Abstract
In this chapter, Malvolio’s authority as steward will be viewed through the prism of Viscount Montague’s Household Book of 1595, ‘A booke of orders, and rules established [...] for the better direction and governemente of my howseholde’. Montague lists his servants, their duties and his rules for the management of them and the household. It provides a detailed description of the activities and responsibilities of his servants, particular to their specific role, and prioritizes the steward, whom Edward Cahill notes occupies ‘the blurred line between responsibility and authority’, as most important in the household. In the light of this, Malvolio’s interactions and conduct in Twelfth Night will be examined, to gain a deeper understanding of the performance of domestic authority on the early modern stage.
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Lowe, E. (2018). Duty and Authority: Malvolio, Stewardship and Montague’s Household Book. In: Halsey, K., Vine, A. (eds) Shakespeare and Authority. Palgrave Shakespeare Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57853-2_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57853-2_10
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