Malvolio states this while he has discovered the letter written by Olivia. In actuality, the letter is not specifically addressed to anyone. However, while reading what is written Malvolio has decided that it was written for him. When he says “…and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me…” he is basically saying that if you just twist the words around it will sound like it is directed for him. This is something that everyone does when they want to believe something. If you want something to be true you can always make it seem that way. Malvolio obviously wants to believe that Olivia wrote this letter for him so in order to make it appear true he looks deep into the words and convinces himself that “M.O.A.I.” are all apart of his name so it must be for him! This is no real justification that the letter is addressed for him, but to make Malvolio feel that it is he searches for something that actually isn’t there. When someone knows something could never be true and they want it to be they search for clues and make it appear that way so they don’t seem completely crazy. This reminds me of my friend that whenever she gets a text from this guy she analyzes it so much that I don’t understand where she gets these ideas. The text could say, “hey what’s up!” and because it has an exclamation point she will think that it means hey I’m so excited to talk to you because I am deeply in love with you. This is exactly what Malvolio is doing. He loves the idea that Olivia could be in love with someone like him so he looks at the words in a one way type of mind set and makes it appear that the letter is ultimately for him.
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Malvolio is quick to give authority to the written word. Ironically, this letter is counterfeit.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have concluded and what Dr. Lay has said are quite true. Malvolio, a strict "no nonsense" man, comes across a counterfeit letter and loses his common sense. He wants so badly that the love letter be for him that he allows his imagaination to take over his common sense, and comes to the conclusion that the love letter is for him. Once he has convinced himself it is for him we see a completely different side to Malvolio. The "puritan" that has been portrayed throughout the play, has turned foolish! It almost seems that even the most strict people in Illyria can easily become entangled in the madness of this little country, and in the little game of love taking place among the characters within the play.
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