In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Molière's Le Malade Imaginaire, two ladies are introduced, who are not necessarily the main protagonist, but who help unravel the plots of the plays into something 'amazing. Twelfth Night introduces Maria, Olivia's lady-in-waiting. At first, Maria comes across as a dilettante, but later we discover that this is not the case at all. Meanwhile, in The Imaginary Invalid, there is the controversial Toinette, who is the servant and nurse of the imaginary invalid himself, Argan. Maria and Toinette are two strong female characters, their strength and spirit are represented through Maria and Toinette's deceptive schemes to make their plays more empowering as well as their objectivity through all the chaos in their respective plays. Additionally, Maria plays the role of the lady-in-waiting who essentially does nothing for herself other than take orders. Later, the reader quickly realizes that Maria is a witty character who takes matters into her own hands. Maria develops a strategy, she first attacks Sir Toby, drunk and disorganized, and her goal is to straighten him out. Maria confronts Sir Toby about his drunkenness: "This drinking and drinking will destroy you: I heard my lady speak of it yesterday" (1.3.128). Sir Toby begins to notice Maria. Maria begins plotting with Toby to bring down Malvolio (the condescending butler) as a joke. Through the process of plotting against Malvolio with Toby, Maria develops a backbone that she was not known for with Olivia. Maria has taken the lead in the plot, and Toby begins to follow her orders: "Observe him, for mockery's sake, for I know this letter will make him a contemplative fool" (2.5.18-19). success, Mari...... middle of paper ...... was depicted through her perseverance in helping Toby and ultimately gaining his approval while becoming his equal. Meanwhile, Toinette's trustworthiness is represented through her selflessness; as Argan's nurse/servant and her daughter's confidante. And his quick mind eventually allowed him to come up with a plan that would ultimately make this play the offbeat comedy it is today. Thus, we conclude that Maria and Toinette are similar, because they both have a strong character and are quite witty, witty enough to change the total outcome of their respective plays. Works Cited Molière. The imaginary invalid. A dozen French farces: from medieval to modern.Ed. and Trans. Albert Bremel. New York: Limelight, 1997.13-64. Print.Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2005. Print