Twelfth Night, or What You Will Society and Class Quotes Page 2

When Toby and Aguecheek get rowdy at Olivia's house, Malvolio is disgusted by their riotous behavior. By suggesting they have turned Olivia's house into an "alehouse" (a bar), and by comparing their singing to the clanging sounds of "tinkers" (tradesmen who mended household metal goods like cups and spoons), Malvolio suggests that Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are acting like unmannered commoners instead of members of the nobility. Toby is not only rude, says Malvolio, he's also breaking rules of social decorum.

When Malvolio chides Sir Toby and crew for their bad behavior, Toby tells him to "go rub" his steward's "chain" of office (a chain worn to symbolize Malvolio's status as head servant, or "steward"). Here, Toby conveys that Malvolio has no right to scold his social betters. The dismissal is especially demeaning, as it suggests that Malvolio should go "rub" off.

We learn of Malvolio's secret social aspirations when Toby and company eavesdrop on his private thoughts. The fact that we eavesdrop right along with Toby's crew and know all about Maria's forged letter seems to implicate us, as an audience, in the elaborate prank. In this way, our knowledge places us in cahoots with the mean-spirited jest.