I am glad you have identified that the ending of this
excellent play is not entirely the "happy ending" that we would expect of a Shakesperian
comedy. It is vitally important to consider how the character of Malvolio and what
happens to him fits in overall to this "comedy." Certainly there is a sense in which
this play could be regarded as a "tragedy," and definitely we are left with the feeling
that Malvolio's punishment at the hands of Maria and Sir Toby does not fit his crime of
self-importance and arrogance. His final words, which he utters before leaving, strike a
discordant note in the otherwise happy ending:
I'll be revenged on the whole pack of
you!
Certainly this ending
makes us ask some hard questions about the play. The festival of Twelfth Night was a
riotous affair, characterised by disguises and characters being free to operate outside
of their social circles. It was the last blast before the Christmas season was over and
the long, hard and dark months of January set in. Of course, this party spirit is best
symbolised by the character of Sir Toby Belch, whose die-hard party spirit is reflected
throughout the play. Yet, in the final act, the confusion of Twelfth Night is resolved
and we are left with the union of the main characters. But to what extent are we
convinced with the happy ending? Olivia and Sebastian hardly know each other, and the
relationship of Viola and Orsino has been based on mistaken identity. To what extent
will their future be happy?
Thus one way of viewing the
problematic ending of Malvolio is to see it as a kind of prompt to force us to ask other
questions about the supposedly "happy" ending of the play. Maybe it leads us to view the
resolution as not being that "happy" after all, as Twelfth Night is over and real life
must be returned to.
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