Foolishness And Foolishness In Shakespeares Twelfth Night

As eloquently stated by the prolific author Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard, â€Å"There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isnt true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.† Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night features many â€Å"fools†, those led by the nose through desire and other means, and those who turned away from the truth. Of all those fools, one stands out from the others—Malvolio, a steward who chases his mistress, Olivia. As a man who flaunts his foolishness through his gullibility and dependency on fabricated truths, Malvolio proves to be the most foolish character, contributing to Shakespeare’s message that foolishness is not simply what meets the eye. At the onset, Malvolio makes one of the most foolish characters due to†¦show more content†¦The most foolish of people manage to be fooled, not only by others, but themselves as well; and Malvolio gets ahead of himself and unwisely chases after impossible ambitions, establishing himself as one of the most foolish characters in the play. Upon receiving Maria’s letter, Malvolio reads closely to what he believes is his mistress’ words of love, and when reading the name of his lady’s loved one, he sees a cryptic series of letters, and instantly questions â€Å"If I could make that/ resemble something in me†, before realizing its similarities to his own name (II.v.123-124). Malvolio reads a series of letters, seemingly standing for the name of Olivia’s target of romantic interest, and he tries to find his own name hidden in the letters immediately. Without thinking it through, Malvolio leaps at an opportunity, instantly seduced by the idea of su ccess in society and living his days out as a count at Olivia’s side, happily wedded. Blinded by ambition and almost desperate for his mistress’ heart, Malvolio makes a fool of himself once again, and unlike other characters, he becomes inconsiderate of his place in society, becoming arrogant at the excuse. By the same token, he is convinced that the letter is true, and that Olivia â€Å"drives [Malvolio] to these habits of her liking†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and Malvolio swears that he â€Å"will be strange, stout,/in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered, even with/the swiftness of putting on† for her (II.v.173-176). By following everyShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1133 Words   |  5 PagesWords and Realities†¨ †¨ The Twelfth Night was a religious festival held during the Elizabethan Era. 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