Steward

A senior household servant responsible for managing domestic affairs and supervising other servants.

A servant responsible for managing a household and overseeing its affairs and other servants.

Yet, as Olivia’s steward, he has a real responsibility to maintain order and is acting on her instructions. His later imprisonment makes it possible to sympathise with him without approving of his vanity. Context sharpens this tension rather than settling it automatically.

A servant responsible for managing a household and supervising its affairs; Malvolio holds this position in Olivia's household.

For a whole-play essay, trace the change from self-important steward to humiliated prisoner, rather than treating him as unchanged.

A senior servant who manages a great household and supervises other servants on behalf of its owner.

A senior household servant responsible for managing the household and supervising other servants.

A servant responsible for managing a household and supervising its affairs.

Context helps us understand what Shakespeare’s audience might recognise in the play. Its value is in illuminating the drama: why a steward’s ambition is provocative, why disguise creates several layers of humour, or why songs and drinking challenge authority.

A senior servant responsible for managing a household and supervising other servants; Malvolio holds this position in Olivia's house.

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Edexcel GCSE English Literature · 1ET0

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Eduqas GCSE English Literature · C720