Twelfth Night: Subsequent Outcomes of Human Behavior William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a work of much complexity—the actions and ideals of each character contributing to the play as a whole. First gracing the Elizabethan stage in 1602, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, draws upon centuries of human need and desire and addresses the very behaviors one exhibits in pursuit of what they most covet. Although the play offers numerous diverse portrayals of its characters’ ethics surrounding their desires, there is no stronger case of this than that which is observed in Viola and Malvolio. Shipwrecked onto the scene with nothing but her good sense and unremitting resolve, Viola devises an efficacious plan for survival—one which swiftly leads …show more content…
Even after a devastating shipwreck takes claim of all she holds dear, she bestows wealth upon her sea captain in appreciation of his comforting words: “For saying so, there’s gold” (I.ii.17). It is this very integrity and kindness that, not only awards her the captain’s aid in a strange land, but also affords her sudden high standing with her new employer, Duke Orsino: “He hath / known you but three days, and already you are no / stranger” (I.iv.2-4). Viola’s primary duty in service of the duke is to deliver words of adoration to the lady Olivia—for whom he longs to marry—though, she soon finds herself filled with a tremendous love for the man she serves: “I’ll do my best / To woo your lady. [aside] Yet a barful strife! / Whoe’re I woo, myself would be his wife” (I.iv.40-42). Even with this realization of her desire, Viola remains loyal in her efforts to convey Orsino’s message to Olivia. When the lady questions the duke’s affection: “How does he love me?” (I.v.240), Viola respectfully responds: “With adorations, fertile tears, / With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire” (I.v.241-242). Though presenting these words to Olivia on the duke’s behalf causes her great heartache, Viola upholds her composure and maintains her dedication to the assistance of Duke …show more content…
While the actions of Viola and Malvolio remain infinitely disparate, there is a defining unity established in the message conveyed by the play’s conclusion —the conduct of both characters determining their life-altering outcomes. Although the great love she feels for Duke Orsino weighs heavily on her heart, Viola persists in approaching her obligation to deliver his fondness elsewhere with the utmost courtesy. It is this very loyalty and devotion that, in the play’s final scene, succeeds in gaining her that which she most covets—the duke’s returned affection: “And since you called me [Orsino] “master” for so long, / Here is my hand. You shall from this time be / Your master’s mistress” (V.i.320-322). While Viola’s behavior results in her attained happiness, the play advocates a far more damaging outcome in response to Malvolio’s actions. After having treated so many with arrogance and disdain, his insufferable egotism turns against him—ultimately dismantling his hopes of elevated status and bringing about his own misery: “But, do you [Malvolio] remember ‘Madam, why laugh you at such a barren / rascal?’ And thus the whirligig / of time brings in his revenges”