who forges the love note to malvolio
Answers
Why does Malvolio believe Olivia is in love with him?
Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew deceive Malvolio into believing that Olivia is in love with him by forging love letters from Olivia to Malvolio. Maria comes up with the idea of tricking uptight Malvolio after he threatens to tell Olivia about Sir Toby and Sir Andrew’s drunken fun. Malvolio is indeed fooled by the forged love letters, but the deception is only possible because of Malvolio’s arrogance and ambition. He quickly starts to imagine other signs of Olivia’s fondness for him, noting that “she uses me with a more exalted respect than anyone else that follows her” (2.5.). Malvolio fantasizes about living a luxurious life and bossing around individuals like Sir Toby and Maria when he becomes Olivia’s husband. While Malvolio is presented as naïve and egotistical for believing that Olivia could be in love with him, he becomes an increasingly pitiable figure as he follows the directions in the forged love letters and makes a fool of himself to get Olivia’s attention.