Twelfth Night is the last of Shakespeare's "festive" comedies, romantic comedies that offer a comic catharsis. A comic catharsis, like a tragic one, involves purging dangerous emotions, which in this case may involve a fixation on grief or loss. The weddings at the end offer hope for a new generation, begun in reconciliation and love. In romantic comedy, we should find a society once on the brink of tragedy averting disaster and coming together in forgiveness and inclusive love. The marriages point to regeneration.
At the same time, not everyone is included in this happy ending, and the final scenes strike a few flat notes. Sir Andrew (whose poignant line "I was loved once" excuses some of his folly, for he merely wants what everyone wants: love) is humiliated in front of everyone when Sir Toby lashes out at him. He leaves Illyria a seemingly broken man (Trevor Nunn's...
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film version conveys this quite well). Antonio seems to remain an outsider, for while he is forgiven his past offenses against Orsino, one does not see any particular place for him inSebastian's new life. Sir Toby seems to be marrying Maria as payment for her plot to gull Malvolio, and one senses little joy in this match for either person.
Malvolio seems most unjustly used. While comedy cannot tolerate his restrictive, "Puritanical" mindset, he is, like Lear, "a man more sinned against than sinning." He leaves with a vow to take revenge, and it is hard to imagine that his frail ego can recover from the humiliation he received.
We can contrast this to As You Like It, which matches up all the disparate people into four couples and even finds a chosen solution for the inveterate cynic Jaques. (He is off to speak to the newly converted Duke Frederick, and one senses a happy future of philosophical discussion and repentance awaits both.)
Malvolio's unresolved story line creates a sense of injustice, or at the very least unfinished business, in Twelfth Night.
The idea of Shakespearean dramatic injustice is usually tied to hamartia,
which is itself tied to Shakespearean tragedy. Since Twelfth Night is
a Shakespearean romantic comedy, any instance of dramatic injustice will be
part of a subplot. If the subplot centered around Malvolio is isolated, then
dramatic injustice, or hamartia, might discussed in this context.
Malvolio's personal character flaw, or hubris, of arrogant self-confidence and
pride makes him the victim of a tragic and mean-spirited joke that causes him
humiliation, suffering, agony and brokenhearted shame. His flaw incites Fabian,
Sir Toby, Feste, and Maria to concoct a scheme to make Malvolio look utterly
ridiculous in the eyes of Olivia, whom he secretly adores and loves.
There are tragic results when Malvolio is imprisoned and treated as though
insane. However, since Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, the tragedy
is stopped short and Olivia's concluding remarks suggest an upcoming and
correct punishment for Malvolio's tormentors.