I agree; in many patriarchal societies like these women were not allowed to have as many rights as men, so in order for Viola to live on her own after the death of her father and brother, she had to become her own man. Maria's mask as Olivia becomes very significant also due to the fact that it causes Malvolio to put on his own mask. Believing that Olivia desires all of the traits in the letter, he tries to become someone he truly isn't to gain her love and affection. The identities of the characters become very misconstrued and complex when each tries to impress the one's they love. Love plays with a person's mind and causes them to do things that they typically would not do. This is exemplified by these characters, especially Malvolio who
