Key points
Malvolio is a character from Twelfth Night, a play written by William Shakespeare, an English playwright.
Twelfth Night is a fast-paced comedy that contains romantic plots, mistaken identities and practical jokes.
Malvolio is strict and rude to other members of the household, but has secret ambitions to marry Olivia and become a nobleman.
Did you know?
Comedian Stephen Fry memorably played Malvolio in a 2012 all-male Globe production of the play. The play went to Broadway in New York the following year.
Plot summary
Malvolio’s key moments
Click through the slideshow to see Malvolio’s key moments
Image caption, These images are taken from a 2012 Globe production of Twelfth Night starring Stephen Fry as Malvolio and Mark Rylance as Olivia. Malvolio is a servant in Olivia’s household. He is rude and insults Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Maria and Feste. To get revenge they decide to play a trick on him.
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Character traits
Serious
Malvolio speaks and behaves in a serious way. The faked letter encourages him to smile more.
Sober
Malvolio disapproves of drinking, singing and having fun. He believes it’s his duty to stop any frivolous behaviour in Olivia’s household.
Controlling
He tries to control the behaviour of the other characters and threatens them if they don’t obey.
Ambitious
Malvolio has a secret ambition to become Olivia’s husband. He believes he would have more power over the other servants in the household.
Relationships
Malvolio secretly hopes that Olivia loves him, but only because he would have greater power over Sir Toby and the other members of the household if he and Olivia were married.
The other characters in the household dislike Malvolio because of his rudeness and behaviour towards them. They play practical jokes on him and at the end of the play Malvolio swears he will have his revenge.
Which members of the household dislike Malvolio?
Sir Toby Belch
Olivia’s uncle Sir Toby loves parties and drinking alcohol. Malvolio is always trying to spoil Sir Toby’s fun. After the yellow stocking scene, he locks Malvolio in a dark room.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
A friend of Sir Toby, who joins in the fun to trick Malvolio.
Maria
Olivia’s gentlewoman. She comes up with the plan to trick Malvolio with a faked letter and chooses yellow stockings because Olivia hates the colour yellow.
Feste
Olivia’s jester. He disguises himself as a priest and confuses Malvolio by insisting that he is in a room full of light and windows, when he is actually inside a dark room.
Video - Staging the ‘box-tree’ scene
What is the role of a director in a play?
The director of a play is in charge of all aspects of the performance. They make key decisions on everything from lighting to costumes. While practising the play, the director will tell actors where to stand, how to say their lines and how they should move.
Watch the following video about how a director might stage the ‘box-tree’ scene.
Presenter: Here are the directors. 12 divorces, nine lawsuits and three stints in rehab between them; these guys know what they want and they normally get it. Today they’re each looking for an innovative staging solution for the Box Tree Scene from Twelfth Night. Three actors hiding in a tree from another actor on stage? Easier said than done.
First designer is Holly.
She believes her Christmas tree idea is a comedy gift for any actor and she wastes no time in showing the Directors why.
Sir Andrew: Slight, I could so beat the rogue!
Sir Toby: Peace I say.
Director 1: Hi Holly. I like you. I like your idea. I like the physical humour and I think the audience will too.
Holly: Thank you. The play is traditionally set at Christmas so I believe that also works in our favour.
Director 1: See there’s my problem. I hate Christmas. I’m essentially a miserable, lonely person and I make children cry and for that reason, I’m out.
Presenter: Designer Jemima hopes her pile of boxes idea will give the scene a modern twist while still providing some comedic hiding places for the actors; which will keep the audience guessing.
Sir Toby: I could marry the wench for this device.
Sir Andrew: So could I too.
Director 2: Jemima, I like it. Can I just ask, what’s the third box for?
Jemima: Yeah that’s Dave’s box. He’s playing Fabian.
Oh my god! Dave! Dave! There aren’t any air holes. Why aren’t there any air holes? Dave! Dave! Dave!
Director 3: He’s dead? I’m out.
Presenter: Next into the Director’s Den is a young designer called Walter. The Directors seem a little unsure whether he has an exciting idea of simply no idea at all.
Director 2: So Walter, let me just get this straight. The actors won’t actually be hiding behind anything at all? You want the audience to use their imagination?
Walter: That’s correct. They will be lit from above by a spotlight and they will be stood in the spotlight and they could fall out and in of the spotlight for comedic effect. And then you could move the spotlight like a follow spotlight like if you want it to be silly.
Director: Well I think it’s great this imagination business. Get to see a lot more of our actors and save a fortune on props. In fact that’s a point. How much does this cost?
Walter: Five million pounds.
Director 1: How on earth did you come up with that figure?
Walter: Just used my imagination.
Director 3: Okay Walter. Imagine this, I’m out.
Walter: Okay. Worth a try.
Activity - Order it
What do these key quotations mean?
O you are sick of self-love, Malvolio.
Olivia
Act 1, scene 5
Olivia is making fun of Malvolio, claiming that he is in love with himself.
Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night.
Malvolio
Act 2, scene 3
Malvolio is disgusted by the behaviour of Sir Toby and his friends. He wants them to stop drinking and partying.
Remember who commended thy yellow stockings and wished to see thee cross-gartered.
Malvolio
Act 2, scene 5
When Malvolio visits Olivia in his strange costume, he starts quoting lines from the letter he thinks she has written. He mistakenly believes she has asked him to wear this odd outfit.
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