Since Twelfth
Night is a comedy, there is only one instance of true misery
and that is the wicked joke played upon Malvolio. This much debated joke or prank ties
into one of the thematic concerns of the play: vanity that may inspire
malevolence.
Olivia is consumed by vanity that leads her to
mourn endlessly for her deceased brother and scorn Orsino. Orsino is consumed with
vanity that leads him to endlessly opportune Olivia to be his wife and disregard her
wishes. Both are "sick of self-love," to borrow Olivia's words describing Malvolio.
Malvolio suffers from his own outrageous vanity that makes him "sick of self-love" and
truly inspires malevolence in others.
It is this sickness
of vanity in Malvolio that leads Sir Andrew, Fabian, Maria, and Sir Toby to "gull"
him--or fool him--in Act IV, scene ii. Malvolio knows real misery, which is inflicted
through animosity from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew and as revenge from Fabian, who resents
Malvolio because he caused Fabian to fall out of favor in Olivia's
estimation:
I
would exult, man: you know, he brought me out o'
favour with my lady about a
bear-baiting here.
The
deception these perpetrate against Malvolio leads to the misery of his humiliation and
his imprisonment, for which Olivia promises punishment will be delivered: "Thou
[Malvolio] shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge / Of thine own
cause."
Conversely, enlightenment relieves suffering once
Sebastian's survival is revealed and Viola's disguised identity is revealed. Prior to
this enlightenment, Antonio believes Sebastian has betrayed him: "That most ingrateful
boy there by your side." Olivia believes Cesario has forsaken her: "Ay me, detested! how
am I beguiled!" Yet suffering is relieved when all are enlightened. Not only that, but
the principal players have cause for rejoicing after
enlightenment.
No comments:
Post a Comment