As we already know, two primary topics in Twelfth Night are deception and confusion—so many people throughout the play pretend to be other people or become confused by other characters who look alike. I became particularly interested in this when I was listing different situations in which deception and confusion occur, and I realized that the lower-class characters are the only ones who are participating in the deception. Additionally, they not only bend gender as we have discussed—they also bend class status. The lower-class characters are the ones who are disguising themselves, not the upper-class characters. For example, Viola, after losing all of her possessions in the shipwreck, dresses up as a man and deceives both Duke Orsino and Olivia in order to live in the new country until she “had made mine own occasion mellow / What [her] estate is” (1.2.42-43). In another situation, Maria pretends to be Olivia by copying her handwriting in order to trick Malvolio into thinking she is in love with him. The effects that deception has on these upper-class characters (placing Malvolio in that category) is immense, and it may even be a commentary on the intelligence of lower-class members versus the irrationality of upper-class members. Duke Orsino insists that Viola/Cesario help him win over Olivia, but Olivia is deceived as well and falls in love with this imaginary Cesario. Malvolio also instantly falls for the trick, insisting that he “do not / now fool [himself] to let imagination jade [him], for every reason excites to this—that [his] lady loves [him]” (2.5.142-144). Despite having little evidence to support this conclusion, he still manages to convince himself that Olivia is into him. We see something extremely similar occur when Olivia begins to fall for Cesario. Even though Cesario blatantly states that there is no way s/he will ever love Olivia—”I have one heart, one bosom, and one truth / And that no woman has, nor never none / Shall mistress be of it” (3.1.149-151)—Olivia essentially convinces herself that Cesario loves her and arranges for them to be married. Clearly in these situations, the lower-class characters are the ones with level heads and a complete understanding of what is happening around them, meanwhile the upper-class characters are completely blinded to all of the dishonesty surrounding them.
Another way to look at this might also be that the lower class has to pretend to be who they are not in order to benefit themselves, because there is no other way to do so. Clearly Viola is doing this, because she has lost all of her possessions and since she is a woman, the best way for her to get ahead is to pretend to be a man. As a man, she has a better chance of socially advancing and gaining her wealth back. I would also say that Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian trick Malvolio because he is extremely rude to them, and the only way they can get back at him is by hiding their identities and fooling him. These are both ideas that I have not exactly developed fully yet (especially the second one), but I am interested in hearing what anyone has to say about them. Is there enough evidence to support these ideas in the text, or is it too much of a stretch? I know we talked about how Shakespeare often comments on class hierarchy in his plays, so this idea naturally came into my head while reading.
I believe that the influence of the lower class suggests that the wealthy shouldn’t underestimate the power and brilliance of the common folk. Moreover, I wouldn’t say that it’s a stretch that Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Maria, and Fabian trick Malvolio for his insolence because the steward has more influence over Olivia.Thus, Malvolio has greater influence over the Duke because he wants to marry her. The best method for Malvolio’s punishment by the lower folk is to trick him. Similarly, Viola disguises herself as the man, Cesario, to ascend the ranks of the society controlled by men. You make valid points about the wealthy being easily deceived. Maybe the rich are used to getting what they want, but suddenly, despite their fortunes, they are unable to acquire their desires with money alone, which ultimately torments them. However, this is only another speculation on my part.
Your observations of class and deception are interesting, and I myself did not notice this parallel. The characters of the higher class in this play do appear to be ignorant to the deceptions of characters of the lower class, suggesting that what divides these characters is deeper than class status. Why then are the higher class characters (Duke Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio) so easily deceived? Do their positions of power blind them to trickery? At the same time, these three characters are infatuated with characters that do not feel the same way. Characters of higher class are presumedly used to getting what they want, so perhaps it is this unsatisfied infatuation that makes them so gullible?