William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night takes place in the kingdom of Illyria, where twin brother and sister Sebastien and Viola become shipwrecked, both assuming the other is dead. Viola, a young woman with slight features similar to those of her brother, decides to disguise herself as a eunuch and calls herself Cesario in order to serve the Duke Orsino, for whom she falls deeply in love. However, when her brother Sebastien shows up in Orsino’s court, the plot implodes into a mess of confusion, deception, and dramatic irony. Twelfth Night is full of the thematic motif of true love, however only a very few select characters throughout the play actually experience what could possibly be considered true love, including Viola, while the majority
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Viola begins to fall in love with Orsino after being witness to what seems to be Orsino’s great capacity for love and passion directed at Olivia. Viola expresses these feelings to the audience after being instructed to convince Olivia of Orsino’s passion for her: “Yet a barful strife! / Whoe’er I woo, myself could be his wife” (1.5.41-42). Evidently, Viola is impressed with Orsino;s seemingly deep and passionate love for Olivia, and begins to experience an attraction for him. Unfortunately, these feelings only cause her grief because she can never express them lest she expose her disguise, and she must endure the pain of winning over another woman for the man that she loves, instead of having him for herself. Viola’s true love and passion for Orsino later becomes clear when, in desperation for relief from her bottled-up feelings, Viola speaks out and expresses them, however cryptically. While in a discussion regarding the woman who receives Cesario’s heart, Viola describes an imaginary woman who is “of your [Orsino’s] complexion” (2.4.26) and “about your [Orsino’s] years” (2.4.28) while the audience understands that she is actually describing Orsino himself. In this discussion, Viola desperately feels the need to express her passion, but she cannot for fear of being exposed as a woman. Because …show more content…
Orsino often laments and comments on that love, despite never having felt anything true at all. While discussing the topic of true love with Cesario, he says that “for such as I am, all true lovers are: / Unstaid and skittish in all motions else / Save in the constant image of the creature / That is belov’d” (2.4.16-19). Orsino not only labels his love for Olivia as true in that statement, but also defines his view of a true lover as someone who can be unsure of any emotion other than his/her affection for the recipient of their love. However, the audience quickly finds out that neither of these statements are true when Orsino’s opinions regarding true love are revealed. Just nine lines later in the play, Orsino wildly contradicts his earlier definition of a true lover. When Cesario reveals that the woman he loves is older than him, Orsino finds it absurd: “Too old, by heaven! Let still the woman take / An elder than herself; so wears she to him, / So sways she in her husband’s heart: / For boy, however we do praise ourselves, / Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm, / More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn / Than women’s are” (2.4.28-33). Here, Orsino effectively admits then that he can only love a woman for her appearance. Contrary to his earlier statements, Orsino does not believe that true love is unwavering,
Viola begins to fall in love with Orsino after being witness to what seems to be Orsino’s great capacity for love and passion directed at Olivia. Viola expresses these feelings to the audience after being instructed to convince Olivia of Orsino’s passion for her: “Yet a barful strife! / Whoe’er I woo, myself could be his wife” (1.5.41-42). Evidently, Viola is impressed with Orsino;s seemingly deep and passionate love for Olivia, and begins to experience an attraction for him. Unfortunately, these feelings only cause her grief because she can never express them lest she expose her disguise, and she must endure the pain of winning over another woman for the man that she loves, instead of having him for herself. Viola’s true love and passion for Orsino later becomes clear when, in desperation for relief from her bottled-up feelings, Viola speaks out and expresses them, however cryptically. While in a discussion regarding the woman who receives Cesario’s heart, Viola describes an imaginary woman who is “of your [Orsino’s] complexion” (2.4.26) and “about your [Orsino’s] years” (2.4.28) while the audience understands that she is actually describing Orsino himself. In this discussion, Viola desperately feels the need to express her passion, but she cannot for fear of being exposed as a woman. Because …show more content…
Orsino often laments and comments on that love, despite never having felt anything true at all. While discussing the topic of true love with Cesario, he says that “for such as I am, all true lovers are: / Unstaid and skittish in all motions else / Save in the constant image of the creature / That is belov’d” (2.4.16-19). Orsino not only labels his love for Olivia as true in that statement, but also defines his view of a true lover as someone who can be unsure of any emotion other than his/her affection for the recipient of their love. However, the audience quickly finds out that neither of these statements are true when Orsino’s opinions regarding true love are revealed. Just nine lines later in the play, Orsino wildly contradicts his earlier definition of a true lover. When Cesario reveals that the woman he loves is older than him, Orsino finds it absurd: “Too old, by heaven! Let still the woman take / An elder than herself; so wears she to him, / So sways she in her husband’s heart: / For boy, however we do praise ourselves, / Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm, / More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn / Than women’s are” (2.4.28-33). Here, Orsino effectively admits then that he can only love a woman for her appearance. Contrary to his earlier statements, Orsino does not believe that true love is unwavering,