How is Malvolio described?
How is Malvolio described?
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 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 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 is Malvolio’s position?
Malvolio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, or What You Will. His name means “ill will” in Italian, referencing his disagreeable nature. He is the vain, pompous, authoritarian steward of Olivia’s household.
What trick is played on Malvolio?
She hides with Sir Toby and Sir Andrew as Malvolio finds the letter and is taken in by the trick. The letter says that he should wear cross-gartered yellow stockings and smile more to show he returns Olivia’s love. Maria explains that Olivia hates these things and so Malvolio will look foolish in front of her.
What was Malvolio’s punishment?
For his greater offense of pride and ambition he is portrayed the madman and imprisoned, and like the deception, the imprisonment recompenses the offense. In all of his actions and consequent punishments, Malvolio is treated justly in accordance with his own vices.
Why did Malvolio wear yellow stockings?
Twelfth Night fans will recall that Malvolio, pompous puritanical steward to the lady Olivia, is tricked by Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria into believing that Olivia is in love with him – and in the forged letter that Maria drops in his way, she asks him to wear yellow stockings and cross-gartering as proof of his love for …
Why is Malvolio punished so cruelly?
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.
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 …
What is the most famous line in Twelfth Night?
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
Why does Malvolio dress in yellow stockings and always smile at Olivia?
Moreover, Malvolio is to wear yellow stockings, an old fashioned symbol of jealousy, already a laughable joke and also a symbol of a low-class serving person; in addition, yellow is a color that Maria knows that the Lady Olivia detests.