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Twelfth Night Quote Analysis

Decent Essays

Quote 1:
“If music be the food of love, play on and give me excess of it that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die.”

This quote occurs at the beginning of the play as lovestruck Orsino tells his servants, “If music be the food of love, play on” Shortly after this quote, Orsino asks for his musicians to play a lot of music so that he will overdose and no longer desire love from Olivia anymore. Through these words, Shakespeare introduces the image of love as a plague that/ nobody wants. He also makes the image that love is like something that sneaks up to people, and through that it becomes easily unavoidable. Through this, the audience gathers a question of whether romantic love has more to do with the reality of the person who is loved of with the lovers own imagination. For Orsino and Olivia , imagination seems to be more powerful …show more content…

That instant was I turned into a heart, and my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, e'er since pursue …show more content…

As she is thinking this she considers the sea captain’s truthfulness that it won’t work. Shakespeare has made this quote become a plot twist for the audience. In the quote, Viola describes the way that some people can seem “fair” on the outside, however they are concealing a “beauteous wall”, an inner nature that can be “polluted” and become evil. Viola’s speech sets the tone for a play intent on thinking about whether or not the outside matches what’s on the inside.

Quote 2:
“Methinks I feel this youth's perfections with an invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine

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