Critics often note that malvolio’s storyline is odd because it is so bleak. although shakespeare’s comedies often include some serious characters with unhappy endings, malvolio’s story seems bleaker than most. explore the character of malvolio in greater depth. then take a stance on the following questions about malvolio: does malvolio’s fate at the end of the play seem fair? why do you think shakespeare included him in the play at all?

Malvolio is the head steward in Olivia’s household. He has a serious disposition and performs his duties meticulously. He does not like any kind of excesses and is strongly opposed to the loud merry-making that Sir Toby and his friends indulge in.

Malvolio is the Puritan in the play. He has high moral values and a dislike of partying, fun, and fooling around. He also believes himself to be well suited for a higher rank in society. He is proud, self-absorbed, and rude in his interactions with his peers.

The cruel practical joke that Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew devise for Malvolio makes his storyline a bleak one. He acts like a madman in front of Olivia, is imprisoned in a dark cell, and is forced to believe that he has lost his sanity. In the end, when all the lovers are united, Malvolio is left out in the cold. He leaves the stage angrily saying, "I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you." He is the only character left disgruntled at the end of the play.

If the reader or viewer of the play does not identify or sympathize with Malvolio, his fate may seem harsh but also somewhat funny. On the other hand, people who have some sympathy for him may think that other characters are unfairly cruel to him.  

Shakespeare may have created Malvolio with the intention of poking fun at the Puritans. In Elizabethan England. Puritans were well known for opposing playwrights and playhouses. They felt that theaters were breeding grounds for moral corruption. PLATO

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