Topic > Dark and shocking characters in Twelfth Night

In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare creates a duality between the world of the nobility and their associates and the so-called "outsiders". There is a great element of selfishness involved in the actions of the characters considered "in" as they browse the show drunk on love or alcohol and immersed in their personal agendas. Whether it's Olivia, Orsino, Viola and Sebastian getting involved in their romantic entanglements or Sir Toby, Maria, Feste and Fabian hatching malicious plots, there's a sense that it's every man for himself and that most of the humor you get to the end. someone else's unfortunate expenses. Characters who don't fit the molds devised by influential figures are somehow manipulated or played by these molds in the end. Because of the humorous qualities of Viola's disguise, Malvolio's conceit, and Sir Andrew's stupidity, many of the play's harsh nuances are lost in its complex and entertaining nature. Additionally, the quick, fast pace that facilitates Twelfth Night works to draw the audience's attention away from the used and overused characters that infest the plot. Fittingly, the show ends with a lot of emphasis on the comedic resolution of the love square of Olivia, Sebastian, Orsino, and Viola and little on those who got dragged along the way. This negligence in showing the whole unpleasant picture is essentially what deems Twelfth Night a comedy. The show pays no attention to the outcome of the "outsiders" and assumes that the audience will forget about them, just like every outside character did. But as the alternative title (What You Will) indicates, this is a work that can be seen and judged from many different angles and perspectives. Therefore, when considering the roles of Malvolio, Antony, and Sir Andrew, it becomes apparent that Twelfth Night is actually a disturbing work that finds humor only in the sacrifice of others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Malvolio's case is a joke, initially deserved, gone wrong. From the beginning he is presented to the public as an easy target, irritating and always tempted to mock. He is seen early in the play condemning Feste as a common fool, but he really strikes a chord when he interrupts Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste's late night racket. Because there is something eternally annoying to the average person about someone who behaves out of his element and exceeds the authority of his status. "My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, no manners, no honesty but to chat like tinkerers at this time of night? Make my lady's house a beer-house, so as to squeak the keys of your coziers without attenuation or remorse of voice. There is no respect for the place, the people, nor the time? Here Malvolio condescendingly rebukes Sir Toby and his companions for their drunken and rowdy behavior. This scene creates the contempt that will lead to Malvolio's death because Malvolio is simply a servant. His contribution is rather out of place and arouses the hatred of noisy revelers. Since Malvolio is immediately shown to be presumptuous and hypocritical, the crowd can laugh and enjoy the trick devised by Maria and Sir Toby. It fits perfectly because it is Malvolio's conceit that allows the trick to work and make him believe that Olivia truly loves him. But the situation becomes dark and unpleasant after his imprisonment and his flirtation with madness. The conspirators are involved in clashes with Viola-Cesario and Sebastiano and forget about the servant with whom they played and manipulated the heart. Screaming in agony and plunged into darkness, Malvolio is further offended by Feste pretending to beSir Topas and exasperates Malvolio beyond measure. Feste, whose character carries its own dark depths, questions Malvolio's sanity and plays with words in an attempt to frustrate the mistreated servant and drive him mad. This last measure arises from sheer cruelty and is undoubtedly the point at which even some members of the audience must consider the harshness of Malvolio's treatment and its injustice. Because when you remember the roots of this prank, it becomes clear that he committed no crime and didn't wrong anyone. Sir Toby and his fellow conspirators were simply angry at Malvolio's courageous condemnation of their behavior and essentially lashed out at him to relieve this insecurity. Sir Toby uses it to facilitate his own enjoyment. Likewise, he uses Sir Andrew to satisfy his lazy, alcoholic lifestyle. Sir Andrew is a unique character because although he belongs to the nobility, he is still an "outsider". His stupidity and senseless nature place him a little outside the circle of conspirators and certainly outside the square of love. Sir Toby manipulates Sir Andrew in a manner comparable to Malvolio because he convinces Sir Andrew that he is capable of obtaining Olivia's hand. He does this to keep Sir Andrew around, because Sir Toby is quite broke and couldn't enjoy his non-work, alcohol-inducing lifestyle without him. Sir Andrew is so foolish that he is easily fooled into believing that he will be with Olivia. In fact, it's his stupidity that makes this circumstance seem rather funny and innocent on the surface. But his lack of intelligence does not take away his ability to feel. Sir Andrew's heart is constrained and deceived in a similar way to Malvolio's. Just as it was cruel in Malvolio's case, so it is here for this foolish nobleman whose only crime was that he was not born with enough brains. Beyond that, there are several moments where the audience's laughter is solely at Sir Andrew's expense. Throughout the show he is shackled without ever saying the right thing, sometimes being the butt of the joke, and rarely gets jokes directed at others ("His c's, his u's and his t's: why this?"). And once again he is so" It is difficult for the audience to consider the likely darkness of his emotions as the complex plot of the play rapidly develops. Yet in some places, as in Act 1, Scene III, Sir Andrew alludes to the sadness he feels: "I was adored once, too." The fact that he acts stupidly and is not too clever serves as an excuse for Sir Toby to manipulate him throughout the entire play. In the seemingly comical Act 3, scene IV Sir Toby puts Sir Andrew into a state of great fear by having him fight Viola and convincing him that Viola is a cunning fighter, it seems like a fun collaboration of events, especially since the audience knows that Viola is harmless, but there is something undeniably cynical about Sir Toby's deliberate positioning of his "friend". "into a fearful situation. The reality of his opinion of Sir Andrew is finally revealed in Act 5 when Sir Andrew, seeking company in a moment of mutual offense, is dismissed by Sir Toby as "a donkey's head, a idiot, a knave, and a thin-faced knave, a seagull". After declaring his desire to go to the doctor together to cure the wounds suffered as a result of Sir Toby's prank, Sir Andrew is harshly rebuffed as the true colors are shown of Sir Toby's feelings. These final lines of Sir Toby are very important as they ensure the malice of his intentions from the beginning and force the audience to consider the victimization of Sir Andrew throughout the entire play, rather than by Sir Toby, it is.