Two, Scene Five. Throughout this scene, Malvolio speaks of his love for Olivia in prose indicating that although he wishes to be 'count Malvolio ' and dreams of 'sitting in his state ' he is unable to progress from his actual status of steward. Alternatively, the use of prose in this scene could show that Malvolio 's love is not romantic, but a desire for power and status. His prose could signify his untrue claims to love Olivia, the woman, as he actually loves her title. However, Malvolio does speak in verse in Act Five Scene One when he confronts Olivia. In this scene, Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter to show how Malvolio 's suffering raises him to a natural nobility. He portrays emotions of confusion and anger, culminating with the line 'I 'll be revenged on the whole pack of you '. This use of a second person,
Malvolio is portrayed primarily as the Puritan servant of Olivia against a backdrop of raucous Catholic festivities. Twelfth Night was a celebration in Elizabethan England held on the 5th January, whereby for one night of the year, households would invert their hierarchy with servants acting as their superiors. A Lord of Misrule would be chosen through placing a bean or trinket into a cake. Whoever received this, became Lord for the day, and ruled over the household, giving a carnivalesque nature to the festival. Malvolio opposes these festivities wholeheartedly, but finds himself becoming involved in …show more content…
Puritans were opposed to the indulgent sentiments of the Catholics, with simplicity lying at the heart of the Puritan faith.2 Their dress mirrored this, wearing plain black and white cloth. However, in Act Two Scene Five, Malvolio fantasizes about a marriage to Olivia where he would be allowed to wear a 'branched velvet gown ', a highly embellished garment, coupled with 'some rich jewel ' which opposes the frugality of Puritanism. To spend money on useless items is hypocritical of Malvolio and portrays a distinct incongruity in his character, making him anomalous. Secondly, it was Puritan belief that one must achieve their lot in life through diligence,3 whereas Malvolio 's intention is to marry into nobility and make his fortune from marriage, rather than industriousness, again presenting his anomalousness. Furthermore, Malvolio becomes conflicted once more when he discusses his sexual desires. Whilst fantasizing, he describes the action of leaving his new wife Olivia 'sleeping ' on a 'day bed ', insinuating that she would have been fully satisfied by their love-making. This contradicts the Puritan belief that non-reproductive sexual activities were forbidden4, with sex being a mere tool for reproduction rather than an innately pleasurable activity. When Malvolio inspects Maria 's love letter, he inadvertently spells out a slang word for the female genitals 'c-u-t '. This parapraxis reveals Malvolio 's …show more content…
Of everyone in love , he is the only character who speaks predominantly in prose. This is especially prevalent when we consider Orsino, who also loves Olivia. In Act One, Scene One, Orsino is languishing in his lovelorn stupor, speaking of Olivia in elaborate iambic pentameter exclaiming 'Methought she purged the air of pestilence '. This sprezzatura presents Orsinio 's nobility as his superior education conditions him to speak like this. Conversely, Malvolio speaks of Olivia in prose, exclaiming to Jove, the pagan god of sex, 'I thank thee, I will smile ' after finding the letter in Act Two, Scene Five. Throughout this scene, Malvolio speaks of his love for Olivia in prose indicating that although he wishes to be 'count Malvolio ' and dreams of 'sitting in his state ' he is unable to progress from his actual status of steward. Alternatively, the use of prose in this scene could show that Malvolio 's love is not romantic, but a desire for power and status. His prose could signify his untrue claims to love Olivia, the woman, as he actually loves her title. However, Malvolio does speak in verse in Act Five Scene One when he confronts Olivia. In this scene, Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter to show how Malvolio 's suffering raises him to a natural nobility. He portrays emotions of confusion and anger, culminating with the line 'I 'll be revenged on the whole pack of you '. This use of a second person,