Hazel
8th June 2008, 11:55 AM
Devoted twins Viola and Sebastian are ship-wrecked, neither knowing if the other is still alive or dead. Viola washes up on Illyria beach, and to survive she adopts the disguise of a young male called Cesario and goes to work in the court of Orsino - the ruler of Illyria. Orsino himself, is obsessed with Olivia, a gentlewoman who resides in a grand house. Orsino employs Cesario to act as go-between, delivering his love to Olivia. However, Olivia find herself in love with Cesario. And to complicate things further Cesario (as Viola obviously) falls in love with Orsino. Before you try to work out how this will all resolve itself, don't forget that a male Viola does actually exist - Sebastian.
While the main plot here is full of the stuff of comedy: disguising, cross-dressing, masquing, and carnivalesque, the subplot involving Malvolio (Olivia's head-servant and confidante) is less comedic. Malvolio, for his pomposity and ambitious grandstanding, is subjected to complete humilation at the hands of Maria (chambermaid), Sir Toby (Olivia's kinsman) and Sir Andrew (Toby's acquaintance). They trick him into believing that Olivia wants to marry him, by way of a fake letter - the staple of plot complication, and he immediately imagines the power and social status he will have in such a marriage. I really found his humilation and subsequent imprisonment for being 'mad' quite upsetting and beyond comi-tragedy.
In performance however, Malvolio's predicament was less tragic. I watched the Trevor Nunn film starring the irreplaceable Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio. I finally saw some comedy behind the man and his situation, especially when he struts into Olivia's room with his yellow stockings (as instructed by the ne'er do wells - Olivia hates yellow). His end is still not funny - and I just don't think it is ultimately meant to be. Normally, all is resolved by the end of a Shakespearean comedy - not this time.
While the main plot here is full of the stuff of comedy: disguising, cross-dressing, masquing, and carnivalesque, the subplot involving Malvolio (Olivia's head-servant and confidante) is less comedic. Malvolio, for his pomposity and ambitious grandstanding, is subjected to complete humilation at the hands of Maria (chambermaid), Sir Toby (Olivia's kinsman) and Sir Andrew (Toby's acquaintance). They trick him into believing that Olivia wants to marry him, by way of a fake letter - the staple of plot complication, and he immediately imagines the power and social status he will have in such a marriage. I really found his humilation and subsequent imprisonment for being 'mad' quite upsetting and beyond comi-tragedy.
In performance however, Malvolio's predicament was less tragic. I watched the Trevor Nunn film starring the irreplaceable Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio. I finally saw some comedy behind the man and his situation, especially when he struts into Olivia's room with his yellow stockings (as instructed by the ne'er do wells - Olivia hates yellow). His end is still not funny - and I just don't think it is ultimately meant to be. Normally, all is resolved by the end of a Shakespearean comedy - not this time.