Author(s)

Dongqiao Chen

Affiliation(s)

The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100032, China. 

Corresponding Author

Dongqiao Chen

ABSTRACT

This paper explores Shakespeare's critique of superficial greatness through the character of Malvolio in Twelfth Night. While Malvolio views greatness as a social label to be acquired through appearance and marriage, other characters—particularly Viola and Feste—offer alternative models rooted in wit, humility, and self-awareness. The essay situates Malvolio's delusions within the social anxieties of early modern England, where class mobility and symbolic display increasingly shaped perceptions of personal value. Through detailed close reading and socio-historical context, the paper argues that Shakespeare constructs a comic but biting satire of ambition without substance, ultimately redefining greatness as an internal quality revealed through moral clarity and human connection.

KEYWORDS

Shakespeare; Twelfth Night; Malvolio; Greatness; Social identity; Viola; Feste

CITE THIS PAPER

Dongqiao Chen. Delusions of greatness: Malvolio and the social satire in Twelfth Night. Trends in Social Sciences and Humanities Research. 2025, 3(4): 56-59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/tsshr3164.

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