At the play's conclusion, a thoroughly humiliated Malvolio vows "I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you" (V, i., l.378), and many Shakespeare critics maintain that he has good cause to utter this discordant oath. Over the centuries, scholars have pondered what has come to be called the "problem of Malvolio." By this they mean that although Malvolio is a prude, a hypocrite, and an upstart, he does not deserve the cruel treatment that he receives from the ruse perpetrated by Maria, Uncle Toby, and the clown Feste. True, Malvolio is a "joy-killer" by nature who consistently punctures the...
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