Twelfth Night Thesis
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, love is found in many miraculous ways; friendship, pranks, dismissal. Although love does have many different forms, the underlying theme of love in this particular piece would be, that love can appear unexpectedly, and with no warning in advance. Love can be found in even the most grim looking situations. Unrequited love specifically. The love of Olivia to Viola, Viola and Orsino, Orsino to Olivia, and humorously enough, the love that Toby and Maria find. All these characters share a common goal: capture the love they desperately, and irrevocably want. While some may have more direct approach, others find it in the end, in an almost fairy tale ending. Love is a mysterious, lecherous being, …show more content…
Upon the meeting of the two, Viola, masquerading as Cesario, requests to see a glimpse of Olivia’s face. Claiming it would be more manageable to recite her letter, her master 's declaration of unrequited love. Olivia, agrees, but in a very disgruntled, unenthused fashion. For example, after drawing back her veil, she says, “...we will draw the curtain and show you the/ picture. Look sir, such a one I was this present./ Is 't not well?” (Twelfth Night Act I.V). Olivia was unaware, but taking that first, with such a simple action as presenting her face, the gears of love had began to turn. Proof of this new love is how she had gone against her own wishes. Refusing the advances of men of any sort, which included any man seeing her face, just capitalized on the fact of Olivia beginning to fall for Viola. The irony in the whole situation is quite humorous. It’s usually girl falls for boy, and they live happily ever after. But in this case, the girl unknowingly falls for the girl, and is doomed to never get the love returned, in other words, Olivia’s love is a sad and unrequited one, which is similar to the unrequited love of Orsino and Viola. After the initial reveal of her looks, Olivia requests Viola to leave, and tell Orsino to stop sending messages. That is, different messengers. Olivia making the request of not wanting another messenger just …show more content…
However, the confirmation of the romantic relationship between the two is confirmed after the torment of the poor butler Malvolia, who was a victim of the false love Maria and Toby had created, a veil had been cast over his eyes, making him believe only one thing. However, Maria and Toby gain a larger connection with each other after said torment. It is not directly said that the two join in holy matrimony, but along with when Toby makes the request of Maria to,“Come by and by to my chamber.” (Twelfth Night Act IV. II). Along with the knowledge of other versions of Twelfth Night, in which the two are actually joined in wedlock, on camera, and in view of the audience. In Shakespearean times, sleeping with someone outside of wedlock was a large taboo, and so the reader, or viewer can infer that Toby Maria had went to get married right after. Whether it be from actually love or to keep from the wrath and judging eyes of society, it isn’t certain, but there’s definitely hinting that the two share some sort of romantic connection or relationship. Moreover, Toby and Maria were not the only pair to marry. A prime example of this, would be the marriage of Viola and Orsino. After the reveal of Viola being a woman from her twin brother Sebastian, Orsino had jumped at the opportunity, and taken Viola as his wife. But before he had taken her to
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, love is found in many miraculous ways; friendship, pranks, dismissal. Although love does have many different forms, the underlying theme of love in this particular piece would be, that love can appear unexpectedly, and with no warning in advance. Love can be found in even the most grim looking situations. Unrequited love specifically. The love of Olivia to Viola, Viola and Orsino, Orsino to Olivia, and humorously enough, the love that Toby and Maria find. All these characters share a common goal: capture the love they desperately, and irrevocably want. While some may have more direct approach, others find it in the end, in an almost fairy tale ending. Love is a mysterious, lecherous being, …show more content…
Upon the meeting of the two, Viola, masquerading as Cesario, requests to see a glimpse of Olivia’s face. Claiming it would be more manageable to recite her letter, her master 's declaration of unrequited love. Olivia, agrees, but in a very disgruntled, unenthused fashion. For example, after drawing back her veil, she says, “...we will draw the curtain and show you the/ picture. Look sir, such a one I was this present./ Is 't not well?” (Twelfth Night Act I.V). Olivia was unaware, but taking that first, with such a simple action as presenting her face, the gears of love had began to turn. Proof of this new love is how she had gone against her own wishes. Refusing the advances of men of any sort, which included any man seeing her face, just capitalized on the fact of Olivia beginning to fall for Viola. The irony in the whole situation is quite humorous. It’s usually girl falls for boy, and they live happily ever after. But in this case, the girl unknowingly falls for the girl, and is doomed to never get the love returned, in other words, Olivia’s love is a sad and unrequited one, which is similar to the unrequited love of Orsino and Viola. After the initial reveal of her looks, Olivia requests Viola to leave, and tell Orsino to stop sending messages. That is, different messengers. Olivia making the request of not wanting another messenger just …show more content…
However, the confirmation of the romantic relationship between the two is confirmed after the torment of the poor butler Malvolia, who was a victim of the false love Maria and Toby had created, a veil had been cast over his eyes, making him believe only one thing. However, Maria and Toby gain a larger connection with each other after said torment. It is not directly said that the two join in holy matrimony, but along with when Toby makes the request of Maria to,“Come by and by to my chamber.” (Twelfth Night Act IV. II). Along with the knowledge of other versions of Twelfth Night, in which the two are actually joined in wedlock, on camera, and in view of the audience. In Shakespearean times, sleeping with someone outside of wedlock was a large taboo, and so the reader, or viewer can infer that Toby Maria had went to get married right after. Whether it be from actually love or to keep from the wrath and judging eyes of society, it isn’t certain, but there’s definitely hinting that the two share some sort of romantic connection or relationship. Moreover, Toby and Maria were not the only pair to marry. A prime example of this, would be the marriage of Viola and Orsino. After the reveal of Viola being a woman from her twin brother Sebastian, Orsino had jumped at the opportunity, and taken Viola as his wife. But before he had taken her to