In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Molière's Imaginary Invalid, two women are introduced, who are not necessarily the main protagonists, but help reveal the plots of the plays into something surprising. Twelfth Night features Maria, Olivia's lady-in-waiting. At the beginning Maria is presented to us as an amateur, then we discover that this is not the case at all. Meanwhile, in The Imaginary Invalid, there is the quarrelsome Toinette, who is the servant and nurse of the same imaginary invalid, 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 works more inspiring as well as their objectivity in all the chaos of their respective works. Additionally, Maria plays the role of the lady-in-waiting who essentially does nothing for herself except take orders. Later the reader quickly realizes that Maria is a strong and witty character who takes matters into her own hands. Maria develops a strategy, first aiming at Sir Toby, drunk and messed up, and her goal is to put him back on his feet. Mary confronts Sir Toby about his drunkenness: "That drinking and drinking will undo thee: I heard my lady speak of it yesterday" (1.3.128). Sir Toby begins to notice Maria. Maria begins plotting with Toby to take down Malvolio (the condescending butler) as a practical joke. Through the process of plotting against Malvolio with Toby, Maria develops a backbone something she wasn't known for with Olivia. Maria has taken the lead in the plot and Toby begins to take her orders: "Observe him, for mockery's sake, for I know this letter will make a contemplative idiot of him" (2.5.18-19) As a result of the jokes succeeding, Mari... in the center of the paper... was depicted through her persistence in helping Toby and eventually gaining his approval, as well as becoming his equal. Meanwhile, Toinette's trustworthiness is portrayed through her selflessness; as Argan's nurse/servant and his daughter's confidante. And her wit that ultimately allowed her to come up with a plan that would ultimately make that play the bizarre comedy it is today. Concluding therefore that both Maria and Toinette are similar, because they both have a strong character and quite witty, witty enough to change the total outcome of their respective works. Works Cited Moliere. The imaginary patient. A Dozen French Farces: From Medieval to Modern.Ed. and trans. Alberto 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