Emotions In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Everyone, at some point in their life, will be tested with a crisis that challenges their morals and are forced to make nearly impossible decisions. Although people will be pressured and persuaded, the choice is ultimately theirs to choose between two primary influences: the heart and the mind. Some believe the best way to cope with strenuous situations is to strategize and think logically. However, others lean towards following their heart and embracing their emotions. As seen in William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, along with the remarkable account of Malala Yousafzai, the heart and mind will coexist to steer through the obstacles life creates. Some of the overlooked characters in Twelfth Night are genuinely brilliant, though they develop complex personalities through their actions. Maria, a clever …show more content…
Supporting this claim is one of the main characters in Twelfth Night, the Duke Orsino, who sets aside all logic and reason to confess his love for Viola, a woman whom he previously conceived to be a man, by proclaiming, “since you called me “master” for so long, here is my hand. You shall from this time be your master’s mistress” (5.1.317-319). Despite believing Viola’s disguise for the entire play, Orsino hardly wasted any time after realizing the truth before offering her a full life of devotion. Regardless of this example supporting the disbelievers, professor Grossman counteracts their claims by acknowledging a study suggesting “that heart rate variation and thinking process work together to enable wise reasoning about complex social issues” (Grossman). Within his study, the data strongly suggests people avoid overlooking their emotions for this is what coexists with cognition as well as comprehension. Sentimental feelings help humans secure a more concrete viewpoint in addition to obtaining a broader perspective on