Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Malvolio's soliloquy, Act 2 Scene 5, lines 151-168

Malviolio's soliloquy by itself provides interesting insight into Malvolio's character. Throughout the play, Maria and Sir Toby have decribed Malvolio as sort of a wet towel, quashing all of their revelry and fun. Indeed, this soliloquy reveals that Malvolio takes even seemingly hilarious and light-hearted things far too seriously, and it also reveals his pride and the high regard that he holds himself in. After reading the letter, Malvolio believes that he has discovered Olivia's love for him, and rather than becoming giddy or excited, he declares that "[He] will be proud" and "read politic authors" and "wash off gross aquaintances" (Shakespeare 2.5 152-153), expressing his pride and seriousness regarding all matters. Furthermore, the letter's descriptions of what Olivia likes and how she wants Malviolio to behave seem whimsical and strange, yet Malvoilio takes them at face value, declaring that "[He] will be strange, / stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered" (2.5 160-161). Indeed, Malvolio is so serious about the contents of the letter and so proud and confident in himself that he solemnly vows to "smile" and "do everything that [Olivia] / wilt have [him]" (2.5 167-168).

In the greater context of the play as a whole, this soliloquy demonstrates the nature role of courtship and love throughout Twelfth Night. Malvolio believes this letter that he discovers has revealed Olivia's deep love for him, when in reality, the letter is a farce, simply an expression of Maria's sense of humor and the practical joke that she plays on Malvolio with the others. Similarly, Orsino claims to have a deep love for Olivia that cannot be overcome; the ease with which he experiences a change of heart at the play's end to love Viola instead, however, implies that Orsino's rambling declarations of love may just represent his obsession with the idea of love, and of indulging his own whims and moping. Likewise, Olivia claims to be deeply in love with Viola while she is disguised as Cesario, but her love is proven to be little more than an expression of physical attraction when she can't even tell the difference between her so-called love Viola and Viola's twin, Sebastian. Furthermore, just like Malvolio seems willing to follow the letter's advice on a whim without giving much consideration to the implications of what he is about to do, the other characters behave in the same manner regarding their marriages. Olivia decides to marry Sebastian, believing he is Cesario, without putting too much thought into it obviously since she thinks he is someone who he isn't. On his part, Sebastian shows even more willingness to unthinkingly comply, since he marries Olivia without even really knowing who she is! Similarly, Orsino agrees to marry Viola as soon as he finds out who she is, without even seeming to mind that Viola has been lying to him all along about being a boy, even though he was supposedly so in love with Olivia only moments earlier.

So while the solilquy demonstrates Malvolio's own seriousness regarding life in general, it also reveals that perhaps the other characters in the play behave seriously in that they overblow the intensity of their feelings and beliefs. They convince themselves to take their love so seriously, even when it's simply physical attraction or self-indulgence. As a result, the characters seem to rush into actions and marriages without much thought, which would probably have deterimental results in the real world; in Shakespeare's play, however, it serves the device of the comedy in allowing a happy ending for all, full of love and marriage and the prospect of happily-ever-after.