The Dramatic Misfortunes of Malvolio

Iman Shirin 11SB 23530

Commonly known as the greatest playwright of all time, William Shakespeare earned this title
by mastering the act of capturing drama. He presented his proficiency in this theatrical art in
the play Twelfth Night, whose synopsis entails a story of love and deception. Despite the
seriousness of the narrative, Shakespeare established humour as the primary motif. This is
confirmed throughout the play, especially in Act 2, Scene 3 where Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and
Feste are berated for their rowdy, intoxicated behaviour. Thus, he heightened the drama aspect
of Twelfth Night by turning it into a comedy; through the application of an extravagant dialogue
and comic stage directions.

Malvolio's entrance set the dramatic mood instantly, his outcries of justice against the
indignation his mistress and himself felt initiated the chaos that ensued. The manner in which
he addressed his superiors is extremely informal, "My masters, are you mad?". Immediately,
the audience is aware of the peculiar relationship between Malvolio, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew
and realizes that the scene will be peculiar as well. The brash introduction captures people's
attention and gives a break from the formation of the love triangle that occurred in the
previous act. Furthermore, in lines 32-40 another attendant named Maria joined a
conversation that detailed future plans to tease Malvolio. They were provoking each other and
fooling around, "Do't, knight. I'll write thee a challenge,". However, the beforehand dialogue
revealed Sir Toby's childish tendencies so who knows whether he was joking or not? Not only
were these lines melodramatic but also, they compel people to anticipate the next scene. The
dialogue in and of itself is engaging and exaggerates the contrast between the uptight servant
and rambunctious masters.

In the world of theatre, stage directions aid both the thespians and the readers to have an
overall better interpretation of an act. These directions are in the form of bracketed verbs and
alter the mood of the scene which directly affects the general cohesion. In line 13, Sir Toby
unexpectedly belts out into song, "Farewell, dear heart, since I must needs be gone,". While
this may seem like a quick attempt for comic relief, it does fit into the context of Sir Toby's state
and character mindset. Feste, as his name suggests, acts as ridiculous as Sir Toby and adds to
the impromptu song, "His eyes do show his days are almost done,". These lyrical jeers are what
separate a one-dimensional piece from an animated one. The drama progresses and after line
16, Sir Toby falls onto the ground proclaiming that he will, "never die,". Irony, as strenuous as it
is to conjure, has always been one of Shakespeare's valuable literary techniques. Without a
doubt, the image of an influential socialite sprawled out onto the ground is a perfect
representation of this device. The senseless actions that take place only increase the levels of
amusement in the play and transformed it into a farce.

Drama and absurdity go hand in hand, and Shakespeare imposes this relationship to shine
throughout the scene. Every line encourages the characters to amplify their rambunctious
conduct. Twelfth Night contains all of the English playwrights' iconic styles and techniques of
writing; dramatic irony, soliloquies, and monologues. This scene was a much-needed breath of
fresh air, as the climax of the play is slowly approaching people need something to calm their
nerves. What better way to regain one's composure than by reading four adults snickering
about a tired servant?