#malvolio

I think I’m in withdrawal from Twelfth Night. I went to see it, in the end, 4 times in London (and once in Stratford the year before). It was amazing every time. The best Shakespeare production I have seen to date (and I’ve seen some brilliant ones).

Also, for a man who claimed to be very self-conscious of his legs, Sam absolutely owned this outfit and the role in general. He broke my heart every night with his final scene. Amidst a truly truly wonderful cast, he still amazed me with his performance each night.

Some achieve the bit.

started reading twelfth night are you proud of me for getting over hamlet yet

Twelfth Night (2021) as textposts, pt. 3

I hate how clever this joke is.

So Malvolio is reading what he thinks is a love letter from his boss, Olivia, and he thinks he recognizes her handwriting, her "hand." (Sir Andrew is spying from the bushes.)

But, the fact that he specifically calls out her 'C' 'U' 'n 'T' draws attention to what he is really thinking about.

but BUT, if you look at it phonetically (said out loud in a play) then the line becomes "seize, use, and tease."

Which makes it a handjob joke. "My lady's [literal] hand, these are her very seize, her use, and her tease, and thus she makes her great peace. [orgasm]. And that's what Malvolio in the midst of his big power fantasy is REALLY thinking about.

and then Sir Andrew draws attention to this joke, making it sound like he's never had sex, which of course he hasn't, because his thing is that he's very alone (very probably because he doesn't realize that he's gay.)

that's a three tier pun that's also got character development.