Malvolio and Parolles both appear to be relatively unsympathetic characters due to their inflated egos, and convince themselves that they are socially greater than themselves are not in reality. In Twelfth Night, Malvolio, a simple steward, behaves with utter contempt and haughtiness towards the nobles whose conduct he attempts to regulate. But correct behavior is not his main concern. One critic writes that Malvolio's only goal is to "achieve the position of authority" that Olivia's husband would occupy (MacCary, 189). Another critic notes that in this quest for power, his arrogance even extends to his use of Jupiter to refer to God (Mangan, 239). Although these traits make Malvolio somewhat despicable, he never resorts to deception in an attempt to achieve his goal, unlike the other characters in the play. Moreover, in his constant quest for social improvement, he attempts to bring order to an environment that threatens to descend into complete chaos. Similarly, in All's Well That Ends Well, Parolles' dishonorable behavior, including his empty boasts and outright lies, are frustrating at times. But he positively affects his environment by lightening the mood with his baseless opinions and threats. As each play progresses, the harmlessness and humanity of each character emerges, allowing the audience to rise above their pretension and empathize with their bold personalities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Malvolio's first words are spoken to criticize Feste, the fool whose company provides Olivia with intellectual stimulation. Olivia thinks he's become a better fool and kindly asks Malvolio what he thinks of Feste's abilities. Not amused, Malvolio haughtily comments that Feste has simply become dumber as his wisdom continues to deteriorate. He goes on to express his disapproving astonishment that the lady of the house "delights in such a barren rascal" (1.5.82) and accuses Feste of being a useless clown unless people provide him with constant laughter and openings for humble jokes. . He is immediately reprimanded by Olivia, who comments that her steward is “fed up with self-esteem” (1.5.90). This pompous attitude becomes more clearly evident in the next act, as Malvolio pursues Cesario to give him a ring in Olivia's name. He manages to catch up with Cesario and give him the ring, which Malvolio believes was left behind. But before transmitting his lady's message, he thinks of his own interests and complains: "You could have spared me my troubles, by taking them yourself" (2.2.5-7). When Cesario refuses to take the ring, Malvolio, without the deference expected of a steward, impatiently insists that Cesario "sullily threw it" (2.2.13) at Olivia and that he should take it back. But not wanting to waste any more of his precious time and energy, Malvolio throws the ring to the ground, inviting Cesario to bend down and pick it up if he deems the ring worth it. His arrogant impatience is exercised once more when Sir Toby and Sir Andrew drink loudly late into the night. After briefly acknowledging that he is in fact socially inferior to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew by calling them his masters, he immediately undoes this acknowledgment of reality by indignantly asking, "Are you crazy?" (2.3.86) Not content with this affront, he rebukes every aspect of their character, fuming: "Have you neither wit, nor good manners, nor honesty, except tochatting like handymen at this time of night? Do you make a tavern of my lady's house, so that you can squeal your comfort catches without softening or remorse of voice? Is there no respect for place, people, or time in you? " (2.3.87-92) After some melodious revelry with Feste, Sir Toby confronts Malvolio and asks him: "Are you more than a steward? Do you think that because you are virtuous there will be no cakes or beer?(2.3.116-118) Then, ignoring Malvolio's rude calls, he asks for another glass of wine and orders Malvolio to leave and to polish his steward's chain, a reminder of his humble social status. When Sir Andrew offers to challenge Malvolio to a duel, Maria suggests that the steward would be more effectively defeated by exploiting his personality. Assessing his character, Maria states: "The devil is a puritan, or anything constantly but a pleasure for the time, an affectionate donkey, who counter-declares without a book and pronounces it with great strides; the best persuaded of him- nay, so full (as he thinks) of excellencies, that it is his foundation of faith that all who look upon him love him, and upon this vice in him my vengeance will find notable reason to act” (2.3); .147-153).Maria feels that she understands Malvolio's pretensions so well that his plan is sure to succeed as the plan unfolds, deceiving the socially but emotionally low-minded steward. raised into believing that the Countess is in love with him. It is with great satisfaction that Sir Toby and Sir Andrew witness the kidnapping of Malvolio from Olivia's garden. The steward becomes the perfect object of theirs. contempt even before finding the false letter, practicing his manners at length with his own shadow and recalling the evidence of the possibility that Olivia could love him, citing his words and the "exalted respect" (2.5. 27) with which she treats him. Taking the fantasy further, he exclaims: “Being Count Malvolio!” (2.5.35) He imagines himself sitting in a "branched velvet robe" (2.5.47-48) ordering his servants to bring Sir Toby before him. He relishes his thoughts of power, imagining a scenario: "Seven of my people, with an obedient start, move towards him. I frown all the while, and perhaps wind my watch, or play with my - a rich jewel Toby approaches, and bows before me” (2.5.58-61), Malvolio imagines using his mandate as earl to order Sir Toby to become sober, adding. an insult to Sir Andrew before taking the letter After this conceited fantasy, the fact that Malvolio falls for it comes as no surprise Before he even reads anything that could be construed as evidence, he speculates with it. enthusiasm: “If it were you, Malvolio? (2.5.100-101) As he continues reading, he interprets everything as evidence pointing to him as the object of Olivia's affections and eagerly decides to comply with all the letter's suggestions, such as abandoning his lowly status, being rude to servants, and speaking loudly, will not be difficult to follow, as they appeal to his self-centered attitude. The final command, that Malvolio smiles in Olivia's presence, is the only one that is unnatural and contributes as much to the schemers' mirth as it does to the beginning of Malvolio's eventual torment. The sight of the usually serious and austere steward constantly beaming, coupled with his references to the letter, leads Olivia to believe that he is suffering from "midsummer madness" (3.4.56). Sir Toby takes advantage of this belief to take the game with Malvolio to a drastic new level, intending to have him locked in a dark, locked room until the schemers can find no more.pleasure in his incarceration. It is at this point that Malvolio begins to emerge as a sympathetic and even courageous character. Although only locked up for one night, he resists further attempts at deception. Feste, disguised as a clergyman, tries to persuade Malvolio that the cell is in fact full of light and that the darkness in which the prisoner lives is that of ignorance. Despite this assertion and the strange and irrelevant questions Feste asks to drive Malvolio mad, the steward firmly proclaims his sanity, saying, "I tell you, I am as sane as any man in Illyria (4.2.106-107). ). At the end of the play, the plan is revealed and Malvolio's reason is confirmed. Fabien details the plot, Olivia exclaims: "Alas, poor fool, how they have confused you! (5.1.369) However, as Malvolio demonstrated in his cell, he is not a simple fool. Instead, despite his pretensions to grandeur, he embodies order in an otherwise disordered world. Although his approach may have been irritating, his goal of restraining the wild behavior of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew fits perfectly with his position as guardian of the house. Furthermore, it is understandable that a rule-abiding person, forced to deal with people like Sir Toby, a drunk who manipulates the slow-witted Sir Andrew into drinking money, might develop self-esteem exaggerated. He would almost have to be extremely serious and proud to counter the extremely unnecessary cheerfulness of Sir Toby and his friends. But we cannot accuse Parolles of being too serious and too proper. His first appearance in the play comes as he engages in vulgar conversation with Helena about the worthless nature of virginity. Before Parolles even opens his mouth, Hélène comments: “I love him for him, and yet I know him to be a notorious liar, I find him a great imbecile, only a coward; yet these fixed evils suit him so well. " (1.1.99-102). Although she has established Parolles' pretentious character by attacking his integrity and intellect, Hélène concedes that his flaws become an integral part of his identity. In doing so, she supports the depiction of Parolles in dramatis personae as a parasite, but also emphasizes that he is by no means a purely evil and terribly dangerous villain After Helena calls Parolles a liar, his boasts of military triumph must be met with great skepticism. Proudly recalling his war experiences, he instructs the departing lords: “You will find in the Spinii regiment a certain Captain Spurio, with his scar, the emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek it is this very sword that kills him; cut off” (2.1.41-45). Not content with gloating over this supposed accomplishment, he speaks of psychologically spitting out his alleged victim, adding, "Tell him that I live and observe his reports for me" (2.1.45). Just as Parrolles feels comfortable making grand claims about his past glories, he is willing to present himself as eager for present honors. When Lafew, speaking to Parrolles, refers to Bertram as "Your lord and master" (2.3.186), Parrolles responds with disbelief and is very offended. He says Lafew's harsh use of the word could have bloody consequences, essentially challenging Lafew to a duel. But he quickly backs down, declaring: “You are too old, sir; let yourself be satisfied, you are too old” (2.3.196-97). It is quite obvious, however, that Parolles is afraid, but has no pity towards his elder, who aggressively criticizes his retired associate as profane with empty words worthy of "the most egregious indignity" ( 2.3.216). Empty statements,.