preview

Twelfth Night Olivia

Decent Essays
Open Document

The play Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, explores and makes fun of love. In the beginning of Twelfth Night, a young girl, Viola, is shipwrecked, saved, and brought to an unfamiliar land. She then decides to cross-dress as a boy in order to get a job in Duke Orsino’s court. She soon falls in love with Duke Orsino, who loves the Countess Olivia, yet she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle as Orsino sends her to woo Olivia. She is put in a pickle as she does not want to disappoint the Duke but neither does she want her efforts to succeed. In the final scene, Viola ends up marrying Orsino and her identical twin brother marries Olivia. Viola is negligent about social rules, thus allowing her to succeed, revealing that it may be …show more content…

When she arrives in Illyria, Viola sets her eyes on serving Duke Orsino, but this job is only open to men. But this does not stop Viola, and she tells the captain who rescued her, “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke” (1.2.50-53). Upon entering Illyria, the intelligent Viola realizes a eunuch is the best job available in Duke Orsino’s court. However, this opportunity is not available to persons of her gender. When most people would dismiss this opportunity and move on, Viola is undaunted. She knows what it takes to move up the food chain and then simply does it. She most likely decides to work for the Duke as, from what the Captain informed her of Illyria, he is the most powerful in all the land. However, Viola wishes for a job with potential, an occupation with a high ceiling and available promotions. The Captain identifies an opening for an eunuch, while only open to men it would be advantageous compared to other professions because it would explain her high voice. As Viola’s next best job opportunity is highly undesirable, extreme times cause for extreme measures and Viola does not disappoint. Though Viola disregards social norms, she achieves her goals, ultimately leading her to more success and

Get Access