Julie Tagg| Think and Write for CSEC English A and B

The play Twelfth Night is a type of comedy that has a painful aspect to it. Your task is to write an essay in which you describe two different instances of comedy from the play. In your essay, you should discuss how the humor impacts the audience in each instance you describe. Additionally, please state to what extent you believe the play can be considered a painful comedy.”

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a famous comedy play that also has its share of painful moments. Shakespeare uses various instances of comedy in the play and the humor has different effects on the audience. This essay will assess two instances of comedy and the extent to which these instances become painful comedy.

The first instance of comedy in Twelfth Night is the character of Malvolio. Malvolio is a puritanical steward who takes himself very seriously. He is convinced that he is loved by Olivia, the lady of the house, and becomes the target of a cruel prank played by the other characters. They forge a love letter from Olivia to Malvolio and convince him that she is in love with him. Malvolio, blinded by his own pride and self-importance, falls for the trick and makes a fool of himself. The humor in this situation comes from the ridiculousness of Malvolio’s behavior and his inability to see the truth. The audience is entertained by his foolishness, but also cringes at the cruel nature of the prank.

The second instance of comedy in the play is the subplot involving Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria. Sir Toby is Olivia’s drunken uncle, Sir Andrew is a foolish knight who is in love with Olivia, and Maria is Olivia’s maid. The three of them conspire to play a prank on Malvolio, but they also spend much of their time drinking and making mischief. The humor in this subplot comes from the outrageous behavior of the characters and their disregard for social conventions. The audience is entertained by their antics, but also feels sympathy for the innocent victims of their pranks, like Malvolio.

Finally, Twelfth Night is indeed a painful comedy. The play contains many moments of humor, but there is also a dark undercurrent that runs throughout. The characters are often cruel to one another, and the humor often comes at the expense of someone else’s pain. The audience is left to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situations, but is also reminded that these characters are flawed and often suffer as a result of their own foolishness. The pain that is inherent in the play’s humor is what makes it a truly memorable and impactful work. Shakespeare’s ability to balance comedy and tragedy is what makes Twelfth Night a timeless masterpiece.