Question: Why is Malvolio a comic character? In Twelfth Night there are some comic characters i know that Malvolio is but i don't know why?? if you could please help i have to have this done by thursday

Answer: irony is funny because we know that Malvolio is actually acting very foolishly. Certain parts of the scene mock Malvolio's pretentiousness and snobbery. "It did come to his hands" He speaks of himself with 'his' instead of 'my' as if he is someone royal and grand, but he is only a steward. Malvolio is over-confident and has a very high opinion of himself. The love letter he finds does not say that it is for him, it does not say that it is from Olivia either. He just assumes that it is from Olivia to him. When Olivia calls him 'fellow', the usual word referring to a servant, Malvolio is still convinced that Olivia has feelings for him. "'Fellow'! Not Malvolio, nor after my degree, but 'fellow'" He interprets everything as himself having all the advantages, such as Olivia calling him 'fellow'. This is comedy of manners (mockery) because it is obvious to everyone else that he interprets things wrongly. Malvolio is the character that has been the most ridiculed in the play. He is made fun of all the time behind his back, especially by the other servants. Maria: "âyour ladyship were best to have some guard about you if he come, for sure the man is tainted in's wits." Maria, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew plot against him to ridicule him in front of everyone, mainly Olivia. They are the ones who purposely leave behind the love letter for Malvolio to find. They tell him to wear yellow stockings when they know Olivia hates the colour yellow. They ask him to wear cross-garters when they know this is a fashion Olivia hates. This ridicule is effective because the audience will laugh at a fool, the exact thing that Malvolio is being made into in the play. Shakespeare uses all these different types of humour to make Malvolio appear foolish. Malvolio is exposed as being pretentious and snobbish. Shakespeare tries to encourage the audience to laugh at Malvolio's ignorance as well as his wish to be more than he is - and he has succeededbrilliantly. ...
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