Who is the antagonist in Twelfth Night?
~ Malvolio's most famous line. Malvolio is the main antagonist of the early 1600s play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare. He is the vain, pompous and arrogant servant of the Countess Olivia, who he is infatued with.
Who falls in love with Viola in Twelfth Night?
Viola falls in love with Orsino, while disguised as his pageboy, Cesario. Olivia falls in love with Cesario. This love triangle is only resolved when Olivia falls in love with Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, and, at the last minute, Orsino decides that he actually loves Viola.
Who does Olivia marry in Twelfth Night?
In Twelfth Night, Olivia gets married to Sebastian. The noblewoman of Illyria, Olivia, in the play’s beginning is in mourning after her brother’s. Who is Sebastian married to in the Twelfth Night? Viola essentially tricked Orsinio and betrayed his trust, but he seems seems happy with it and offers to marry her.
Who does Sir Toby marry in Twelfth Night?
Who does Sir Toby marry in Twelfth Night? Sir Toby enjoys the trick so much, he winds up marrying Maria in recompense for it. In the end, the relationships are all sorted out.
What does Malvolio represent in Twelfth Night?
Malvolio's misfortune is a cautionary tale of ambition overcoming good sense, and the audience winces at the way he adapts every event—including Olivia's confused assumption that he must be mad—to fit his rosy picture of his glorious future as a nobleman.
What does Malvolio symbolize?
The Darkness of Malvolio's Prison Darkness becomes a symbol of his supposed insanity, as they tell him that the room is filled with light and his inability to see is a sign of his madness. Malvolio reverses the symbolism.
What kind of character is Malvolio?
Malvolio's contrasting nature, from most other characters in the play and the fact that he proves to have more than one side to his personality of a puritan and a loyal servant, portrays him as a beguiling, yet complex character.
Who is Malvolio in love with?
OliviaNo one was in love with him though. He did not exist in the love triangle. He disguised himself to try to get Olivia to like him.
How does Shakespeare portray Malvolio?
Malvolio appears in most scenes and is characterised throughout as a puritanical, fun-spoiling, pompous, humourless man. He is a snob, and jealous of his status as head of the household. He has an inflated opinion of himself and considers himself to be perfect.
Is Malvolio a sympathetic character?
On the other hand, Malvolio could be a character constructed by Shakespeare to offer sympathy. From one perspective he is just a formal (although formality could be another aspect to target), earnest man trying to do what's right.
How is Malvolio treated for his supposed madness?
iv. 78–79 ). Later, Sir Toby and the servants decide to treat Malvolio “gently, gently,” a recommended manner of dealing with people thought to be possessed. Once Malvolio leaves, the three plot to “have him in a dark room and bound”—another common treatment for madmen (III.
Does Malvolio deserve his punishment?
Malvolio suffers great injustice at the hands of tormentors and is "notoriously abused" beyond the brink of mere teasing, he does not deserve the later treatment and crime was his unliveable character and how he wronged his superiors with words alone, however the experience has not changed Malvolio at all and he now ...
How does Malvolio develop?
Monologues. On top of all the other quotes, one of the major ways that the character of Malvolio is developed is through monologues. A monologue is a long speech by one character. Most of the lines in a typical play are conversations, where the characters talk to each other.
What does Malvolio's monologue show?
After reading Olivia's letter, Malvolio's monologue shows how completely he's fallen for the trick:
What does Malvolio accuse the other characters of?
When Malvolio accuses the other characters of being idle and shallow, he's setting himself above them. He thinks he's better than everyone else, and he fantasizes about having power over them so he can make them follow his rules (one example is in Act 2, Scene 4, when he imagines having the authority to scold Sir Toby for drinking too much).
What is Malvolio in the play?
Malvolio the Character. In the play Twelfth Night, Malvolio is the Lady Olivia's steward and the target of a major prank. 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 status, mostly so he can make other characters stop doing things he considers frivolous ...
What is Malvolio's first monologue?
His first monologue, in Act 2, is when he finds the fraudulent letter supposedly written by Olivia, confessing her love and asking him to earn her favor by wearing ridiculous clothes. In this monologue, he reads the letter and then goes off on a tangent imagining what his life would be like as Olivia's husband:
What does it mean to enroll in a course?
Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.
Why is Malvolio's characterization important?
Malvolio's characterization is central to the plot, because his personality is what makes the trick work. Throughout the play, Malvolio's lines characterize him as a very stern person who hates anything he perceives as silly or frivolous. They explain why his plot arc works and contribute to the humor of the trick.
What is the character Malvolio?
Malvolio initially seems to be a minor character, and his humiliation seems little more than an amusing subplot to the Viola-Olivia-Orsino- love triangle. 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. It is this dour, fun-despising side that earns him the enmity of the zany, drunken Sir Toby and the clever Maria, who together engineer his downfall. But they do so by playing on a side of Malvolio that might have otherwise remained hidden—his self-regard and his remarkable ambitions, which extend to marrying Olivia and becoming, as he puts it, “Count Malvolio” (II.v. 30 ).
What is Malvolio's first transformation?
When he finds the forged letter from Olivia (actually penned by Maria) that seems to offer hope to his ambitions, Malvolio undergoes his first transformation—from a stiff and wooden embodiment of priggish propriety into an personification of the power of self--delusion.
What act does Malvolio go to a dark room?
Our pity for Malvolio only increases when the vindictive 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.
Is Malvolio a tragic figure?
As he is sacrificed, Malvolio begins to earn our respect. It is too much to call him a tragic figure, however—after all, he is only being asked to endure a single night in darkness, hardly a fate comparable to the sufferings of King Lear or Hamlet.
Is Malvolio in the anarchic world of Twelfth Night?
Malvolio has no real place in the anarchic world of Twelfth Night, except to suggest that, even in the best of worlds, someone must suffer while everyone else is happy. Previous section Orsino and Olivia Next section Sebastian.
Why is Malvolio imprisoned?
When Malvolio is imprisoned for being a supposed lunatic after acting out the instructions in the letter, Feste visits him both as himself and in the guise of "Sir Topas the curate", and proceeds to torment Malvolio by refusing to think him sane no matter what he says.
What does Malvolio wish Olivia to wear?
The letter convinces Malvolio that Olivia loves him, and leads Malvolio to think that Olivia wishes him to smile, wear yellow stockings and cross garters.
What does Maria do after Malvolio interrupts her party?
After Malvolio interrupts their party and chastises them for their lewdness, Maria devises a way to gain revenge on the steward, which she proposes to Sir Toby and the others. Maria composes a love letter in Olivia's handwriting, and leaves it so Malvolio will find it.
What did Hoby do to his neighbours?
Hoby sued his neighbours when they came uninvited to his house, drank, played cards, mocked his religion, and threatened to rape his wife. Hoby won damages in the case, which may have influenced the scene in Twelfth Night when Malvolio interrupts Sir Toby's late-night reveling.
What is Malvolio's style?
Style. In the play, Malvolio is defined as a kind of Puritan. He despises all manner of fun and games, and wishes his world to be completely free of human sin, yet he behaves very foolishly against his stoic nature when he believes that Olivia loves him.
Who played Malvolio in Shakespeare's Globe?
The role was first played by Richard Burbage at the Globe Theatre. John Marston observed that the actors of his time often played the role with "contemptuous superiority"; by contrast his favourite Malvolio, William Ferrin, performed it with "lofty condescension". Other actors known for their performance of Malvolio include Sir Alec Guinness, Henry Irving, E. H. Sothern, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Henry Ainley, Sir John Gielgud, Simon Russell Beale, Maurice Evans, Ken Dodd, Richard Briers, Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Sir Derek Jacobi. Richard Wilson took on the role for the Royal Shakespeare Company 's 2009 production. In 2012, Stephen Fry assumed the role at Shakespeare's Globe. In 2017, actress Tamsin Greig portrayed a female version of the character (renamed Malvolia) in Simon Godwin 's revival of the play at the National Theatre.
Who are the characters in the play Malvolio?
This leads to major conflicts with characters such as Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria, mistress of the household. Much of the play's humour comes from Maria, Feste, Toby Belch, and Andrew Aguecheek tormenting Malvolio with drinking, joking, and singing.
Why did Maria and Toby lock Malvolio in a dark chamber?
Back at Olivia's house, Maria and Toby have locked Malvolio in a dark chamber to cure his "madness." Outside the chamber, Maria instructs Feste to... (full context)
What is the scene in Act 1 Scene 5?
Act 1, scene 5. Olivia enters, wearing mourning clothes and attended by her steward, Malvolio. Olivia first instructs her attendants to send Feste away, but he teases her into better... (full context) Malvolio returns and informs Olivia that the young man outside will not leave.
What color are Malvolio's stockings?
Malvolio enters wearing yellow cross-gartered stockings, smiling idiotically. Olivia scolds him for this behavior. However, he... (full context)
What is Malvolio's prank?
In revenge, Maria, Sir Toby, and others play a prank on Malvolio that adds comic relief to Twelfth Night , but also reveals Malvolio's ambition, arrogance, and self-love.
Who gives Cesario the ring?
Malvolio catches up with Cesario. He gives Cesario the ring from Olivia and explains that Olivia... (full context)
Who enters with Fabian?
Malvolio enters with Fabian. Fuming, he presents Olivia with Maria's trick letter. After a quick examination,... (full context)
Who mocks Malvolio's desperate cries?
Sir Toby, amused, mocks Malvolio's desperate cries. But he confides in Maria that they must find a way out of... (full context)
What is the gulling of Malvolio?
The gulling of Malvolio brings various characters in the play together in their antipathy and aversion for him. There is no one who cares about him enough to rescues him, like Antonio coming to Sebastian’s refuge. This makes him a ‘tragic figure’ in a comic play that is left to nurse his own revenge on the ‘whole pack’ for making him ‘the most notorious geck and gull that e’er invention played on’.
Why is Malvolio punished?
While hyperbolic love exhibited by Orsino and Olivia is treated as normal, Malvolio is punished for displaying the same. While Maria’s desire for social mobility is rewarded through her marriage to Toby, Malvolio is disciplined for even harbouring thoughts about the same. Melvin Sieden remarks that “Malvolio undergoes a sacrificial comic death so that (others) may live unscathed”. D. Cohen in his essay ‘The Madding of Malvolio’ elaborates further on the traits that single Malvolio out as a character easy to scapegoat.
What is Malvolio's first characterization?
Malvolio’s first characterization in the play is in the words of Olivia who describes him as one ‘sick of self- love’ and with a ‘distempered appetite’. His surly temper is witnessed throughout the play as he launches a tirade against Olivia for laughing at a fool’s jests or upbraids Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for their drunken misdemeanours. His name itself connotes ‘malice’ or ‘ill-will’. Malvolio’s general attitude of being against revelry of any sort characterizes him as a ‘kind of puritan’ who is in opposition to the general holiday atmosphere of the play. However, it is more his sense of self-superiority than any stern religious beliefs that is under attack in the play.
What is the meaning of the name Antonio?
Antonio. from the Latin family name Antonius. though there is no true definition, “priceless” and “of inestimable worth” are popular definitions. Ironic as the character treats Sebastian as if he were priceless, but that care and love are unrequited. Feste.
What does Malvolio mean?
Malvolio. from the Italian “ill will”. Pretty much sums up the character, just as the name of Romeo and Juliet ’s Benvolio’s (“good will”) summed up his. Sebastian. from the Greek meaning “venerable” and also “awe, reverence, dread”. variant of the Greek translation of the title Augustus.
What is the origin of the name Viola?
Viola. variant of Violet, the flower. Note: Viola’s name under disguise, Cesario, is derived both from Caesar, and Latin for “head of hair; hairy”. Maria. from the Latin, possibly from “sea,” “male,” or Mars.
Who visited Elizabeth's court in 1601?
Or perhaps this is a reference to a Florentine count, Don Virginio Orsino, who visited Elizabeth’s court in January of 1601, which some critics have used as a rationale behind the title of the play (Twelfth Night being the Epiphany, or January 5/6th). Malvolio. from the Italian “ill will”.
Is Maria a male or female?
Maria. from the Latin, possibly from “sea,” “male,” or Mars. or from the Semitic “beloved” or “beloved lady”. Despite Viola disguising herself as a male, Maria is the most aggressively “male” females in the play, pushing forward the ridiculing of Malvolio; and she is, of course, beloved of Sir Toby. Orsino.
