'Twelfth Night', or 'What You Will' as it is sometimes called, was written in 1600. Much of the comedy in 'Twelfth Night' is due to the love interests of the higher classes, for example Olivia and Orsino and the behaviour of the less elevated, for example Malvolio. In 'Twelfth Night' hypocrisy and affection are ridiculed and some scenes highlight contrasts between ambition and actual achievement, this is often the case with Malvolio. Shakespeare's comedies (for example …
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…important in 'Twelfth Night' because in the case of Malvolio, Shakespeare is showing how much people dislike Puritans and a lot of the plays comedy is derived from this. The comedy will appeal to the audience if they want something light-hearted and fun. The characters in 'Twelfth Night' are all quite different, letting the play tell us how people thought about each other; for example non-Puritans disliked Puritans, and weren't at all kind to them.