Analysis of Malvolio Scene 3.4 'the Twelth Night'

870 Words4 Pages
The first way in which Shakespeare creates comedy surrounding Malvolio in scene 3.4 is the build up to the reveal of the physical comedy in which Malvolio is staged in 'outrageous' yellow stockings. Just before he comes into the room to see olivia Maria refers to him as 'possessed' and 'tainted in's wits' already gathering the suggestion that his is mad to cover up what has happened, but also creating a sense of dramatic irony in the suggestion that the audience will realise what Maria is trying to cover up, and prepare themselves for the moment which has been built up within previous scenes such as act 3.3. The way in which the scene opens with Olivia proclaiming her Lust for Viola/cesario sharply contrasts with her sending for Malvolio. As the audience have already started to prepare for Malvolio seducing Olivia as we have seen him believe that this is what she wants, it can create some irony in the sense that Olivia is gaining the attention she seeks but in the unintended way with the wrong person. She says 'For youth is bought more oft than begged or borrowed' showing her lusting after the young Viola. This sharply contrasts what happens when Malvolio enters, as we can gather that he is a much older character. This reinforces to the audience that we know Malvolio is indeed the opposite to what Olivia wants, reinforcing the dramatic irony of the scene. The way she says 'I am as mad as he, if sad and merry equal be' suggests she believes he will just be sad, but she is mad in love with cesario/viola, showing how she really is not prepared for Malvolio being madly in love with her. When Malvolio enters he is enthusiastic ' Sweet lady, ho ho!' so you can imagine him rushing into her, and the physical comedy of him being dressed in the tight, cross gartered yellow stockings would create comedy. Aswell as the way this isn't what Olivia is prepared for, so seeing
Open Document