How is Malvolio described in Twelfth Night?

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. This plays right into Malvolio’s desire to improve his status: if he can marry Olivia, he’ll have it made!

How is Malvolio described?

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.

What best describes Malvolio character?

Malvolio is a serious and sober character who has secret ambitions to become a nobleman. He is rude, overbearing and insults Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Maria and Feste. To get revenge they trick him with a forged letter, into believing that the Countess Olivia wants to marry him.

What kind of character is Malvolio in Twelfth Night?

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.

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 is olivias opinion of Malvolio?

Olivia rebukes Malvolio for his “self-love” and says that Feste’s insults are only “birdbolts” that do no damage (I.v.77–79).

What is Olivia opinion of Malvolio?

Olivia rebukes Malvolio for his “self-love” and says that Feste’s insults are only “birdbolts” that do no damage (I.v. 77–79 ).

Why is Malvolio a Puritan?

Another notable characteristic of Malvolio is that he is an avid Puritan. Historically, Puritans opposed plays and theatres, seeing them as magnets for vices and immorality. Thus, Malvolio’s treatment in ‘Twelfth Night’ could be seen as a criticism of Puritan ideology by Shakespeare.

Who saw Cesario ho?

ORSINO
ORSINO Who saw Cesario, ho? VIOLA On your attendance, my lord, here. 15 To thee the book even of my secret soul. Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her.

Why was Malvolio punished?

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. …

Why does Sir Toby get in trouble with Maria?

Sir Toby says that he is brave and has a lot of money. Maria says all of that doesn’t matter because he is a foolish prodigal, or someone who wastes his money. Toby defends Andrew but Maria accuses them of drinking together every night and acting like fools.

Is Malvolio a victim or a victimizer?

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, as the embodiment of order and sobriety, must be sacrificed so that the rest of the characters can indulge in the hearty spirit that suffuses Twelfth Night.

What does Malvolio mean when he accuses the other characters?

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).

Is there any nobility in Malvolio?

But there is a kind of nobility, however limited, in the way that the deluded steward stubbornly clings to his sanity, even in the face of Feste’s insistence that he is mad. Malvolio remains true to himself, despite everything: he knows that he is sane, and he will not allow anything to destroy this knowledge.

How does Malvolio react to Olivia’s fake letter?

Later in the play, Malvolio goes to see Olivia in yellow stockings, cross-gartered and smiling just like the fake letter said. But she’s obviously confused, and when he quotes lines from her letter, she doesn’t recognize the words at all.