Viola Twelfth Night

The protagonist of the play Twelfth Night is highly regarded as Shakespeare’s strongest and most developed female character by both critics and scholars. Viola is a cunning character who prompts a central issue in the play by disguising herself as a man; she provokes hetero- and homoerotic responses. Though Viola is a very intellectual woman, it is not her mind that stirs these emotions from Olivia and Orsino. Due to the soft and gentle features Viola has when in disguise, both males and females cannot resist her. Olivia is almost immediately attracted to Cesario, which is the name Viola gives her disguised self, when they first interact. She notes that Cesario is a “peevish messenger” (1.5.301). However, a few lines later she states “I do I know not what, and fear to find …show more content…
Olivia does not want to be in love and hints that she is scared of that emotional state. Yet she cannot help but be attracted to Viola/Cesario’s androgynous features regardless of her behavior. As the play progresses, Olivia becomes so desperate for Viola’s affections that she twists Viola’s biting retorts into terms of endearment. After Olivia gives a speech asking Viola/Cesario about what she thinks of her, Viola responds with an “I pity you” (3.1.124). Olivia, unwilling to let go of her love for Cesario, says “That’s a degree to love” (3.1.125). Viola/Cesario’s allure is so strong that Olivia, who prior to meeting Cesario, was a stubborn and proud woman, becomes a woman eager for Cesario’s love. In the same scene, Olivia proclaims that “[she] love[s] thee so that, maugre all thy pride / Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide” (3.1. 153-154). She attests that her love for Cesario triumphs over her pride and ration with these lines. Olivia is too much attracted to Viola/Cesario’s