¶ … fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I
am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Thy Fates open their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them; and, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough and appear fresh.
(Twelfth Night, Act II, scene v, -1171)
This monologue of Malvolio's follows his just being victim to a practical joke played by Maria and the other servants. Malvolio has read Maria's letter, which he believes to be from Olivia. Malvolio harbors several delusions about himself and his ability to win over Olivia and thereby gain upward social mobility. While Malvolio might indeed have some affection and genuine caring for his lady, he also seems far more interested in her wealth and status than in her well-being. This scene shows not only the farce of romantic love in situations like these, but also reveals one of the minor themes in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which is related to the immutability of social class status.
Social class status is still relatively rigid in the 21st century, but was probably more so during Elizabethan England when Shakespeare wrote his plays. Status is related to one's family of origin, but also to other issues like gender. In this scene, Maria has crafted a letter in which she expresses three ways people can change their social status: some are "born great," as with people who are born to wealthy or elite families. Others "achieve greatness," as with inventors, artists, or scientists who apply their talents and abilities to creating meaningful and lasting objects. Finally, "some have greatness thrust upon 'em." It is to this latter category that Malvolio hopes to belong. He views Olivia in the earliest category: those people who were born into greatness. Rather than working hard, Malvolio hopes to achieve a higher social status by marrying Olivia. Malvolio believes that if he were to marry Olivia, he would leave behind his "humble" past and "appear fresh." The other servants chuckle when they see how excited Malvolio is at the prospect, particularly...
The play also opens with Orsino hopelessly in love with Olivia. Olivia, however, is consumed with grief for her brother, and rebuffs Orsino's attempts to woo her. For the play to reach its conclusion, which has the two of them marrying others, it first has to address the issue of Orsino's feelings for Olivia. Elsewhere in the play, it is clear that Orsino's love for Olivia is largely based upon
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