Twelfth Night Characters

3.     Malvolio
Even though Malvolio seems like a minor character at the beginning of the play, he develops into   a complicated character who adds a certain different aspect to the play which wouldn’t be present if he wasn’t portrayed as he was. Malvolio at the beginning of twelfth night is Olivia’s extremely rigid servant who tries to impose his rule and stop other characters in the play, like Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste from having fun. At this point in the play he seems to be just an obedient, emotionless and following servant to his superior, Olivia. We can see this plain side of him as he yells at Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria threatening them that he will tell lady Olivia to kick them out if they don’t quiet down. It seems at this point that he is just a stiff and appropriate servant who likes nothing more than to ruin people’s fun. It is at this point that a turning point comes about. Sir Toby and Maria plan Malvolios fall from his ignorant throne. By doing so Maria and sir Toby reveal a side of Malvolio which was not as obvious before that event. When he first finds the letter, that he assumes is from Olivia, he undergoes a complete transformation. From his stiff and firm attitude he goes to a person with deeper feelings of hope but also self-love. After reading the letter he firmly believes that Olivia is in love with him, as he goes in her chamber following the instructions from the letter acting as a mad man. And even after Olivias clear denial of his love he still has great hope and is even convinced of her love towards him. This is a also a tale of how ambition can overcome good sense.   Before he was a stiff servant, now he is a joyfull one but is in search of a love that everyone except him knows doesn’t exist. As the play continues and as he is trapped in a dark room by Maria and Toby he protests and tries to assert that he is not mad. In these actions we see Malvolios stubbornness but also his firm attitude which we see as he claims his sanity...