In the Shakespearean play Twelfth Night there appears the character Malvolio who is seen as a social `reject' whom a `trick' is played upon later in the play. Shakespeare portrays Malvolio as a character who is completely obsessed about himself, so much so that eventually this excessive self pride and arrogance proves to be his undoing as a character. In the first two acts of the play it is clear that Malvolio views characters such as Feste and Sir Toby as being `inferior' to himself although Shakespeare questions these thoughts. Malvolio pretends to be a puritan although in reality merely uses this form as a disguise that allows him to criticise others and point out their flaws without considering his own. Shakespeare uses the character Malvolio to portray the need for a well-balanced self-awareness.

The name Malvolio means literally `I mean ill will,' this therefore immediately effects...