Twelfth Night Requited Love

Simply the thought requited love is enough to send people into a frenzy. When a child catches wind that their schoolyard crush likes them back, little can take their minds off of it. Although after finding out that they truly do not return their love, things turn sour. In the Elizabethan romantic comedy Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare uses the motif of love as a catalyst for madness to show how love can take even the most level headed and prudish person and put them into a lunacy driven haze for requite, which, if not found, often leads to bitterness. No man can escape the thorny tendrils of love. Malvolio seems very unsentimental at the beginning of Twelfth Night, described by Maria as “a kind of puritan” (II. iii. 139). Often detesting the foolery of other characters, such a Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, Malvolio lives up to Maria’s description of his no nonsense attitude. Personality wise, Shakespeare sets Malvolio up to be the least likely to dive into such childish things as love. This supports the idea that no one, not even the most insensitive person is safe from Eros. Eventually, love strikes and Malvolio becomes a love
At the end of the novel, Malvolio shows Olivia the letter that began his delusional fascination, but to his shock, she tells him, “Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing” (V. i. 367). Olivia recognizes Maria’s handwriting and they reveal the prank. Understandably, Malvolio disbelieves. They toy with Malvolio’s emotions and he no longer seems to know how to feel. They take advantage of his love and now, after completely exposing himself for the sake of it, he discovers their mockery of him. In rage, he storms out, but first yells to them, “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you” (V. i. 401). Unreturned love drives Malvolio away with a thirst for vengeance. [insert at least 2 more sentences of analysis]. If love is unreturned, it causes a person to become bitter and