Twelfth Night, what was Shakespeare thinking

One of the more interesting passages in Twelfth Night occurs when Malvolio reads the letter that is supposedly from Olivia. It shows what a man is willing to put himself through to impress a woman. When a man is faced with the possibility of having a relationship with a desirable woman all thought and reason is meaningless. Malvolio is a prime example, wearing yellow stockings cross-gartered, treating an associate with complete disrespect, and acting almost …

…changes were first suggested to him. Malvolio is a typical male; when he is told that a desirable woman likes him, he forgets about everything else and begins to think unrealistically. No one wants to think that something good happening to him isn't real, but lying to yourself will only bring about more trouble. No one should ever disguise himself to make someone else happy, nor should they to make some one else look foolish.