"She returns this ring to you, sir. You might have saved me my pains to have taken it away yourself." - Malvolio, pg. 52, Act 2, Scene 2, Line 5.
This quote taken from Shakespeare's play entitled "Twelfth Night", I feel has more behind it than is conveyed to us. This quote was spoken to Cesario (Viola) right after he had left the Olivia's house. It seems to be just a simple quote in which Malvolio is not thrilled over having to chase after Cesario and return his ring to him, but I feel that there is much more behind it. This quote is also spoken which much anger embedded in it. I would expect that since Malvolio works for Olivia, he would not be snipping at everything that she asks him to do. Even in the scene where she hands him the ring, I forgot what Malvolio's line was, but it would seem that he was upset that she actually made him go out of his way to return the ring to Cesario. If Malvolio does learn of the fact that Olivia is lying to him, then he will most likely be furious with her. Even when he took the ring from her to go and return it, he seemed quite ticked off that he had to return it. Finally when he found Cesario he was angry and rude to him, and actually threw the ring, when Cesario did not take it from him. One last note which I realized is when Cesario first arrived at Olivia's house, he was angry that he had showed up in the first place. My guess is that Malvolio is tired of always having to answer to the people who come and try and impress or share their love for Olivia and now Cesario seems just like a pest he cant get rid of. This might explain his constant anger and resentment towards anything that has to do with Cesario, and that riding a bike to catch up with him was the last straw. This is not all conveyed in the quote but it seems that all of this fuels his anger in the actual quote once he did catch up with Cesario.
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I agree with you when you say that Malvolio was not thrilled when he had to give the ring to Viola. Malvolio adores Olivia so having to see the relationship forming in between the two is tearing him apart. He dislikes Olivia very much because he can see that the woman he adores is falling for her, even though Olivia is falling for an unrealistic companion.
ReplyDeleteMike, I completely agree as well. Malovio's relationship to Olivia is nothing more than a Stewart. Because of this, Malovio maybe upset that he has been serving her for years, yet a mutual attraction between him and Olivia has never formed. As you stated, he has to tolerate all of Olivia’s suitors and is probably jealous that all of these men are after the woman he loves. To Malovio , Cesario (Viola) is just another man trying to charm her, so he would think of him as a pest that he needs to squash.
ReplyDeleteMike, I also agree that Malovio is ticked off for having to have chase Cesario down and waste his time. If Malovio wasn't smittened with Olivia he probably would have just scrugged it off, saying well I am getting paid for doing whatever Olivia asks, but since their is an undertone of anger for even having Cesario showing up and attempting to woo Olivia he sort is being sarcastic in his comment.
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