A character in Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT called Malvolio who...

[hany]

Dear Alan,

Many thanks for your imformative newsletter but in your last newsletter
the following part was literary dificult for me , and it would be so kind of
you to explain it to me in a simlple way :

There is a character in Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT called Malvolio who, as the name indicates, is not a very pleasant person and tends to try and spoil other people's fun.

On one occasion another character in the play Sir Toby Belch again whose name typifies his enthusiasm for good food and drink, turns to Malvolio and says: «Dost thou (Do you) think because thou art (you are) virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale (beer)?» The implication here is that someone who thinks of the inner self only cannot aspire to being virtuous.

Thanks in advance
Hany

[Torsten]

Hi Hany,

Many thanks for your comments on Alan's newsletter, I'm sure he'll answer your question as soon as he is back from his trip in a few days.

TOEIC listening, photographs: A cargo plane

[Alan]

Hi,

I took the two characters from Shakespeare to give a further explanation of 'virtuous'. Shakespeare likes using names that tell you something about the character. Malvolio, which suggests 'wishing evil' and Toby Belch, which suggests someone who eats too much. 'Belch' is the word to describe the noise that comes out of your mouth if you eat too quickly or do not digest your food. So we have a fat man making fun of a so-called virtuous man. Malvolio pretends to be virtuous and pure but really he does things behind people's backs to try and make life difficult. In the quotation: 'Dost thou think etc ..' Toby Belch is really saying: So you think you are such a good and pure man (and he knows he isn't) but that doesn't mean you can stop me enjoying good food (cakes and ale).

Hope this helps.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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