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Twelfth Night And The DemetriusTreatment Of Helena In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Even though Shakespeare’s comedies are usually associated with happiness, cruelty can help the audience feel that justice has been rendered, by making the antagonists suffer; when an antagonist changes for the better, the punishment is less than for an antagonist that doesn’t. This cruelty helps the audience feel comfortable in the world in which they live; the good guy wins, the bad guy is punished, and characters learn from their mistakes. In that sense, without cruelty, there would be some uncertainty left in for audiences that would not bring about the same ending. Without cruelty, the possibility that sometimes the antagonist gets away with things or that a character does not learn from a mistake would still exist. The treatment of Malvolio in Twelfth Night and the Demetrius’ treatment of Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream both portray how cruelty can serve a comedic purpose. Shakespeare uses cruelty to punish the antagonist, Malvolio, for his vanity. The audience gets clear signs that Malvolio is vain. Malvolio repeatedly indicated to other members of the household staff and even the household that he views himself as better than them. Malvolio tells the others that they are “idle, shallow things” and that he is “not of [their] element” (3.5. 125-127). Malvolio thinks he is not of their element because he views himself as their social betters. To teach him a lesson, Maria and other characters decide to leave a love letter from Olivia that instructs Malvolio to

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